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A volume of notes in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bearing the inscription 'History of the British Bards. Common Place Book. No. IV. By Edward Williams . . .' on the 'title-page'. Pp. 2- 11, 32-61, 70-103, 112-25 contain the text of an essay on various schools of Welsh poetry which, under the title 'History of the British Bards' and with the subtitles 'Primitive School', 'School of Taliesin', and 'School of Gruffudd ap Cynan alias of Glynn Achlach', was subsequently published in The Cambrian Journal, 1858, pp. 161-9, ibid., 1859, pp. 10-29, 132-41, 241-55, and ibid., 1860, pp. 7-21. Pp. 12-24 contain extracts from, and abstracts of sections of, two letters from Sharon Turner to the Reverend John Brand as secretary of the Society of Antiquaries which, under the headings 'An Inquiry respecting the early use of rhime . . .' and 'A further inquiry respecting the early use of rhime ...', were published in Archaeologia or Miscellaneous Tracts relating to Antiquity, vol. XIV, 1803, pp. 168-204. These extracts, etc., were published in The Cambrian Journal, 1858, pp. 353-63 being inserted there as a section of the aforementioned essay entitled 'History of the British Bards'. Pp. 26-7, 62-5, 126-31, 192- 203, 232-3 (each page headed 'Alphabet Bards. Allusions to') contain couplets or longer extracts from the works of Welsh poets, these apparently being presumed to contain references to the bardic practice of writing on wooden surfaces using the special alphabet allegedly used by the Welsh bards (see the preceding manuscript No. 13107B) or words and phrases whose metaphorical use reflected such a practice. The contents of other pages include p. 28 (headed 'Hu Gadarn'), two couplets of Welsh verse relating to Hu [Gadarn]; pp. 66-9 (each page headed 'Bards Discipline Miscellaneous'), extracts from the works of Welsh poets, etc., relating mainly to the bards of Tir Iarll; pp. 104-05, notes under the page headings 'Preface to the History of the Bards, Collections for' ( these notes also appear in The Cambrian Journal, 1860, pp. 10-11, as part of the abovementioned essay on the Welsh bards although they obviously do not form part of the narrative of the text of that essay); pp. 132-6 (each page headed 'Schools of Welsh Poetry [Primitive School]'), further observations relating to the primitive school of Welsh poets, its survival in Glamorgan until the seventeenth century, and the foundation of a new school of poets beginning with Rhys Goch ap Riccert, circa 1130, 'in the Silurian district of Wales'; pp. 137-43, blank except for page headings as in pp. 132-6; pp. 150-51, each page headed 'Ossian', otherwise blank; pp. 180-83 (each page headed 'Alliteration'), a note on the definition of the word alliteration, an analysis of an example of alliteration in English verse, examples of its use in 'Caedmon's Paraphrase on Genesis', and a brief note on its use by Saxon poets and its introduction into Welsh poetry; pp. 204-15, each page headed 'Institutes and customs alluded to', otherwise blank; pp. 216-23 (each page headed 'Mythologies'), a triad relating to the proper name Menw on p. 216, otherwise blank; and pp. 240- 41, each page headed 'Inquiries Miscellaneous', otherwise blank. On a 'fly- leaf' at the beginning of the volume are sketches of five musical instruments surrounded by a number of circles containing the names of grades of Welsh bards and musicians extracted 'from a MS. in the Havod Library, 1790'.

