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A volume (pp. i-xxii; 1-449) containing miscellaneous items, many relating to Welsh bardism, in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg'). The contents include pp. 1-3, a note re the proclamation in 1795 of a bardic meeting to be held at Pen Bryn Owain in co. Glamorgan in 1796; 3-7, notes re the times of holding bardic meetings ('Cadair a Gorsedd wrth Gerdd a Barddoniaeth'), etc.; 7-16, eleven rules under the superscription 'Darbodau Gorsedd Gyfallwy Cadair Morganwg . . . ar Benn Brynn Owain ym Morganwg . . . 1795' relating to the conduct of bardic meetings, the measures, content, and language of poems, the bards, etc.; 25-8, a note of a proclamation in 1798 of a 'Cadair a Gorsedd ar Gerdd a Barddoniaeth' to be held at Pen Brynn Owain in co. Glamorgan in twelve months time, notes on the times of holding future bardic meetings '. . . ymmraint Cadair Orsedd Morganwg . . . ar ben Twyn Owain', and a geographical definition of the term Morgannwg in this context; 35-44., notes headed 'Coelbren y Beirdd herwydd Llyfr Llywelyn Siôn' being notes relating to the special alphabet reputedly devised by the Welsh bards for carving or notching on wooden surfaces and different modes of constructing wooden appliances or so-called 'books' which could be used as writing surfaces when utilising this alphabet; 51, an incomplete version of a 'question and answer' conversation between a teacher and his disciple; 55-6, notes relating to early British bards called 'gwyddoniaid', a bardic meeting between Prydain ab Aedd Mawr and three of these bards called Plennydd, Alawn, and Gwron ('Tri Phrif Feirdd Ynys Prydain'), rules for the bardic order formulated then, etc.; 57-60, English definitions of, or notes in Welsh on, terms of bardic relevance, e.g. 'Alban', 'Gorsedd Arddangos', 'Arwest', 'Cerdd Arwest'; 63-73, extracts of varying length from the works of Welsh poets ? illustrating bardic or poetic terms ('Bardic Allusions from the Welsh Bards'); 79, a note on 'Colofn Prydain (sef felly y gelwir y Gyhydedd Gyrch yn Llyfr Gm. Tew)'; 80-82, notes on Welsh literary production up to and including the fifteenth century mentioning Dafydd ap Gwilym, Llawdden, Harri ap Rhys ap Gwilym, Ieuan Brechfa, Edeyrn dafawd aur, Einiawn offeiriad, Dafydd Ddu Hiraddug, and Hopkin ap Thomas; 82-6, notes relating to an 'eisteddfod' held under the patronage of Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Tewdwr in Aberteifi and to rules concerning the order of bards and musicians formulated there; 87-8, brief notes on the bardic 'cadair arddangos' and 'cadair dwmpath'; 89, a note relating to the original of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, an extract from the said work, and a note on 'a circumstance . . . exactly similar' in a poem by Dafydd ap Gwilym; 90-91, notes on Dafydd ap Gwilym and his poetry; 92-4, notes on the Welsh alphabet; 95-? 104, the rules and customs of the bardic chair of Tir Iarll ('Trefnau a Defodau Cadair Tir Iarll'); 111-13, bardic miscellanea; 119- 22, notes relating to the rights, etc., of the bardic order with the superscription 'Llyma ddangos amrafaelion o arferion a breiniau a defodau a barnau a chyfarwyddyd a berthynent i Feirdd a gwyr wrth gerdd o'r hen Lyfrau'; 127-33, notes on 'Cerdd Gadair', 'Cerdd Deuluaidd', 'Clergerdd', 'Datgeiniad Cadair', and 'Datgeiniad Penpastwn'; (continued)

135-7 + 145, further notes re rules for bardic meetings; 142, two triads; 143-4 + 155, notes relating to ? the Welsh bardic alphabet; 154, a note on 'Tair colofn Barddoniaeth'; 157-9, notes relating to the alleged association between (a) Gruffudd ap Cynan and Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and the code of rules for the bardic order, (b) Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and 'regulations for genealogies and armorial bearings', (c) Rhys ap Tewdwr and the introduction of the 'Bardic Laws of the Round Table' from Armorica, and (d) Gruffudd ap Cynan and 'a musical sessions in Glyn Achlach in Ireland . . . 