Miscellanea,

A composite volume containing miscellaneous prose and verse items in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg'). Page i is inscribed 'Brith y Coed Sef Cynnulliad Cymmysg o Hen Bethau Cymreig, Rhyddiaith a Phrydyddiaeth. Cynnulliad Iolo Morganwg. Rhifyn IV', and pp. iii-vii contain a list of ninety-four items being the contents of pp. 1- 144. These include, pagination in brackets, transcripts of Welsh poems (sometimes single stanzas) or extracts from Welsh poems attributed to Gwydion ap Don (from the Mabinogi) (1), Lln. Moel y Pantri (2), Lln. ab Hywel ab Ieuan ab Gronw (5, 101-04, with a note on the bard 104-05), Dafydd Gorlech (5), Gruff. ap Gronw Gethin (6), Rhys Llwyd Brydydd (6, 73), Ieuan Gethin ab Ieuan ab Lleison (17, 74, 122), Thomas Llywelyn 'o Regoes' (17), Siôn Tomas Hywel 'o Lanbedr ar Fro' (29), Thomas Wiliam Hywel (29), Thomas Lewys 'o Lechau' (29-30), Harri Meirig (35), Taliesin Ben Beirdd ( 49-55, 78-9), Dafydd ap Gwilym (72, 130), Iorwerth Fynglwyd (73-4), ? Rhys Nanmor (73), Ieuan Du'r Bilwg (74), Twm ab Ifan ab Rhys (75-7), Gruffydd Llwyd Dafydd ap Einon Lygliw (97-100, with a note relating thereto), Siôn Rhydderch (106-07), Dafydd Hopcin 'o'r Coetty' (108), Rhisiart Thomas (109 ), Teilo Sant (114-15), Casnodyn Fardd 'o Gil Fai' (116), Dafydd Lewys 'o Ferthyr' (120), Lleison Cradoc 'o Dregolwyn' (121), Rhys Brydydd (121), Owain Gwynedd (121), Dafydd Benwyn (122), Wm. Cynwal (122), Huw Machno (130), Edwd. Richards (130), Hywel Rhys (130), Hopcin ap Thomas 'o Lynn Tawy' (132), Llywelyn Goch ab Meurig Hen (132), Siôn Tudur (136-41), Siôn Mowddwy (141), Llawdden Fardd (143), Tudur Wiliam (144), John Daf. ap Jenkin (144), and Llywarch Hen (144); transcripts of unattributed Welsh verse including a series of fourteen 'Englynion yr Adar' with notes by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' relating thereto (37-9), a series of eighty-four 'Englynion Arthur a'r Eryr a hwnnw oedd Eliwlod Nai Arthur ag Arglwydd Llancarfan' with notes relating thereto by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (79-95), and an 'englyn' (131); notes on 'Adar Rhiannon' and 'Blynyddau'r haul a'r Lleuad' (2); genealogical data relating to the descent of King Arthur including an anecdote relating to Brân fab Llyr (3- 4); genealogical data relating to 'Taliesin Ben Beirdd' and 'Morganiaid Tredeger' (7-8); a copy of the inscription on the gravestone of William Hopkin [the reputed poet], ob. 1741, and of an 'englyn' thereon attributed to his mother, and a brief note on his family (9; see TLLM, tt. 251-9); notes, mainly genealogical, relating to Rhys Brydydd of Llanharan [co. Glamorgan] and his family (10); a brief genealogy of William Bleddyn, bishop of Llandaff [1575-1590] (11); notes relating to Cuneddaf Wledig and his sons (11-14); notes on Saint Brychan and Morgan ap Einydd from whom allegedly Brycheiniawg and Morgannwg derived their names (15-17); a copy of a version of the statute reputedly drawn up by Gruffudd ap Cynan for regulating the order of bards and musicians with brief notes on the said statute by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (18-28); miscellaneous genealogical data (30-36, 48, 113); horticultural and agricultural instructions extracted 'o Hen Lyfr Esaia Pywel o Lansainffraid ar ogwr' being a work allegedly compiled in 1591 by Rhisiart Siôn Huw 'o'r Coetty' ( 40-48) ; notes on the Welsh bardic order as it was previous to the time of Gruffydd ap Cynan ('Llyma Drefn ar wyr wrth Gerdd Dafawd a elwir Hen Drefn Deheubarth ag a fu yng Ngwynedd cyn nog amser Gruffydd ap Cynan') (56-60); a list of fifty Welsh triads headed 'Llyma Drioedd Cerdd' (60-68); a list of Welsh proverbs allegedly extracted from a larger collection 'Yn