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Manuscripts once held in the library of Plas Llanstephan, Carmarthenshire. The collection comprises mainly transcripts from medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the Black Book of Carmarthen and the Red Book of Talgarth which include poetry, triads, pedigrees, arms, lives of saints, Brut y Brenhinedd, Brut y Tywysogion, the Laws of Hywel Dda, etc.; grammars and vocabularies; translations, mainly from Latin and English sources; proverbs; theological tracts; medical recipes; etc. The earliest of the manuscripts date from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. Most of the manuscripts are in the hands of Moses and Samuel Williams, with other scribes including Dr John Davies, Mallwyd, Dr John David Rhys, William Maurice, 'Iaco ab Dewi', Edward Lhuyd and William Owen-Pughe.

This manuscript is apparently in the same hand as large portions of the Red Book of Hergest and Peniarth MS 32. The contents, with few exceptions, are manifestly taken from Jesus College MS 2 and Peniarth MS 5. Pp. i-vi belong to the fifteenth century and contain pedigrees (p. i) which are somewhat difficult to decipher; triads (p. ii); and poetry by Dafydd ap Gwilym and Ieuan Dew Brydydd (p. iv-vi).
The twenty folios which are missing between ff. 20b and 21 now form part of Peniarth MS 12, pp. 77-116. For f. 26 (Y llyvyr hwnn yw y trydydd llyvyr or llyvyr aelwir Kyssegyrlan Vuched ...) see Llyvyr Agkyr Llandewivrevi, pp. 86-103; for f. 41b (Dangos pa delw ydyewir y tat ar mab ar yspryt glan ...) see ibid., pp. 162-3; for f. 42 (Mal hynn y digawn ytat ar mab ar yspryt glan ...) see ibid., p. 138-40; for f. 43b (Dangos y mod y dylyo dyn gredu ...) see ibid., pp. 141-4; for f. 46 (Llyma seith rinwed yr eglwys) see ibid., pp. 145-6; for f. 47 (Valhyn ydyweit hu sant o wedi y pader) see ibid., pp. 147-51, l. 3; for f. 52 (Breudwyt bawl) see ibid., p. 152-6; for f. 54b (Llyma ebostyl y sul) see ibid., pp. 157-9, l. 6; for f. 56 (Rinwedeu offeren sul) see ibid., p. 151; for f. 56b (Ypotis weithon y gelwir hwnn) see ibid., pp. 128-37; for f. 62b (Valhyn y treythir o ach dewi ...) see ibid., pp. 105-18; for f. 71b (Dywededic vu hyt hynn o vuched dewi sant ...) see ibid., pp. 119-27. The text at f. 80 (Historia de Adamo morituro et de Seth in paradiso ...) is the same as that in Peniarth MS 32, p. 239 (cf. Bodley MS Laud Misc. 471, f. 66). The Welsh text at f. 84b corresponds with chapters I-XLI of B. Harris Cowper's edition of The Apocryphal Gospels, pp. 29-82.For f. 125 (Ystorya titus aspassianus) see Peniarth MS 5, f. 36; for f. 129b (Llyma ual ytreythir o ystorya pilatus ...) see ibid., f. 10; for f. 131 (The end ... of the Life of St Catherine) see ibid., f. 21; for f. 132 (Buched meir vadlen) and for f. 135b (Llyma weithyon vuched martha) see ibid., f. 26; for f. 137 (Purdan padric ...) see ibid., f. 58, but with verbal differences throughout. At f. 160 (Athrawon agawssant y geluydyt honn ...) note that in the older MSS the month Rhagfyr (December) comes before Tachwedd (November). For f. 160b (Argoelon y vlwydyn ...) cf. Peniarth MS 12, p. 124; for f. 163 (Dy gygor ath gyssul yw ...) see ibid., p. 125. For f. 164b (Llyma ual y treythir o gynghoreu catwn ...) cf. Peniarth MS 3, p. 31 and 27, ii (pp. 16-20). For f. 172b see Peniarth MS 14, pp. 1-20, omitting items under pp. 6, 7, 14; there are slight verbal differences in the text and a tendency to insert passages about the 'Catholic faith' and the 'virgin mother'. The end of the manuscript is missing: the final words are 'Lleidyr oed gynt . ae enw ebbo ... tebygu na ladyssei y magyl arnaw . yn y lle nessau attaw aorugant ar uedyr'. A letter dated at Talgarth on 19 September 1719 and addressed to 'the Rev. Moses Williams att Dyfynnog in Breconshire' is bound in at the end of the manuscript.

A manuscript containing the 'Demetian Code' of Welsh laws.
The text seems to follow pretty closely the text of the Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales (Vol. i, pp. 408, xv-590, l. 2).

A manuscript in two parts, the first part containing 'Some words omitted in Dr. Davies Welch and Latin Dictionary ...'; and the second part containing 'Geiriau or hen Gamberaag anhawdh ei dirnad yn yr oes hon', with illustrations from the poets, including Tudur Aled. The first part of the text (original foliation 1-101) is written in a seventeenth century hand while the second part (original foliation 1-14) is written in a sixteenth century hand.
From the many references in the text to Sir Thomas Wiliems it would appear that the scribe of the first part of the manuscript had access to the original Dictionary MSS used by Dr John Davies, Mallwyd. The vocabulary in the second part of the manuscript is apparently a copy of Wiliam Llŷn's Vocabulary.

A manuscript in the hand of 'David ap Griffith effyriad' (see pp. 13, 14) containing medical precepts and prescriptions (pp. 15-27, 54-92), material of botanological (pp. 28-40), physiological (pp. 41-49) and theological (pp. 1-12) interest, and poetry (pp. 13-14, 50-53). The section on botany includes a Latin-Welsh vocabulary of plant names. Poetical works cited are those of Taliesin, Dafydd ap Gruffydd and Gruffudd Gryg.
There are traces of the hand of Sir Thomas Wilems (p. 40), and also of another hand on many folios.

