Poetry in praise of William Owen of Henllys (c. 1486-1574) and his son George Owen (c. 1552-1613), of George William Griffith (1584-1655?) of Penybenglog, Pembrokeshire and others. The text is in several hands; pp. 1-62 shows beautiful penmanship. Some of the poems are dated and several (Dafydd Emlyn (pp. 145, 161, 186), Dafydd Llwyd Mathew (pp. 149, 153), Gruffudd Hafren (p. 157), Harri Howel (p. 180), Robert Dyfi (p. 182), Siams Emlyn (p. 183) appear to be autograph. Pp. 129-136 are apparently in the autograph of R. Phillipp [Rhisiart Phylip]. Other cited poets include Iolo Goch, Dafydd Nanmor, Sion Mawddwy and Taliesin.
Canwyll y Cymry, carols and 'dyrïau', being compositions of the Reverend Rice Prichard, M.A. ('Yr Hen Ficer') (1579?-1644) (pp. 7-146), vicar of Llandovery, and others in the hand of William Salisbury, Bachymbyd. The manuscript was completed on 20th April 1637 (see pp. 148b, 327). The Reverend Prichard's works include a considerable number which seem never to have been published. Some of the poets whose works appear include Rhys Cain, Sion Tudur, Edmwnd Prys and Llywarch Hen. On p. 328 there is a note on the hot summer and early harvest of the year 1638, the harvest of 1637, and high winds in October 1638.
The poetical works of Edward ap Raff in the hand of Ifan ap John of Scorlegan [or Richard ap John according to the online Dictionary of National Biography (under heading for Richard ap John of Scorlegan)]. Many of the poems are dated. Pp. 1-2 contain poetry by Ieuan Tew Brydydd and Hywel ap Dafydd ab Ieuan ap Rhys.
A manuscript containing for the most part the lives of saints. Pp. 1-389 were written by Roger Morys of Coed y Talwrn, Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd (see p. 93) towards the close of the sixteenth century, while pp. 390-403 were written by Thomas Evans (Thomas ab Ifan), Hendreforfydd (see pp. 93, 389, 390-403 (pp. 390-403 dated 5 March 1628)). P. 404 contains an index in the hand of Moses Williams.
Welsh poetry transcribed by Moses Williams from Llyfr Coch Hergest (the Red Book of Hergest), cols 1026, 1028-1031, 1034, 1039-1049-1056. At the end of the manuscript is a copy of a letter (f. 60), dated at Oxford, 7 September 1708, relating to the burning of Irish and British manuscripts by Jesuit missionaries in Brittany, 'excepting such as tended to Devotion'.
A transcript of the Book of Aneurin by M. Williams. It is an excellent copy: an effort has been made throughout to exhibit the difficulties and peculiarities of the original, and any errors, which are due chiefly to an inability to distinguish between 'r' and 't', are infrequent. The transcript is signed 'M. Williams, M.A., F.R.S., Dolgelleu, Oct. 15. 1728' and the flyleaf is inscribed 'O hen Lyfr ar Femrwn yn Hengwrt A.D. 1728', which suggests that the original manuscript, from which the text was transcribed, was at the time at Hengwrt.
A manuscript containing the works of the medieval Welsh bards, being a transcript by William Maurice, Llansilin (see p. 492) of British Museum Addl MS 14869. Pp. 69, 119 and 141 bear respectively the dates 1September, 4 October and 6 October [16]66; however, according to an autograph statement by William Maurice at the end of Addl MS 14869 (p. 245b), he completed the transcript on 24 November 1662. Maurice notes (pp. 473-474) that the original manuscript (now known as British Museum Addl MS 14869), from which this text was transcribed, was partly written temp. Edward II and Edward III and partly temp. Henry V. In an autograph statement on pp. 473-474 William Maurice notes that this original manuscript was once in the possession of Gruffydd Dwnn (c. 1500-c. 1570), Huw Llŷn (fl. 1532-1594) and Rhys Cain (d. 1614), and subsequently came into the possession of Robert Vaughan 'or Wengraig ger llaw Dolgellau' (i.e. Robert Vaughan, Hengwrt (1592-1667)). A later note by 'M. W[illiams]' (p. 474) dated 1728 states that this original manuscript was then at Hengwrt.