A note-book (pp. 1-80) and miscellaneous papers (pp. 81-268) containing notes, lists, extracts, transcripts, etc., in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. Page 1 is inscribed 'Cynnulliadau Tuag att Hanes Eisteddfodau Caerfyrddin, Caerwys, ag eraill Casgledig (gan mwyaf) yng Ngwynedd gan Iolo Morganwg', and this first section contains: a version of the 'statute' of Gruffudd ap Cynan as allegedly confirmed at an 'eisteddfod' held at Caerwys, co. Flint, in 1523, with a list of the names of the bards and musicians licensed at the said 'eisteddfod', transcribed 'O Lyfr Ygrif (sic) P. Panton, Yswain, o'r Plas Gwynn ym Môn' or, as stated elsewhere, 'Ex No. 65, Plas Gwynn, Môn' [i.e. Panton MS 65, now NLW MS 2031, of which see pp. 200-12] (see also NLW MS 13096B above) (pp. 17-27); a list of the twenty-four Welsh strict poetic metres with illustrative examples [?transcribed from the aforementioned Panton MS 65, pp. 186-93] (see also NLW MS 13096B) (pp. 27-35); notes relating to, and lists of, Welsh musical measures [?transcribed from Panton MS 65, pp. 194-200] (see also NLW MS 13096B) (pp. 36-39); an incomplete transcript [?from Panton MS 65, pp. 182-4] of notes relating to the twenty-four traditional Welsh accomplishments (p. 40); anecdotes relating to the poet Dafydd ap Edmunt and the 'eisteddfod' held at Carmarthen [c. 1450] under the patronage of Gruffudd ap Nicolas, transcribed 'Ex Vol. 17, P.P.' [i.e. Panton MS 17, now NLW MS 1986A, of which manuscript see ff. 111-17] (see also NLW MS 13096B) (pp. 41-47); further miscellaneous extracts from Panton MS 17 including an anecdote relating to the poet Huw Arwystli, notes relating to the 'cantrefi' of Glamorgan, etc. (pp. 47-49); transcripts of 'englynion' by, or attributed to, D[afydd] ab Gwilym, John Mowddwy, ?Thos. Lln., and Siôn Tudur (pp. 49-50); transcripts of twenty-three 'englynion' commemorating the year of accession of every English monarch, 1066-1558, attributed to Berud ap yr Ynad Coch, Bleddyn Ddu, Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, Lln. Fardd, Dafydd y Coet, Harri Haram Param, Cyssymdaith Llevot Wynt epolawl, Mabwaith Hengrys o Iâl, Llywelyn ap Ho wrneth, Gwilym Ddu o Arfon, Dafydd Bach ap Madoc Gwladaidd, Llygad Gwr, Daniel Llosgwrn Marw (sic), Dafydd Eppynt, Ieuan Brydydd Hir, Bleuddyn ap Ieuan Hen, Hywel Ystorun, Ierwerth Fynglwyd, Rhys Nanmor, Hywel ab Bleuddyn Mathew, Owain y Bardd 'o Wynedd', and Huw Arwystli (pp. 51-56); a list of the commissioners in whose presence the 'eisteddfod' was held at Caerwys in 1567, and of the poets and musicians who were granted licences at the said 'eisteddfod' (pp. 56-59); a list of bards present at, and notes relating to, an 'eisteddfod' held at Bala [co. Merioneth] in 1740 (p. 60); an extract relating to the code of rules for Welsh bards and musicians allegedly compiled in the time of Gruffudd ap Cynan (p. 61); and transcripts of two sequences of 'englynion' (six and five respectively) allegedly written by Siôn Prichard Prys at an 'eisteddfod' held at Bala in 1680 with the object of enlisting the aid of the bishop of Bangor and Sir Roger Mostyn in an attempt to obtain a [royal] patent for holding an 'eisteddfod' (pp. 62-64). The greater part of the contents of the remainder of