Llyfr Thomas Bona' (69-72); a transcript of a letter in Welsh from Llywelyn Siôn from Llangewydd to Meuryg Dafydd of Llan Nisian [both of co. Glamorgan and fl. late 16th cent.] (the books relating to the bardic craft 'Llyfrau cerdd dafawd . . . sef pump llyfr Cerddwriaeth' which he, Llywelyn Siôn, had been copying were ready for collection, recipient should receive one pound for them, he had heard that the person who wished to have the volumes intended publishing a work on the subject in Welsh and Latin, knowledge of the Welsh bardic craft would disappear except for the composing of 'cwndidau') (96; for the opinion that it is a forgery to be attributed to Edward Williams himself see TLLM, t. 93, n. 45, and t.158, n. 56); (continued)
Notes relating to 'eisteddfodau' held at Ystrad Owain, Glamorgan, with particular reference to an 'eisteddfod' held there in 1720, and transcripts of 'englynion' composed in connection therewith (105-12; see TLLM, tt. 272-7); a brief note on the connection between some of the gentry and clergy of Glamorgan and Welsh poetry until ? comparatively late in the eighteenth century (112); a short list of Welsh triads, a few Welsh proverbs, lists with the superscriptions 'Wyth prif Gampau Dedwydd', 'Naw Llawenydd y Nef', 'Yr Wyth Brifwyd', 'Wyth Weithred Trugaredd', and 'Wyth Defnydd Dyn', and a list of sayings attributed to Cattwg Ddoeth (117-20); notes relating to Rhys Brydydd of Llanharan [co. Glamorgan] and his sons Rhisiart and Ieuan and tales relating to his grandson Thomas (123-9; for the Welsh text see Iolo Manuscripts, pp. 200-03, and for an English translation ibid., pp. 614-17); miscellaneous triads (131); notes on and a list of 'Breiniau Gwyr Arfon' (133-6); and Welsh medicinal recipes (142-3). Pp. 153-5 contain a list of fifty-one items being an incomplete list of the contents of pp. 157-384 Previously paginated 1-228. Included, pagination in brackets, are a copy of 'Gwassanaeth Meir' [being a middle Welsh version of the 'Officium Parvum Beatae Mariae Virginis'] transcribed by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' in June 1799 from a manuscript in the hand of John Jones [of Gellilyfdy, co. Flint] then in the library of Thomas Johns of Hafod Ychtryd, co. Cardigan [now Hafod MS 23 in the Cardiff Free Library] (157-211); a section headed 'Tri achos y dioddefawdd Crist archollion . . . ' and two Welsh triads (212 ); transcripts of two sequences of 'englynion' the first attributed to Mab Claf ab Llywarch or Llogell Rhison and the second to the said Mab Claf ab Llywarch, and of a poem attributed to Taliesin Ben Beirdd (213-20); transcripts of seven prayers described as 'Emynau Curig Ferthyr' (221-5); a copy of an anecdote relating to Owain Glyn Dwr and Syr Lawrens Berclos (225-6); transcripts of three sequences of 'englynion' (each stanza commencing 'Coronog Faban') attributed to Aneurin Gwawdrydd, Jonas, athraw Mynyw, and Rhys Goch o'r Ryri respectively with notes [by Edward Williams] on the three sequences (227-38; for the Welsh text see Iolo Manuscripts, pp. 265-71 and for an English translation ibid., pp. 673 et seq.); four more sequences or 'awdlau' containing 'coronog faban' stanzas, the second being attributed to Gildas Broffwyd and the fourth being copied, with revised orthography, from Thomas Pugh: Brittish and Out-landish Prophesies . . ., London, 1658 (239-56; for the Welsh text see Iolo Manuscripts, pp. 271-82); an incomplete copy of an 'awdl' attributed to Cuhelyn Fardd (257); a brief note on Gruffudd Hiraethog's opinion of Siôn Tudur, Wiliam Cynwal, Simwnt Fychan, and William Llyn (269); a note headed 'Edifeirwch Owain Cyfeiliog' (269-70); a copy of 'Prophwydoliaeth Gildas Brophwyd' (270-73); an incomplete series of triads entitled 