A manuscript containing transcripts by David Parry from the Red Book of Hergest, together with other poetry, the volume being compiled before it was given to Jesus College, Oxford in 1701. The contents of the volume are as follows: A Welsh Grammar copied from the Red Book of Hergest (col. 1117), with collations by Samuel Williams from Llanstephan MS 3, p. 472 (original foliation I-Vb, 1-7); a copy of the poetry on cols 1143-1356 of the Red Book of Hergest (original foliation 7-12b, original pagination 13-168, 169-265); followed by sixteen leaves at the end of the manuscript containing poems by Robin Ddu o Fôn, Tudur Aled, Rhys Nanmor and others, together with the pedigree of Sir Rhys ap Thomas. Samuel Williams has copied a good many of the older material in a modernised orthography on the side left blank by the original copyist. There are also marginalia in the hand of Moses Williams. A note, probably in the hand of Samuel Williams, on p. 265 (original pagination) reads 'All the Poetry collated March 27 . 1722'.
David Parry, Reverend Samuel Williams and Moses Williams.
A manuscript containing the laws of Hywel Dda in Welsh. A note in the hand of Moses Williams reads as follows: 'The original MS. (Bibl: Cott: Titus D. IX) whence this was copy'd from was lost in the fire A.D. 1731. So this is the only perfect Copy of this class'.
A manuscript in the hand of Moses Williams containing 'Kelvyddyd kerdd Davod' (ff. 1-5a), being a copy of pp. 10-16 of Llanstephan MS 28, with a note stating that 'This imperfect Tract I transcribed out of a MS. writ by Guttyn Owain A.D. 1455 & communicated to me by D Foulkes of Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd.'; and an extract 'Out of Huw Machno's Book' (ff. 5b-12b) outlining the fifteen faults which may be committed when writing Welsh verse, with examples. The text cites a line from Wiliam Cynwal.
A manuscript in the hand of Moses Williams containing the Interpretation of Dreams from Llanstephan MS 28; and 'Gr. ap kynan twssog kymry a wnaith gyfreth ar y gwyr wrth gerdd' in a seventeenth century hand.
A manuscript containing lives of saints, etc. An index is included on p. i. Pp. i, 427-433 are in the hand of Moses Williams. A note - 'Pretium £1 . 4 . 6 An. 1715' - on the fly-leaf is in the same hand as most of the manuscript. At the end of the Life of St Margaret, which begins at p. 427, the scribe has written 'Felly y terfyna buchedd saint y Marged a esgrifenodd Tho: Evans 1628 fis Mawrth 5 dydd'.
A manuscript in the hand of Moses Williams containing 'A Chronological Account of the several Editions of the Scripture in Welsh', which included 'a thin Book in Qto, that contained among other things, the Lord's Prayer & the Decalogue', which 'I suppose was done by Sir John Pryse [London, 1567]'. Loose in the manuscript is a letter from 'Rich: Morris to W. Jones'.
A manuscript in the hand of Moses Williams containing 'Consuedines Civitatis Hereford'; 'Consuetudines Arcenfield Ex Libro cui tit: Domesdei:' and extracts from the record of Caernarfon.
A manuscript containing Brut y Brenhinedd, after 'Ifan Llwyd ap Dafydd o Nantmynach o fewn Sir Feirioydd [sic], Esquier'. Pp. 1-9 are in the hand of the Reverend Moses Williams.
A manuscript divided into three parts containing triads collected by Moses Williams, with Prefaces, etc., prepared for publication. At the beginning of the volume are notes, including directions to the printer, a list of subscribers [1717], etc. There then follows the first part of the manuscript (paginated 1-98) containing a collection of the 'historical' triads, with variant readings from 'B.B. of Carm., R.B. of Hergest, Cwtta Cyfarwydd, Rich: Wynne of Gwydr's MS., Dr. Foulkes's Book', together with two version of transcripts by Moses Williams ready for the printer, with a preface in Latin. The second part of the manuscript (paginated 1-112) contains 'moral' and other triadic sayings. The third part of the manuscript (paginated 1-74) contains 'proverbial triads', followed by a translation into Latin. The contents of parts two and three of the volume are to be found in the Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales.
A manuscript in the hand of Moses Williams containing a pedigree of the saints. The text beginning at p. 13 is copied from Bib. Harleian MS 95 A. 16; the text beginning at p. 21 is copied from Jesus College MS 3, p. 34.
A manuscript in the hand of Moses Williams (pp. 1-4) and another (pp. 5-66) containing a transcript of Kulhwch ac Olwen and of Y Mabinogion from the Red Book of Hergest.
A manuscript in the hand of Moses Williams containing 'Prawf fod Degymmeu yn ddyledus wrth Ordinhad Duw', being a translation into Welsh. A note by Moses Williams states: 'Gorphènwyd ei gyfieithu y 19 Chwefror 1720/1'.
A manuscript containing a Welsh grammar. A note in the hand of Moses Williams reads: 'This copy is out of a MS. lent me by R. Mostyn of Penbedw Esqr., which MS. formerly belong'd to Thomas ap Ivan of Hendre Forfydd [i.e. Peniarth MS 157]. Twas compared with the said MS. 29 Julii 1717 ... Twas also collated with another copy that was once in the possession of Huw ab Owen alias Huw Machno.' There are notes by Moses Williams on the text throughout the volume.
A manuscript containing Welsh laws (pp. 1-96) and the 'Elucidations' (pp. 97-535), written in the hand of John Jones, Gellilyfdy prior to 25 September 1619 (see pp. 67, 535). Where the text is imperfect Moses Williams has written its contents in the margins. The text of pp. 1-96 of this manuscript corresponds with that of Peniarth MS 29, pp. 1-51, while the remainder may be a copy of Peniarth MS 278. The original of pp. 97-535 was either imperfect or frequently illegible as dots indicating lacunae are frequent. Much of the matter of this second part is the same as the 'Elucidations' in Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales, Vol. ii, Book XIV. The text ends abruptly at the beginning of the sixth line on p. 535.
A manuscript containing the Mabinogion (pp. 1-64); the Dream of Maxen Wledic (p. 65); the Adventure of Llvdd and Llevelys (p. 74); and the History of Kulhwch and Olwen (pp. 81-120). The text was transcribed from the Red Book of Hergest and collated by Moses Williams.