the volume consists of transcripts of Welsh poems in strict and free metres, including poems by, or attributed to, [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' himself, Ieuan Tir Iarll 'sef John Bradford o'r Bettws ym Morganwg', Daf. Nicolas, William Hopkin, Daf. o'r Nant, Llywelyn ab Ifan, Siôn Hywel, Thomas Evan, 'Telynor o'r Drenewydd Nottais ym Morganwg', Morgan Pywel, Gwilym Tew (or Owain ap Rhydderch, or Ieuan ab Rhydderch), Twm ab Ifan ab Rhys, Gronwy William, Hywel Llwyd 'o Lancarfan', Wil. Tabwr, Dafydd Nicolas 'o Aberpergwm', Lewys William 'o Ferthyr Tydfyl', Thomas Williams, William Llywelyn, and Wm. Sanders 'o Landocheu'. The free-metre verse includes the words of songs written to specified airs. Other items in the volume include observations ?by Edward Williams after reading certain criticisms of John Hughes: An Essay on the Ancient and Present State of the Welsh Language [London, 1823] (pp. 113-114); notes on Welsh bardism (pp. 161-165); notes headed 'Etymologies that point out the origin and progress of civilization' (p. 167); extracts from Hugh Thomas: An Introduction to the British History [?London, ?1730] (pp. 169-171); a few Welsh triads and proverbs (pp. 227-228); a list of Welsh proverbs heard in Glamorganshire by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' arranged in alphabetical order according to the initial letter (incomplete, A-G only) (pp. 231-240); advisory or proverbial sayings attributed to Taliesin, Cattwn ddoeth, and Meugant (pp. 243-2444); a list of the ten commandments of St. Paul described as '. . . dengair deddf Pawl Sant y rhai a gafas efe o ben Iesu Grist . . .' (see John Williams: Barddas . . ., Vol. I, pp. 288-9) (p. 247); a list of Latin words commencing with the letter v with English meanings and Welsh ?derivatives (pp. 253-254); and (interspersed amongst other items), miscellaneous Welsh proverbs (pp. 241-end). In three instances the blank verso and margins of copies of a printed handbill (English) containing proposals, 1793, for publishing The Celtic Remains (vol. I by Lewis Morris, vol. II by Walter Davies) and of a printed handbill (Welsh) announcing an 'eisteddfod' to be held at Caerwys in 1798 under the patronage of the Gwyneddigion Society have been used for writing notes. A few loose leaves (pp. 261-268) have been placed in an archival envelope.

Miscellaneous papers and home-made booklets containing transcripts, lists, notes, memoranda, etc., in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. Pp. 1-64 contain transcripts of Welsh strict-metre poems attributed to Dafydd Benwyn, Siôn Ieuan ap Rhys Fychan, Llywelyn ap Hywel ap Ieuan ap Gronw 'o Lantrisant Misgyn', Iorwerth Hen, Dafydd Llwyd Mathau, Ieuan Du'r Bilwg, Owain ap Llywelyn ap y Moel y Pantri, Dafydd Hopcin 'o Blwyf y Coetty', Siôn Bradford, Rhys Morgan 'o Ben Craig Nedd', Gutto'r Glynn, Bedo Brwynllys, Syr Rhisiart Lewys, Siôn ap Hywel Gwynn, Rhisiart Iorwerth, Rhys Goch 'o Eryri', Ieuan Dyfi, Hopcin ap Thomas ab Einion, Dafydd ap Gwilym, and Hywel ap Dafydd ap Ieuan ap Rhys, with occasional notes on the poet and / or the poem attributed to Siôn Bradford. Preceding p. 1 are two, brown- paper leaves one of which is inscribed 'Englynion, Awdlau, a Chywyddau o Lyfr Ieuan