A manuscript containing poetry by Dafydd ap Gwilym, Tudur Aled, Iolo Goch and other poets mostly of the second half of the fifteenth century. On p. 247 Huw Cae Llwyd has written: 'oydran jesy n dyrnasol / py ragor pymp ar higain / pymthec cant rifant y rain', which would date the manuscript at hardly earlier than 1525.
The style of the writing points to an earlier period, and the orthographical habit of writing - for example, 'kaid' to rhyme with 'eneid' (see p. 73, &c.) - belongs to the second half, if not the last quarter, of the fifteenth century (compare Llanstephan MS 7 and Peniarth MS 70).

A manuscript in three hands containing a treatise on arms addressed to Morgan Elfael (fl. c. 1528-1541) from Hywel ap Syr Mathew (d. 1581); also poetry, etc. Pp. 1-165 are in the autograph of Hywel ap Syr Mathew and were written in 1557 (cf. the writing in Peniarth MS 138 and Cardiff MS 51); pp. 167-194 are in a second hand and written about 1598; pp. 195-204 are in a third hand and were written about 1600. The poets whose works are cited include Dafydd ab Edmwnt, Siôn Cent, Gruffudd Hiraethog and Iolo Goch. The volume also contains medical recipes (pp. 166-170) and a chronicle of the reign of British rulers (p. 198).

A manuscript written c. 1573 (see f. 1) containing Kyvrinach y Beirdd (ff. 2-14a); and Humphrey Llwyd's English version of Brut y Tywysogion (ff. 1-227). The manuscript also includes poetry of Iolo Goch (f. 1); a rental of lordships in Powys (f. 228); and a Powys genealogy (f. 228b). Folios 229-232 are fragmentary and repaired.

An imperfect manuscript in several hands containing Welsh poetry, including the works of Tudur Aled, Siôn Brwynog, Simwnt Fychan and others.

A manuscript containing the second volume of Dr John Davies's Welsh-Latin Dictionary, in the autograph of Dr Davies. The manuscript appears to be a transcript of Sir Thomas Wiliems's Welsh-Latin Dictionary. This text contains more and fuller quotations than the printed edition of 1632.

A manuscript containing cywyddau brud and other poetry (pp. 7-8, 13-78, 87-94, 101-111, 115-130, 135-136, 154-298), the poets cited including Taliesin, Dafydd Nanmor, Dafydd ab Edmwnd and Siôn Tudur; prophecies of Merlin (pp. 79-86, 112-114, 131-134, 137-140); two imperfect documents of the Bishops of St Asaph and Gloucester, dated 1627 and 1596 (pp. 9, 11); 'Swynion a Meddeginiaetheu'; &c.

A manuscript, in several hands, containing the poetry of Wmffre Dafydd ab Ifan and others, including Siôn Tudur, Siôn Phylip, Rhys Cain and Dafydd ap Gwilym.
Pp. 1-62 are said to have been written in 1691 by Siôn Rhydderch (John Roderick) of Cemaes (see p. 62); pp. 63-77 are in an earlier hand; and pp. 79-82 are in the hand of Dr John Davies, Mallwyd.

A manuscript written by 'Ifan llwyd ap Dafydd o Nantmynach o fewn sir ferionedd esguier' containing 'Ystorie Kymrü, neü Cronigl kymraeg' from Brutus (1108 B.C.) to Cadwaladr Fendigaid (683 A.D.).

'Gossodedigaetheu a Messureu y Deyrnas, Cantrevi a Chymydeu Kymry', being a list of hundreds, commotes and other geographical divisions within Wales. At the end of every division is a list of its castles.
The list of 'Cantreds and Commotes of Wales' (p. 5) agrees practically with the one in Peniarth MS 163.

A 'Copy of the Dedication of, and Preface to Sir Thomas Wiliems's Latin-British Dictionary', together with notes on the life and work of Dr John Davies, Mallwyd, and ballads, which include the works of Rowland Fychan of Caer-gai, Lewis Morris and Richard Abraham, written c. 1738 (see p. 2). Also including englynion to Robert Vaughan, Caer-gai by Dr John Davies; a translation by Dr Davies of Thomas Wiliems's dedication of his Dictionary to Sir Richard Wynne, Gwydir; and notes concerning Thomas Wiliems's Dictionary at Hengwrt, with a copy of its Preface (see Peniarth MS 228).

Medical recipes similar to those of 'Meddygon Myddfai', written 1693 (see p. 73).

A manuscript written c. 1634 (see p. 165) containing pedigrees (pp. 164-166, 189-215, 217-243); Bonedd y Saint (pp. 87, 216); 'Dosbarth Arveu' (pp. 167-188); proverbs (pp. 160-162); triads (pp. 259-260); 'Cantrevyd a chymydeu Cymru' (pp. 244-245); medical recipes (pp. 249-258); &c.
The manuscript is in the same hand as Llanstephan MSS 122-125 and may be that of John Pryce, rector of Mellteyrn (see p. 103).

A manuscript entitled 'Immanuel neu Ddirgelwch Cnawdoliaeth mab Duw' in the hand of the Reverend Samuel Williams. The text is a Welsh translation of Archbishop James Ussher's Immanuel: or, The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God (1638). Samuel Williams ends his text with a citation from the work of the poet Sion Phylip.

A manuscript containing poetry by Bedo Brwynllys, Dafydd ab Edmwnd, Dafydd ap Gwilym and others in the hand of Samuel Williams.