Miscellanea,

Miscellaneous papers containing notes, lists, jottings, etc., of an extremely varied nature in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound into one volume. The contents, pagination in brackets, include a copy of a notice relating to the proclamation in 1816 of the holding of a bardic convention at Pen rhiw'r gwydd in the cantref of Garth Mathrin, co. Glamorgan, in the following year (30-31); a list of 'Druidical altars in Glamorgan' (38-9); brief genealogical data relating to Llywelyn Bren Ail of Sainghenydd [ob. 1317] (45); a list of 'Documents of Welsh History Translated from Ancient British Manuscripts by Edward Williams' and a list of four dissertations relating to early British history, 'ancient Welsh MSS.', etc. [by the said Edward Williams] ? to be published in part form (46-7); another list of source material headed 'By Edward Williams. Welsh Historical Documents Collections for a New History of Wales consisting of Translations of' (48); a list of events, etc., relating mainly to British history A.D. 79 - A.D. 460 (54-5); a brief note on the church and parish of Lanedarn, co. Glamorgan (61); a sketch ground plan of the lay-out of Rumney house and garden (62-3); brief lists or groups of Welsh words (64, 92, 105, 113, 117- 18, 123, 125, 133, 138, 155, 165, 204-12, 218-19, 259, 331-2, 334, 340-41, 361-2, 370, 371, 389); a short pedigree tracing the descent in direct line of Dafydd ap Hopkin from Bleddyn ap Maenarch (68); five draft stanzas of a Welsh hymn and two other stanzas of Welsh verse (70); a list of fifteen items under the heading 'Yniales' being presumably a list of items contained in an alleged manuscript volume bearing that name (74; see TLLM, sub nomine in index); an incomplete note on a meeting of bards and musicians at Castell Nedd, ? 1088, convened by Rys ap Tewdwr and attended by Iestyn ap Gwrgan and his wife and daughter Nest, and the saving of the daughter from Rys's intended abduction of her (73-4); miscellanea including Welsh triads, brief notes on Gower sheep, Hereford Ryelands in Glamorgan, the production of butter in Glamorgan, etc. (72, 75, 77); a list of Welsh names of grammatical tenses (83); a brief note on the village of Wrinston and its neighbourhood [co. Glamorgan] (84); an anecdote relating to Sir Gilbert Stradling's presence with Richard I at the siege of Acres and the creation of the order of the Knights of the Blue Garter (85); miscellaneous notes relating to Welsh triads and their attribution to fictitious names, the basic reasons for the continued existence of the bardic system of Glamorgan, etc. (87-8); a list of mythological items and persons headed 'Damhegion Beirdd Ynys Prydain' (89); an extract from the poem 'Angar Cyfyndawd' from the Book of Taliesin (91); copies of two 'englynion' by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (94); a remedy for asthma (95); a list of fifteen faults in metre and 'cynghanedd' which should be avoided by Welsh bards according to the Glamorgan system (98); a list of twelve ? subject or chapter headings under the superscription 'A brief analysis of the Cimbric or Welsh language' being ? the outline of an intended article or booklet on the said subject (101-02); a stanza of Welsh verse by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (106); a list of nine Welsh manuscript sources, e.g. 'Brut y Tywysogion', 'Brut y Saeson', 'Trioedd Ynys Prydain', under the heading 'Works in hand by Edwd. Williams. Collections for the History of Wales' (107); (continued)
Brief genealogies in direct line of Einion ap Gwalchmai and Bleddyn ab Llywarch (107); a list of Welsh proverbs or proverbial expressions (114, 186, 189, 398); nine stanzas of an English patriotic poem transcribed from the Bristol Gazette of 24 August 1803 (115-16); brief notes relating to inscribed stones in Glamorgan and the bardic 'Cadair Tir Iarll' (126); a brief note relating to Taliesin and the Welsh metres and the retention of knowledge of the ancient principles of poetry, etc., in Glamorgan (129); brief notes on Saint Caradoc (132); a note on the boundaries of Glamorgan (135-6); biographical data relating to Edward Ifan, 1716-98 [Presbyterian minister and poet], with transcripts of two commemorative 'englynion' to him attributed to Wiliam Harri 'o blwyf Penderyn' (142-5; see TLLM, and IM, sub nomine in index and more particularly TLLM, tt. 245-51); a note relating to the probable degree of civilisation prevailing amongst the early Cimmeri (149); a transcript of [Horace's Ode XXII from Book 1] (151-2); brief observations by E[dward] Williams on [Thomas] Gray' s poem '[The] Bard' (156-7); a draft version