Bradford a'i synniadau ef arnynt'. Other Welsh verse items transcribed include sequences of 'Englynion y misoedd' attributed to Merfyn Gwawdrydd and Madawg ab Merfyn Gwawdrydd (77- 85, 95-8), 'englynion' attributed to Gruff. ab Daf. ab Tudur (93), Rhisiart Iorwerth (93), Dafydd Nicolas, Aberpergwm (99), Cadwgan ap Rhys ( 99), Thos. Lln. Regoes (99), Llawdden (100), Ieuan Brydydd Hir (101), Siôn ap Dafydd (207), [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (216, 257), John Jones ' o Fôn' (218), D. Edmwnd (282), Tudur Aled (359), Edmwnd Prys (438), Gruff. Philip (438), and D[afydd ap] G[wilym] (470), a 'cywydd' attributed to Robert Huws 'o Fôn' (101-03), three poems entitled 'Buarth Beirdd', 'Canu y byd mawr', and 'Canu y byd bychan' [from the 'Book of Taliesin'] (105-10), a sequence of 'Englynion y coedydd a gant y Beirdd yn eu Cadair gân yn Llangynwyd', the 'englynion' being attributed to Edward Dafydd, Dafydd Edward, Charles Meredydd, Siams Thomas, Hywel Rhys, Dafydd Rhys, William Lidwn, Hopcin Thomas, Siôn Padam, Mathew Llwyd 'o Gelli Gaer', Llywelyn Thomas, and Harri Lleision 'o Lancarfan' (121-3), an 'awdl' and a sequence of eleven 'englynion' attributed to Edward Evans (125-30), extracts from the works of the Cynfeirdd as published in The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales, vol. I, here transcribed under the superscription 'Assonances of the school of Taliesin or of the 6th century' (149-63), ten stanzas with the title 'Cân i'r llaw' attributed to Siôn Wiliams 'o Landathan' (181-4), further extracts from the works of the Cynfeirdd as published in The Myvyrian Archaiology, vol. I, under the superscription 'Cynghanedd unawdl. Consonance of rhime the only consonance that was systematically required by the Bards of the ancient school' (202-04), four stanzas with the title 'Darnau o Gân y Mab o'r Dolau Gleision' (209), further extracts from the works of the Cynfeirdd as published in The Myvyrian Archaiology (210-12), extracts from 'Y Gododdin' (374-85), and three stanzas attributed to Mabclaf ap Llywarch (489). (continued)

Prose items include a note on a 'vellum, very ancient' manuscript of the 'Laws of Dyfnwal Moelmud and other ancient Laws antecedent to those of Hywel Dda' allegedly to be found amongst the Hengwrt MSS in the late seventeenth century (93-4), triads (133-4, 136, 279), an account of 'wear and tear expences, daily expences on my [? Edward Williams's] Tour thro' South Wales in 1802' (167), a list of 'Names of Places in N[orth] W[ales]' (168-9), notes on Gruffydd ap Cynan's connection with the Welsh bardic laws (177-80), a brief note on Welsh vernacular dialects (180), a brief genealogy of Syr Rhys ap Thomas (187), a brief account of 'schools' of Welsh poetry, viz. the Ancient or Primitive school, the schools of Taliesin, Gruffydd ap Cynan, Tir Iarll or Rhys goch ap Rhiccert, and Llawdden, the Northwalian school, the schools of Nature, Gronwy Owain, Glamorgan, and the Gwyneddigion, the modern Southwalian school, and the school of the Jumpers including 'William Williams, the hymn carpenter' (258-9, 188-91, 196-9, leaves misplaced), two lists headed 'Naw Cyhydedd' and 'Corvannau' (201), a brief note on 'cynghanedd lusc', assonant terminations, and initial and complex