'Trioedd Cerdd gwasgaredig' (273-4 ); transcripts of two stanzas of the 'tawddgyrch cadwynog' measure attributed to Iorwerth ab Ieuan and Lewys Hopcin 'o Hendre Ifan Goch' and of 'englynion' attributed to Lewys Morganwg (277-8); a short list of names of places and persons mainly from Welsh literature and legend extracted from a manuscript collection of Welsh poetry compiled by D[afydd] Jones, vicar of Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd (279-81); a list of questions and answers headed 'Gofyniadau saith o wyr Doethion i'w gilydd a'u hattebion' (282-3); a transcript of an 'englyn' in Latin attributed to Grono Ywain (283); a series of thirty Welsh triads (284-9); a copy of a fable entitled 'Hanes y tri aderyn Llwch Gwin' (289-90; for the Welsh text see Iolo Manuscripts, p. 188, and for an English translation ibid., p. 600); copies of two prose items entitled 'Hanes y Pedwar Cefnderwydd Gwynedd' and 'Cynghor Taliesin i'w Fab Afaon' and a note re a Glamorgan tradition linking Wa[l]ter de Mapes with the parish of Llancarvan (290-92); (continued)
A note relating to Gruffudd Dwn of Ystrad Marchell and his relationship with William Llyn and William Salesbury, with a copy of an 'englyn' by the said Gruffudd Dwn to Salesbury (293-4); a note on the words 'ynad' and 'anynad' (295); transcripts of Welsh strict- and free-metre poems attributed to [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg', Hopcin y Gwaydd 'o Fargam', Thomas Llywelyn 'o Regoes', Hywel Rhys 'o Flaen Cannaid', Edward Richards 'o Ystrad Meuryg', Siôn y Cent, y Parchedig Roger Edwards 'offeiriad Llanaber yn Ardudwy', Evan Evans ( ), Edmund Prys, and Iorwerth Fynglwyd (296-317); notes relating to Elis Wynn [cleric and author] with a transcript of six of the 'englynion' published by him at the beginning of his [translation of Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living, i.e.] Rheol Buchedd Sanctaidd and of the six 'englynion' to the translator by Edmund Prys 'Ficar Clynog Fawr yn Arfon a mab yr hen Edmund Prys o Faen Twrog' also published at the beginning of the said volume (318-23); transcripts of strict-metre poems attributed to ? Ieuan ap Gruffudd, Siôn y Cent, Tomas Morgan 'o'r Tyle Garw', Wiliam Dafydd 'neu Wilym Tir Ogwr', Dafydd y Blawd, Y Bardd Glas o' r Gadair, Evan Evans 'sef Ieuan Gwynfardd Ceredigion', Goronwy Owain, Hopcin y Gweydd 'o Fargam', Huw Caerog, Huw Llyn, Huw Pennant, Wiliam Cynwal, Ieuan Tew Hynaf, Wiliam Byrcinshaw, Siôn Tudur, and Richard Dafies, Escob Mynyw, and of some unattributed verse, the poems in some instances being accompanied by notes relating to subject matter, circumstances of composing, etc. (323-57); a note relating to the grading or licencing of bards at the time of the 'eisteddfod' at Caerwys ? 1565 (357-8); notes relating to Elisabeth Price, cousin of Robert Fychan of Hengwrt [co. Merioneth], her work as a copyist of the works of Welsh poets from the earliest to her own times, some twenty manuscript volumes in her hand in the possession of the Reverend Mr. Dafis of Penegos near Machynllaith [co. Montgomery], the untrustworthy nature of the genealogical manuscripts of Gwynedd, the compilation of such works as Brut y Brenhinoedd, Brut y Tywysogion, and Brut y Saeson in South Wales, the preservation of the poetic compositions of the bards of the princes of Gwynedd in South Wales manuscripts such as Llyfr Coch Hergest, Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin, Llyfrau Gogerddan, and Llyfrau Castell Rhaglan, the use of 'Iaith Deheubarth' as a literary language by the poets of Gwynedd, etc. (359-61; see TLLM, tt. 173-4); an anecdote relating to the poet Gutto'r Glyn's visit to an 'eisteddfod' at Cardiff Castle with a transcript of an 'englyn' attributed