1096'; 171-4, a transcript of twelve stanzas of Welsh verse attributed to Siencyn o'r Crwys y Prydydd; 174, a list of 'Plant Caw o Brydyn'; 175, a transcript of a twelve-line Welsh stanza allegedly composed by Thomas Glyn Cothi on the occasion of the French landing at Fishguard in 1797; 176-7, genealogical data relating to the family of Iestyn ab Gwrgan and related families; 178, a transcript of an 'englyn' relating to Owain Glyn Dyfrdwy attributed to Ieuan Gethin ap Ieuan ap Lleision; 179, a few entries relating to events in Welsh history, 870-959; 180, a transcript of 'englynion' ? attributed to Hywel Ystoryn; 181-6, an anecdote and notes relating to ? the reputed poetesses of Ty Talwyn, parish of Llangynwyd [co. Glamorgan]; 187 + 193, skeleton notes on Llanilid, Llanharan, Llanhari, Llantrisaint, St. Donats, and Flimston [co. Glamorgan]; 188-9, historical and other notes relating to the parish of Merthyr Tydvil [co. Glamorgan]; 190, a list of 'Antiquities in and about Merthyr'; 191, a note on Mallt Walbi 'a Brecon virago' and leader of a gang of freebooters, and a list of 'Remarkable Parishes' [in Glamorgan]; 192, a list of 'Antiquities in and about Lantwit Major' [co. Glamorgan]; 205, extracts relating to 'Melchin, an ancient British author', 'Hu Gadarn', etc., 'Ex Celtic Remains by Lewis Morris'; 206-07, a note on heroic poetry and the attitude of the 'descendants of the Celts' towards it; 219- 22, comments on orthography arising out of [William] Owen [Pughe]'s innovations with regard to Welsh orthography; 223-7, notes relating to the formation of compounds and plurals of monosyllabic words in ancient Cimbric and modern Welsh; 227-39, notes relating to the original home of the Cymry and early druidism and bardism, etc.; 241, a short list of Welsh words relating to worship with English definitions; 242-4, notes on the principles of druidism; 246-51, notes relating to the 'Great Eisteddfod at Caermarthen' [? 1451], 'the system of versification that received the sanction of that Eisteddfod', the adoption of this system by the bards of North Wales and some of those of South Wales, its rejection by the bards of Glamorgan and their compilation of 'a system of discipline, of Poetical Criticism, of Versification, and of whatever appertained to their science', the death of the Carmarthen system during the reign of James I, Gronwy Owen's verse, and the Gwyneddigion Society's annual Welsh poetry competition and its attempt 'to restore the system of the Carmarthen Eisteddfod'; 252-4, notes relating to an 'eisteddfod' held at Nant Gonwy, 1 Edward IV, incorporating 'englynion' attributed to Dafydd ap Edmund and Twm Tegid Brydydd 'o Langower ym Mhenllyn'; 259-66 + 274-82, an outline journal of a journey from South to North Wales and back, July-August 1800, the places mentioned on the northward journey including Cowbridge, Bridgend, Neath, Caeo, Dolau Cothi, Pumsaint, Clydogau Mountain, Llanfair Cludogeu, Llandewi Brevi, Tregaron, Pont Rhyd Fendigaid, Hafod, Pont ar fynach, Llanbadarn, Aberdyfi, Towyn, Dolgelleu, and Blaeneu (a visit to [Rhys Jones, antiquary and poet] and transcribing of manuscripts), and on the return journey Llanfachreth, Dolgelley (mention here of harpists and of the origin of the triple-stringed harp), Carneddi Hengwm, Tal y llynn, Abergyrnolwyn, Aberdyfi, Aberystwyth, Llanrhystid, Tal y sarn, New Inn, Abergwily, Caerm[arthe]n, Llangyndeyrn, Pont y Berem, Llan Nonn, Cydwely, Llanelly, Pont ar Ddulais, Swansea, Llangynwyd, and Bridgend; 262, a transcript of twelve lines of English verse entitled 'Loyalty by a Cobler'; 264, a transcript of an 'englyn' attributed to Huw Llwyd Cynfel; 270-73, a Welsh saints' calendar; 306, a plan of a 'Sheepfold at the foot of Cadair Idris, another in ruins on the same plan Cefn Merthyr, several more in Glamorgan'; (continued)

307, a transcript of the 'title-page' of Edward Jones: The Bardic Museum of Primitive British Literature . . .; 308-13, a series of eleven Welsh triads ('Llyma Drioedd y Beirdd') with an English translation thereof extracted from pp. 1-4 of the aforementioned Bardic Museum by Edward Jones; 316, a medicinal recipe for rheumatism in the head; 317, a 'Plan of a school house or accademy'; 323-38, extracts from Sharon Turner: History . . . of the Anglo-Saxons [vol. IV], relating to the language, literature, and music of the Anglo - Saxons; 339-43, notes on, and extracts from, [Walter] Scott's 'Lay of the Last Minstrel'; 359-62, extracts from a review of Edward Moor: The Hindu Pantheon which appeared in The Edinburgh Review, February 1811; 367-70, brief notes relating to the poetic dialect of the Welsh bards, the 'ancient [Welsh] Prose dialect', 'the modern [Welsh] literary Dialect', and 'The Venedotian Dialect' and its use in literature, and comments on the efforts of 'A Welsh (would-be literary) Society in London . . . to patronize the Welsh Language'; 373-80, notes relating to the introduction of Scaldic bardism into North Wales in the time of Gruffudd ap Cynan and the consequent disappearance of the old British bardism in that part of the country, the preservation of the old bardism in Glamorgan, and the invigorating