alliterations (205), a brief pedigree of George Owain (206), a list with the superscription 'Letters and Essays of Iolo Morganwg' (219, 235), lists of caps and wigs which would be sold 'at the Annual Fair' on All Fool's Day (222-3), a list of 'Gwyr Cwm y Felin' (224; see NLW MS 13121B above ), two medicinal recipes for the cure of cancer (227-8), a statistical table showing average rainfall in various parts of the British Isles (228), a similar table showing the population of various South Wales towns [? circa 1800, see IM, t. 5] (230), a ? introductory note to an intended collection of Welsh proverbs and aphorisms (231), extracts from The Crit[ical] Review, June 1803 (233-4), lists of rare plants, various kinds of stone, clay, etc., castles, abbeys and monasteries, ancient houses in the Gothic style, other ruins, [gentlemen's] seats, British and Roman camps, and Druidical monuments, ? all in Glamorgan (240-52), a list of Glamorgan exports (253), a list of 'Fish in Ogmore River' (255-6), a brief pedigree of Oliver Cromwell (280), a list of Welsh families who derived their surnames from their place of residence (393-4), a list of North Wales poets whose names were derived from place-names and a list of South Wales poets (395-6), notes headed 'Peculiarities of the North Walian dialect' (405-09), a list of 'Barbarous names of places in Anglesea' (413), ? extracts from 'Adam Littleton's Latin Geographical and Historical Dictionary, Anno 1678' (429-31), a note on Llanfachreth church [co. Merioneth] (438), a list of the commissioners at the 'eisteddfod' held at Caerwys [co. Flint], 9 Elizabeth I, and of some of the bards licensed at the said 'eisteddfod' (453), two lots of notes on agriculture headed 'Ffermyddiaeth hen' and 'Hen ffermyddiaeth' (455-7), and biographical or genealogical notes or data (sometimes very brief) relating to Llywelyn Brenn, Ifor ap Einon, Llywelyn Bren Hen and Llywelyn Bren Ieuanc (165), Rhys Pritchard (176), Walter Lollard, Dafydd Ddu Hiraddug, John Stow, [John] Gower, and [Geoffrey] Chaucer (193), John de Ecclescliff, Lleibiaw, Ceraint Hir, Nicholas ap Gwrgant, and John Pascall, all bishops of Llandaff (192 + 200), Ifor Hael (200 + 235), Thos. Wilkins, rector of Lanmaes, ob. 1699 (200), Edward Davies, rector of St. Brides, ob. 1672 ( 201), members of the Berkrolls family (217), Gwynfardd Dyfed (235), and Wm. Llyn (487). Also included in the volume are lists or groups of Welsh words (sometimes with English definitions), extracts of varying length from the works of Welsh bards and poets (sometimes to provide examples of specific words, phrases, or names, e.g. Hu Gadarn), and notes or memoranda on a variety of subjects.

A manuscript volume with the title 'AMRYW' in gold lettering on the spine. Written throughout by William Owen [-Pughe], the manuscript contains transcripts of parts of two older manuscripts, the one in the hand of Lewis Morris [B.M. Add. MS 14908, ff. 36-58], and the other in the hand of Owen Jones, 'Owain Myfyr' [B.M. Add. MS 15020, pp. 1-5, 7-12, 27-8, 33- 5, 44-5, 52-8, 67-70, 93-107, 109-15, 117-23]. The first item in the present manuscript, pp. 1-39, is a transcript of the Statute of Rhuddlan, 'Ystatus Rhuddlan yw hon. A.D. 1283', copied from Lewis Morris's manuscript, which