A manuscript containing Welsh poetry, the poets including Iolo Goch, Edmwnd Prys, Gutun Owain, Tudur Aled, Guto'r Glyn and Sion Phylip. This forms one of the series of manuscripts of Welsh poetry copied under the superintendence of Dr John Davies, Mallwyd, and bears the reference B. 4°. Wherever the copyist failed to read the original he left blanks which Dr Davies filled in throughout the volume. Dr Davies also added an index, alphabetically arranged, to first lines of poetry (p. 567); added to this is an index to the authors of the poems, also alphabetically arranged, which bears the inscription 'Rhisiard Morys ai Sgrifennodd i Wm: Jones R.S.S. 1747' (pp. 577-588).
A manuscript containing theological tracts (pp. 408-435), Yspryt Guido Ar Prior (pp. 436-471), Kerdwriaeth Kerd Davawd and Trioed Kerd (pp. 472-504). The first folio is rubbed, stained and mostly illegible. The text of pp. 408-421, l.8 is practically identical with that published in Llyvyr Agkyr Llanwivrevi (Oxford, 1894), pp. 141-51, l. 3, but wanting the text on p. 144, l. 21 to p. 148, l. 26. The ending of Trioed Kerd is illegible. This manuscript is a continuation of 'Didrefn Gasgliad' Vols I & II.
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 three parts: (i) 'Catechism Eglwys Loegr wedi ei amgylchieithu'; (ii) 'Gwrth-ddadleu yn erbyn y Catechism wedi eu hatteb'; (iii) 'Gweddiau boreuol'.
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, unusually well written for the time, containing theological tracts (pp. 1-5, 1-8); the Dialogue between Guido and the Prior (pp. 9-35); and the Gospel of Nicodemus (pp. 36-44).
Welsh proverbs collected by John Morgan which had been omitted from the Dictionary of Dr John Davies, Mallwyd. Also included in the manuscript are a series of the first couplets of Dafydd ap Gwilym's poems.
A manuscript containing The Burial of Arthur (pp. 206-233), The Travels of Odoricus (pp. 234-277), The Seven Wise Men of Rome (pp. 278-319), The Gospel of Nicodemus (pp. 320-343), theological tracts, etc. (pp. 344-407). For The Seven Wise Men of Rome see also the Red Book of Hergest, col. 555. The text of the Gospel of Nicodemus is very brief and seems to follow the 'Latin Gospel of Nicodemus' (see Tischendorf & Harris Cowper's editions of the Apocryphal Gospels). The text beginning at p. 350 breaks off in the middle of a commentary on the tenth commandment and the remainder of the text is lost. The Commandments are given in Latin and Welsh, and the commentary upon them is extensive. This manuscript is a continuation of 'Didrefn Gasgliad Vol. I'.
A manuscript containing the Bruts (pp. 67-203, 213-292); genealogical tables (pp. 6-66); pedigrees (pp. 293-350); &c. The text is bi-columnar in several styles of writing and in different shades of ink but by one hand, probably that of Owain Gwynedd, except for pp. 138-139, which are in a later hand, possibly that of Robert Vaughan, Hengwrt. Place names written in the margins at pp. 333-336, 340, 342-343 may be in the hand of Robert Vaughan, Hengwrt. The volume has a label on the front cover in the same hand as most of the Peniarth Manuscripts and is numbered '3'. Cf. Aneurin Owen's Catalogue of the Dwning MSS No. 3. This manuscript is described in the Bruts (Oxford, 1890) as 'Mr. Egerton Phillimore's Folio MS'. The text beginning at p. 67 agrees with that of Peniarth MS 212 (= Hengwrt MS 319). For the text beginning at p. 213 see Bruts, p. 349.