effect of the 'Scaldic manner or system' on Welsh poetry and the Welsh language, general comments on the moral tone of Welsh literature, etc.; 381, three 'grammatical' triads; 382, a very brief list of Irish words in the Venedotian dialect; 383, an extract 'Ex Vol. 35 Plas Gwynn Mon' [i.e. Panton MS 35 now NLW MS 2003] relating to the 'dymchwelawl' poetic metre; 384, a note relating to an old manuscript volume containing Welsh miracle plays in the possession of 'Dr. Thomas yn Llwyn Iwrch' in the eighteenth century; 385-6, comments on the practice of calling 'the ancient British Religion Druidical'; 387-9, general observations on the development of the 'system of versification and of poetical criticism . . . of the Welsh Bards'; 390, a brief note on 'Bardism or Druidism'; 391-2, a list of fourteen chapter headings for a proposed 'History of the Bards' [? by Edward Williams], with a note at the beginning 'A Bad Plan' and at the end 'The above is only the first rude sketch of 1791 and here only retained as containing a few hints that may be useful' (in addition to material on British / Welsh bardism and druidism and Welsh music this work was to contain chapters on Irish and Highland bards, Scandinavian scalds, Provencal troubadours, and Saxon and English minstrels); 392-4, a list of thirty-six topics or subject or chapter headings being 'Another arrangement' [presumably for the proposed 'History of the Bards']; 395, a transcript of three 'englynion' attributed to Gutto'r Glyn, the third being attributed also to H[ywel] D[afydd] I[eua] n Rhys (an accompanying note mentions an 'eisteddfod' at Cardiff Castle); 396-7, a list of six 'Topics for the Bards Common Place book'; 398, a list of dates ? in connection with the holding of 'eisteddfodau' at Ystrad Ywain [co. Glamorgan]; 399-400, notes relating to the 'Polity or Discipline' of the druids and bards; 407, a list of fourteen 'names given by the ancient Bards to the Coronog faban' (part Welsh, part English, and derived from [Thomas] Pugh [: Brittish and Out-landish] Prophesies . . . [ London, 1658]); 408-18, notes relating largely to early British bardism and druidism with mention of [James] MacPherson and the Ossianic poems; 423-5, miscellaneous triads, etc.; 426 + 430-31, general reflections relating to etymology; 427-9, reflections on the use of conjecture in history particularly 'with respect to the peopling of Europe and America' if no historical records were available; 431-3, notes relating to the dissension between the bards of North Wales and those of Glamorgan consequent upon the 'succesful attempt of Daf[ydd] ab Edmund at the Caermarthen Congress [? 1451] to establish his own system [of versification]', the researches undertaken by the Glamorgan bards into 'Bardic history and science' and their discovery of 'the true principles of Poetry and versification', etc.; 435-7, notes containing general reflections on changes in the Welsh language and poetry from the late thirteenth century onwards; and 438, a list of six Welsh triads.

Miscellaneous papers containing notes, extracts, transcripts, lists, etc., in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. Pp. 9-62, 68-73, 76- 90, 107-48, 213-20 and various other pages in the volume contain miscellaneous Welsh word lists frequently, but not invariably, with English definitions and illustrative excerpts from the works of Welsh poets. Other items include pp. 63-5, an incomplete 'Cornish - Silurian vocabulary' (words beginning with letter A only); 75, a comparative word list with the superscription 'Peculiarities of the Silurian and Venedotian dialects'; 93-106, a list of popular proverbial and figurative expressions or phrases in Welsh (see IM, t. 389); 149-50, 157-63, lists of Latin proper names, common nouns, etc., largely connected with ancient Gaul; 153- 6, 165-208, a French - English vocabulary with Welsh cognates of the French words; 221-30, a Cornish - English vocabulary with the superscription 'Borlace Vocabulary' [probably transcribed from, or based upon, the vocabulary to be found in William Borlase: Antiquities, Historical and Monumental, of the County of Cornwall . . . (1754, 2nd ed. 1769)], with Welsh cognates of the Cornish words; 236, 'Some Names of Rivers in Glamorganshire'; 237, a copy of a poem attributed to Taliesin; 240, notes headed 'Names of Mountains'; 241-2, notes headed 'Appelative Name of Watter', and 'Proper Names of Rivers'; 251-8, a collection of Welsh proverbs arranged alphabetically according to the initial letter (incomplete, G-Y only); 260-61, a Welsh poem by Edward Williams; 262, a list of 