to Syr Wiliam Herbert and of part of a 'cywydd' attributed to Hywel Dafydd ap Ieuan ap Rhys connected therewith (362-3); transcripts of 'englynion' attributed to Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Fychan and Ifan Brydydd hir (jointly), Lewis Môn, Tudur Aled, Rhisiart Iorwerth 'o Langynwyd', and Llywelyn Goch ap Meuryg Hen 'o Nannau', an 'englyn sathredig ym Morganwg', and a stanza attributed to Owen Brereton (363-5); brief genealogies of Taliesin Ben Beirdd (366); and brief genealogical and other data relating to the three bardic brothers Ednyfed, Madawg, and Llywelyn, sons of Gruffudd ap Iorwerth of Marchwiail [co. Denbigh] with reference to an 'eisteddfod' held at Marchwiail in the lifetime of the said three brothers (367-8). P. 385 is inscribed 'Brith y Coed, Rhann VI yn hwn y mae Statut Gruff. ap Cynan o Lyfr Siôn Brwynog', and pp. 387-8 contain a list of the contents of pp. 393-421 (previously paginated 1-29). Included, pagination in brackets, are prose items headed 'Llyma Saith weithred y Drugaredd yr rhai y bydd Crist ddydd brawd yn holi pob Criston yn galed am danynt' and 'Llyma beth o Gynghoreu Cattwn Ddoeth a'r Bardd Glas o'r Gadair i bob gwr doeth ar y fynno rengi bodd Duw a dynion . . .' (393-9); a short list of 'Geiriau gwir Taliesin' and a series of six Welsh triads (400); a series of sayings attributed to Y Bardd Glas o'r Gadair, and a sequence of questions and answers of a biblical - mythological nature (401-02); and transcripts of strict-metre poems attributed to Gutto'r Glynn, Iorwerth Fynglwyd, Dafydd Na[n]mor, Meilir Brydydd, Dafydd ap Gwilym or Iolo Goch, and Llawdden or Gwilym ap Ieuan hen (403-21). The remainder of the volume contains, pagination in brackets, a copy of rules relating to the holding of 'eisteddfodau' and of a version of the statute for the regulating of the bardic order attributed to Gruffudd ap Cynan as allegedly confirmed at the [mid] fifteenth century 'eisteddfod' held at Carmarthen (425-37; the present version, according to notes On p. 437, had been compiled by Siôn Brwynog from various sources and had been transcribed by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' from one of the manuscripts of the aforementioned Elizabeth Price in the possession of the Reverend Mr. Dafies of Penegos aforesaid); a note by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' relating to the authorship of the aforementioned rules for holding 'eisteddfodau' (438; see TLLM, t. 281); notes relating to an 'eisteddfod' held at Y Pil in co. Glamorgan in 1715 listing the names of bards who ? were present and containing transcripts of 'englynion' composed at or in connection with the said ' eisteddfod' allegedly by Nicolas Rhys, Wil Hopcin, Siôn Bradford ('Ieuan Tir Iarll'), Dafydd Hopcin 'o'r Coetty', Dafydd Nicolas, Gruffudd ap Hywel ('Y Digri Bach'), Rhys Morgan, Siôn Rhydderch, and Dafydd Thomas (441-6; see TLLM, tt. 258, 277 et seq.); a further note relating to the aforementioned Dafydd Thomas who was at Y Pil including a reference to Siôn Rhydderch (446-7; see TLLM, t. 244); and what appears to be the superscription for proposed notes on an 'eisteddfod' held at Ystrad Ywain in co. Glamorgan in May 1720 (448).

Title based on contents.

Formerly known as Llanover C. 67.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 13154A.

The description is also available in the Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume IV (Aberystwyth, 1971).

For the text of the letter from Llywelyn Siôn to Meurig Dafydd see L. J. Hopkin James and T. C. Evans: Hen Gwndidau, Carolau, a Chywyddau . . . Bangor, 1910, t. 221; for the 'Gwassanaeth Meir' text see Brynley F. Roberts (ed.): Gwassanaeth Meir . . ., Caerdydd, 1961, tt. lix-lxi.

Published