of six stanzas of English verse and a copy of an ? incomplete 'cywydd' by [Edward Williams] 'I[olo] Morganwg' (160-63); a note relating to the extent of Morgannwg and to the bardic 'Cadair Caerllion ar Wysg' and 'Cadair Dinefwr ag Ystrad Tywy' (170 ); a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Ieuan Tew (173-4); a note on the bardic 'Trwyddedog Nawdd' (177); a brief note relating to Cuneddaf Wledig and his sons in North Wales (183); a draft version of an English sonnet written [by Edward Williams, 'Iolo Morganwg'] in December 1792 (185 + 190); the introductory section of proposed notes on the history of Morgannwg allegedly extracted from a volume formerly in the possession of the Reverend Edward Gamais, rector of St. Athan, and then in the hands of Mr. John Spenser of the same parish (187); notes on the implications of civilisation in social polity, religion, social economy, domestic economy, etc. (192-7); an outline of a 'Letter to Napoleon by E[dward] W[illiams] in the Character of a Quaker', in which he sets out, in nine points, his advice to the recipient and his principles for government, etc. (200-03); notes on the organisation of the bards and bardic system by King Arthur (213 + 218); a list of Latin and English names of trees, grasses, etc., under the headings 'Additions to Turton' and 'Not in Bingley' (214-17); a genealogy showing the descent in direct line of Hu Gadarn (218); a stanza of Welsh free-metre verse by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (219); sketches of, and notes on,? the ruins of Gwern y Cleppa house [co. Monmouth] (220-22); notes relating to resolutions of the Welsh bardic fraternity in 1798 (235-6); a list of 'Rare plants in Glamorgan' (239 + 244); a notice relating to an advertisement concerning a proposed harbour and tramroad at Newton [co. Glamorgan] headed 'Cambrian, Aug. 11th 1819' (241-2); a list of 'Fish in Glamorgan' (247-8); brief architectural notes relating to Coyty Castle and Coyty Church [co. Glamorgan] (250); a draft of a statement [by Edward Williams, 'Iolo Morganwg'] to the effect that certain authors who had published psalms had borrowed lines or couplets from his psalms and not he from theirs (253-4); a brief note referring to W[illiam] O[wen] P[ugh] and [Owen Jones] 'Owain Myfyr' in a derogatory manner (259-60); notes referring to developments in 'cynghanedd', etc., the Emperor Arthur and the bardic 'dosparth y Ford Gron', the rediscovery by Rhys ap Tewdwr, when in exile in Brittany, of books relating to the said 'dosparth y Ford Gron', the bardic chairs 'Cadair Morganwg', 'Cadair Gereinwg', 'Cadair Caerllion ar Wysg yn Nhir Iarll', 'Cadair Urien Reged', 'Cadair Gwynedd a Phowys', and 'Cadair Marchwiail', and 'Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain' (266-73); extracts from the Welsh Scriptures, all except one being from the New Testament (274-81); philosophical and religious observations (291-302) ? connected with the inscription 'Hints for an Essay on the Christian prophecies now fulfilling in the world' on p. 290; brief notes relating to 'flag and bastard lias' and 'rag lias' soils, an ancient course or rotation of crops on 'flag and bastard lias strong soils' in Glamorgan, species of wheat ? found in Glamorgan, etc. (310-12); (continued)
A formula for making 'water cement for cisterns, etc., or to plaister walls in houses to keep out water' (313); notes headed 'Farming Calendar, Glam[ organ], from observation', outlining the work to be done in every month of the year (314-17); names of the parts of speech in Welsh and a list of the letters of the Welsh alphabet (333 + 330); a brief note relating to Welsh literature in the Middle Ages (338); a Welsh version of an inscription on a column erected by the inhabitants of 'Môn ag Arfon' to honour Henry William, Marquis of Anglesey, and his heroism whilst fighting in Spain and at the battle of Waterloo (342); a short list of 'Silurian idioms' and 'Deudneudisms' (346); a list of Biblical texts ? containing references to the devil (347 + 352); a copy of what, by inference, was the allegedly concluding passage of the work called 'Cyfrinach Beirdd Ynys Prydain' in which the reputed author, Llywelyn Siôn of Llangewydd, co. Glamorgan [poet and copyist], claims that he extracted his information from various volumes in Raglan Castle [co. Glamorgan] in the possession of Sir William Herbert ('o Lyfrau Lewys Morganwg . . . ag o hen lyfrau eraill yno nid amgen na Llyfrau Edeyrn Dafawd aur'), and a copy of a note attributed to Edward Dafydd stating that the said Sir William had intended setting up a printing press in Cardiff Castle to print the Welsh