is in turn a copy of a vellum manuscript in the Hengwrt library, which he transcribed in 1738 [i.e. Peniarth MS 41]. The remainder of the present manuscript is copied from B.M. Add. MS 15020, pp. 49-50, 'Rhif Carennydd'; pp. 50-52, 'Llyma y 24 gore, y rhai sy'n ddysg ac yn siampl dda'; p. 53, 'Tri anrhaith Marx Ynys Prydain Mr. Morris o'r Ll. Dû o Gaerfyrddin, Tri Thrin Eddystir Ynys Prydain, Tri Gohoew Eddystir Ynys Prydain, Tri hoew Eddystir Ynys Prydain'; p. 54, 'Cis ddynion Selyf ddoeth'; p. 55, 'Câs Bethau Owen Cyfeiliog'; pp. 56-9, 'Arthur a'i Farchogion (o Lyfr Lewis Dwnn), 3 Aur dafodiawg Farxawg, 3 Marxog Gwyryf, oedd yn Llys Arthur, 3 Chad Farxog, 3 Lledrithiog Farxog, 3 Brenhinawl Farxog, 3 Chyfion Farxog, 3 Gwrthyniad Farchog, 3 Chynghoriad Farxog'; p. 60, 'Pum maib Cenau ap Coel hen ap Riodawr [sic] o'r Gogledd'; pp. 61-3, 'Plant Llowarx hen o fwy nag un wraig, Plant Owain hael ap Urien, Plant Llew ap Cynfarx, Meibion Cynwyd Cynwydion, Plant Urien Reged, Plant Cynfarx'; pp. 64-6, 'Tri thlws ar ddêg ynys Brydain a roed i Daliesin hen Beirdd'; p. 67, 'Saith Gyneddf Gwr dewisol - Taliesin a'i Dywawd'; p. 67, 'Nattur Meddwdod (allan o Dlysau'r hen Oesoedd gan Lewis Morris Yswain)'; pp. 68- 75, 'Llyma Trioedd Arbennig, Trioedd Serch, Trioedd Taliesin, Trioedd Mab y Crinwas'; p. 76, 'Llymma Leoedd ynghorph Dyn y bydd swrn gyneddfau ynddynt'; p. 76, 'Geiriau Gwir Cattw ddoeth'; p. 77, 'Saith ymofynion saith o wyr doethion, ac atteb pob un i'w gilydd'; p. 78, 'Geiriau Gwir'; pp. 79-88, 'Hanes yr Ymrysongerdd rhwng Edmwnt Prys Arxdiagon Meirionydd a Wiliam Cynwal prydydd ac Arwyddfardd - (Ll. Gwyrdd R. Morris Esq.)' [cf. Y Greal (Llundain, 1805), tt. 9-13]; pp. 89-119, 'Damhegion a 'sgrifenwyd ar Femrwn ynghylch y Flwyddyn 1300 - adgrifenwyd [sic] 1769. O. Jones - a minnau 'sgrifenais o Lyfr O. Jones, 1783 - Gwilym Owain', [cf. Y Greal ( Llundain, 1806-1807), tt. 322-9, 366, 279-80, 366-70, and also in Ifor Williams, Chwedlau Odo (Caerdydd, 1957), tt. 1-8, 11-23]; pp. 120-5, 'Copïau o Gwynion fal y maent yn Ysgrifenedig o law Guttyn Owain, gyd â Mr. Trefor, Tref Alun, Cwyn Camgroes, Cwyn torr Croes, Cwyn Anghyfarx, Cwyn Amobr, Cwyn sarhaed', [cf. Y Greal (Llundain, 1806), tt. 321-2, 281, 322]; pp. 126-8, 'Goleufynag o rai Henwau gan y Parchedig Mr. Dav. Jones 1572 - allan o Lythyrau y Parx. Sion Morgan at Moses Williams - Mai 3. 1714'; p. 128, 'Englynion [3] yn rhagymadrodd Llyfr L. Dwnn', beginning 'Fe ddenfyn Duw gwyn da i gyd - a fo raid . . .', with the ascription 'Lewis Dwnn 1606'; p. 129, five 'englynion' entitled 'I'r Pedwar Gwynt' by 'Simwnt Fyxan. Pencerdd', beginning 'Dwyrain dwymyn syx lle'r ymdeurydd, - llu . . .'; p. 130, an 'englyn' entitled 'I Delyn' ('Dd. Ellis a'i cant Jes. Coll. Oxon from Meirion but qu. Revd. Gro. Owen's hand writing. R.M.') beginning 'Difyrrwx di drwx di drais - tawelaidd . . .'; and pp. 130-33, 'Cywydd o waith y Parxedig Sion Morgan i Moses Williams', beginning 'Moes yn awr, wr mawr, i mi, . . .', followed by the note: 'Danfonodd y Cywydd hwn fal y mae heb ei orphen mewn Llythyr i M. Williams yn Nhy Mr. Thomas, Crane Court Fleet Street London - Dyddiedig Odd. Ionawr 1717'. Tipped in on p. 135 is a note, 17 July 1823, referring to Mrs. Townley and Captain Tuck.