'Silurian words agreeing with Armoric'; 273-4, two lists with the headings 'Books and MSS. useful towards the History of Cardiff', and 'Hints and Materials for the History of Cardiff' respectively; 281-2, a copy of a thirty-eight stanza anti-Puritan poem entitled 'Cân i Ladron Morganwg' attributed to 'Jenkin Rhichards o Flaenau Gwent' and dated 1646 (for an assessment of the historical evidence presented in this poem see Thomas Richards: A History of the Puritan Movement in Wales (London, 1920), p. 211, and the same author's Religious Developments in Wales, 1654-1662 ( London, 1923), pp. 191-4, and for doubts as to its authenticity IM, tt. 254-63); 283-4, a transcript of a letter from [the Reverend] Edw[ar]d Gamage [from St. Athan] to Llywelyn [ab Ifan] 'o'r Cannerw', undated (replying to a request for the names of books for the study of the Welsh language, observations on differences between the dialects of Glamorgan and North Wales, a suggestion that a scholarly, bardic language be formed from the best elements in all regional dialects) (for a holograph copy of a letter from Edward Gamage to Llywelyn ab Ifan see NLW MS 13077B and for transcripts by Edward Williams of letters from, or allegedly from, Gamage to the same recipient in addition to the present example see NLW MSS 13095B, 13100B; for observations on these letters and the dubious authenticity of the Williams transcripts see IMCY, tt. 58-60, TLLM, tt. 107, 195, and IM, tt. 245-6); 285, a copy of an 'englyn' descriptive of a silkworm and 'composed of vowels'; 291, an incomplete transcript of [Thomas] Gray's 'Ode on the Pleasure arising from Vicissitude'; 295-8, a chronicle of events in British-Welsh history, 1076-1110; 299-300, notes on the Welsh bardic order with references to [James] Macpherson's theories about the druids and bards and a comment on his Fingal poem; 302, extracts from the Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure, 1768; 303-04, a transcript of [Taliesin's poem] 'Gwaith Argoed Llwyfain' with an English translation thereof by W[illia]m Whitehead (see Edward Jones: Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards . . . (1784), pp. 5-6); 307-10, an English translation of the title-page of Theophilus Evans: Drych y Prif Oesoedd . . ., ail arg. [1740], and of pp. 107-10 of the text of the work; 315-16, a copy of a letter from 'Christopher Crabstick', servant of Mr. Windham [Thomas Wyndham of Dunraven Castle, co. Glamorgan], to Captain Wind[s]or [Captain Thomas Windsor, R.N.), undated (a satirical attack on recipient's decision to offer himself as a candidate in the parliamentary election for the county of Glamorgan [?1789]); 323, draft copies of an election song to accompany the preceding item; 317-20, brief notes on the topography, agriculture, mineral wealth, etc., of the three main divisions of Glamorgan; 321-2, an advertisement for a proposed history of the town of Cardiff and lordship of Glamorgan; 326, a copy of the proposed title- page of Edward Williams's intended 'History of the Ancient British Bards or Druids' to be published in 1795; 327-30, notes on Welsh poetic metres ('Am gysefin ansawdd y mesurau') and on bardic ceremonial ('defodau . . . wrth gynnal gorsedd'); 333-4, prose items with the superscriptions 'Casbethau serchog', 'Llyma lythr anfon serch o waith D.G. o lyfr Ovydd', 'Dewisbethau serchog o lyfr Ofydd', and 'Casbethau Eiddig'; 335-6 two sequences of stanzas (twenty-one and twenty-four respectively) of Welsh prophetic verse with each stanza commencing with the words 'Coronog faban . . .', the first sequence being taken, with revised orthography, from Thomas Pugh: Brittish and Out-landish Prophesies . . . (London, 1658) [pp- 47-51, 37-8] (for the text of both sequences see Iolo Manuscripts . . ., pp. 276-82); 337-8, an incomplete copy of a Welsh poem describing the county of Glamorgan, its towns, etc. (for the missing portion, i.e., stanzas 1-30, see Iolo Aneurin Williams MS 97 in the National Library of Wales); 339-40 transcripts of two 'cywyddau' attributed to Ieuan ap Hywel Swrdwal and Gruff. ap Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan; 341-2, a transcript of a letter in Welsh from the poet Gronw Owen from Donnington, co. Salop, to William Elias, 1751 (for the text of this letter and notes on problems relating thereto see J. H. Davies (ed.): The Letters of Goronwy Owen . . . (Cardiff, 1924), pp. 3-4, 203-04); 343-5 medical maxims in Welsh; and 347-8, transcripts of 'englynion' by Wm. Llyn, H[uw] Llyn, and Edward Morris. Also included are miscellaneous notes on bardic, literary, and historical matters, etc.