works ('i brinto'r Llyfrau Cymraeg'), that he had died before doing so, and that Raglan Castle and its library ('a'r cyfan o'r llyfrau') had been set on fire by the followers of Oliver [Cromwell] (349-50); a list of five triads headed 'Trioedd Iaith ag ymadrodd' (353); draft stanzas of Welsh religious verse ? hymns (355); notes relating to metrical feet - 'corfannau cerdd dafod' (367- 8); a brief note on Ceraint Fardd and his contribution to 'cynghanedd' (369); an extract from the Gent[leman's] Mag[azine], December 1795, relating to a brass sword discovered at Buildwas, co. Salop (370); a list of 'Gower villages' (381 + 378); a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Ior[werth] Fynglwyd (385-7); pencil sketches of ? sections of Dunraven peninsula (388 + 390); a brief biographical note relating to Rhydderch ap Ieuan Llwyd of Glynn Aeron (392); miscellaneous stanzas of Welsh free- and strict-metre verse including a 'tawddgyrch cadwynog' attributed to Gwilym Tew 'o Lynn Taf' and two free-metre stanzas by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (393-6); versions of an 'englyn' in Latin, English, and Welsh, the Latin version bearing the name of Daf. Nicolas (399); an 'englyn' by [ Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (399); a twenty-point plan being a 'Sketch of a New System whereon a Religious Society may be formed' (400-09); a list of 'Meteorological observations and adages collected in Glam[organ]' (422-5); brief extracts from the poems of Cynddelw (97, 104, 206), Tudur Aled (133), Rhys Goch ap Rhiccart (138), D[afydd ap] G[wilym] (141), and Ed[mund] Prys (369); and other miscellanea. Pp. 191, 255, 260, 364, 397 contain lines of musical notation being possibly in some instances the airs of tunes. Notes in some instances have been written on the verso or in the margins of the following, pagination in brackets, - an undated ? holograph letter from Thomas Rhys to Edward Williams (seeking aid for H. Walters) (53); a ? holograph letter, 1812, from John Bishop Estlin from Bristol to Thomas John of St. Athan (recipient's eyesight, the writer was sending two pairs of glasses) (71 + 76); an account from Taliesin Williams to Mr. Bradley in respect of cutting letters and painting (87); an incomplete holograph letter from Edwd. Williams to Sir Robert L. Blosse, Bart. (personal) (106); an undated holograph letter from Thos. William from Froom, Sumnerset, to his sister (he was at work 'in this town', his brother [Edward Williams, 'Iolo Morganwg'] could have work 'in the Marble way' at Devizes for fifteen shillings a week) (131 + 140); a copy of a printed prospectus advertising a proposed new edition of poems by Charles James (147-8 and two unnumbered pages between p. 154 and p. 155); a copy of a printed circular from John Walter from Piccadilly, 1790, offering his services as an agent at the approaching General Election (150 + 153); a note in the third person, January 1815, from Dr. Prichard inviting Mr. Williams and his son to dinner (158); a copy of a printed account of the receipts and payments of the Cymmrodorion Society on behalf of the churchwardens and parishioners of the parish of Trefdraeth, co. Anglesey, in their suit, 1769-1773, against Dr. Bowies, rector of the parish, concerning the legality of presenting non Welsh-speaking incumbents to livings in Wales (two unnumbered pages between p. 204 and p. 205 and two unnumbered pages between p. 210 and p. 211); an incomplete draft of a petition from Edward Lloyd, schoolmaster, to persons in the town and vicinity of Neath, recounting his war service, 1756-1763, on board H.M.S. Trident (212 + 2190); a receipt, 8 February 1794, from J. C. Matthews [bookbinder] to Mr. Williams [? Edward Williams, 'Iolo Morganwg'] for sixteen shillings received by the hand of Mr. Bingley 'for 100 Setts Poems', and a note from W. Bingley to [? Edward Williams] relating to the said account and 'your other binders bill' (234 + 237); a copy of printed proposals for publishing Edward Williams's two volumes of English poems Poems Lyric and Pastoral (263-4, 290 + 309); and a copy of printed proposals for publishing in monthly parts Hanes Bywydau, Dioddefiadau, a Marwolaethau y Merthyron Cristianogol translated from the English martyrology of [John] Fox[e] with other additional material (327 + 336).

Title based on contents.

Formerly known as Llanover C. 72.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 13159A.

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

For the stanzas attributed to William Harri of Penderyn see also The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1946-7, pp. 97-149.

Published