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Dafydd o'r Nant Bards and bardism.
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Barddoniaeth, etc.,

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.

Miscellanea,

Miscellaneous papers of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. The contents include pp. 13-16, notes on the Welsh bardic order under the heading 'Cadair Tir Iarll'; 21-3, an incomplete, draft or variant version of a 'letter to the reader' [which Edward Williams had written as part of the intended preface to his volume Cyfrinach Beirdd Ynys Prydain]; 25-8, notes on nine medieval kings of Glewisseg, the country 'lying between the River Usk on the side of Gwent and the River Elerch . . . on the side of Kibor in Glamorgan'; 29-31 and 37, transcripts of a Welsh poem entitled 'Cynneddfau amryw Barthau Cymru' attributed to Aneurin, and of a Welsh poem in the hexameter measure attributed to Dafydd o'r Nant; 34, a copy of a notice announcing that 'eisteddfodau' would be held at Corwen and Bala in [ ]; 39 + 42, a copy of an undated letter from 'D' to the editor of The Cambrian providing 'an English paraphrase' of a Welsh sonnet he had previously sent him; 45, a report in Welsh on opinions expressed by [John Moore] archbishop of Canterbury, and [Samuel Horsley], bishop of St. David's, in a debate in the House of Lords, 5 June 1793, concerning a proposal to send missionaries ? to India; 46, an incomplete copy of a letter in Welsh relating to the Moravian Church; 47-8, a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Siôn Tudur; 49-52, a copy of the rules (English) of a society called the 'Berean Society'; 55, an incomplete list of ? the founders of churches in Glamorgan; 56, a note on Sir Robert Ffitsamon's policies in Glamorgan [late 11th cent.]; 60, a transcript of an English poem ? by E. Williams; 61, an extract relating to a nation of White Indians; 63, brief notes headed 'Bricks and Brickmaking'; 65-6, a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Giles ap John; 67-8, an extract from the Gent[leman]'s Mag[azi]ne, April 1810, relating to the court leet of Pember, co. Hants.; 71-2, extracts relating to the use of a copper and tin alloy for making tools and weapons in ancient times; 73-4, an incomplete copy of a poem entitled 'Pennillion arferedig ym Morganwg ar ddydd Priodas'; 80, notes on the metrical foot in Welsh verse ('Corfannau Cerdd Dafod'); 82, ? an incomplete draft of the proposed title-page of [Edward Williams:] Cyfrinach Beirdd Ynys Prydain; 85-9, a copy of the rules, etc. (Welsh) of a society called 'Cymdeithas y Bereaid' (see ref. to Berean Society above); 95-7, an incomplete transcript of a letter [1782] from the Rev. David Jones of Langan [co. Glamorgan], to the Countess of Huntingdon published in The Evangelical Magazine, January 1811 [p. 13], with versions of the said letter in English and Welsh verse; 98-100, a copy of an English poem described as the 'Birth day song of the Cardiff Gazette which was intended to be published on Saturday, January 2d 1813'; 107-10, a copy of ? a section of a letter referring to certain Welsh poetic metres, the poetic tradition in Gwynedd, and a book to be published by recipient ?relating to Welsh poetry; 116, brief notes relating to the poets Rhys Goch o Dir Iarll, D[afydd] ap Gwilym, and D[afydd] ap Edmwnd; 117, biographical notes on Thomas ap Evan ap Rhys, poet, born in the parish of Margam [co. Glamorgan] circa 1474; 124, transcripts of two 'englynion' attributed to Benjamin Dafydd 'o Langeinwyr'; 127, draft proposals by Edward Williams for publishing a volume to be called 'The Bardic Triades . . .'; 160, a sketch plan of a 'gorsedd' circle; 161-2, extracts from [David] Powel [: The Historie of Cambria now called] Wales; 168, a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Meiric Dafydd; 175-7, autobiographical notes [by Edward Williams]; and 179-80, notes headed 'Queries in Rural Architecture, oeconomy, &c'. Interspersed among the items already noted are miscellaneous notes relating to Welsh literary, bardic, and antiquarian matters, lists of Welsh words, brief lists of miscellaneous Welsh triads, stanzas of English and Welsh verse, etc. Some of the notes are written on the blank verso, the margins, and even across the face of copies of a printed handbill issued by Henry Walters, March 1784, advertising his printing office in the town of Cowbridge, printed proposals, 1762, for the publication by the Cymmrodorion Society of a 'Natural History of the Quadrupeds and Birds of Great Britain and Ireland', a printed handbill (undated) setting forth the programme, etc. of a 'Society for the preservation of the remains of ancient British Literature . . . and for the encouragement of the National Music', etc.