Showing 2 results

Miscellaneous papers and a ? note-book of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. The contents include pp. 28-62, an essay or article entitled 'Some Account of an Ancient Welsh Colony in America' containing an introductory section on the discovery of America by the Welsh prince, Madog, in the late twelfth century, and copious evidence collected by the writer from oral, manuscript, and printed sources concerning the existence in North America of 'Welsh Indians' who spoke the Welsh language (for Edward Williams's interest in Madog and the 'Welsh Indians' see David Williams: 'John Evans's Strange Journey', The American Historical Review, vol. LIV, Nos. 2-3, and The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1948, pp. 105-46, and Richard Deacon: Madoc and the Discovery of America . . . (London, 1967 ), more particularly pp. 56-60, 131-6); 64-82, another 'version' of the aforementioned essay or article; 85-118, miscellaneous notes, extracts from printed sources, etc., relating largely to Madog, the Welsh Indians, and the Nootka area [? of Vancouver Island]; 119-29, a variant or draft version of the essay which, under the title 'A Short Review of the Present State of Welsh Manuscripts', appeared as the preface to The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales . . . (London, 1801); 176, a list of bridges in Glamorganshire; 189-91, transcripts of series of rhyming sayings attributed to Taliesin ('Geiriau Gwir Taliesin', 'Cynghor Taliesin i Afaon ei fab'), a three-stanza English poem, and two 'englynion' attributed to Siôn Rhydderch; 199-200, extracts from the [ ] County Herald, 31 December 1796 and 7 January 1797, relating to the extreme cold in London and areas in Kent, etc.; 217 + 224, thirteen stanzas of a Welsh poem on Glamorganshire (? incomplete); 223, the first two stanzas of an incomplete Welsh poem ? on Monmouthshire; 225-33, a transcript of a 'Calendar of Flora' (January-October); 237 42 and possibly 243-52, notes on the philosophical and religious ideas of the British bards or druids; 253-4, further notes relating to the bardic or druidic order; 256-7, a copy of an eleven-point plan for establishing a colony of Welsh emigrants in America on land 'near the Mississippi between the Ohio and Illenois'; and 259, a sketch plan of 'the Hustings and Booths at the General Election, Com. Glam. 1820', drawn on the blank verso of a folded copy of a printed election pamphlet containing a letter, 7 March 1820, from 'Rhys ap Thomas' to Sir Christopher Cole, one of the candidates in the parliamentary election for the Glamorgan county seat. Also included are miscellaneous lists of Welsh words and other miscellanea, these in some instances being written on the blank verso or in the margins, etc., of copies of printed proposals for publishing Edward Williams's volumes of English verse Poems Lyric and Pastoral, copies of a printed circular dated 16 August 1820 in which Taliesin Williams appealed to Unitarian ministers to contribute towards the fund for completing the erection of a Unitarian chapel in Merthyr Tydfil, an autograph letter from Messrs. Johnson, Prichard, and Johnson, Bristol, to Mr. Hopkins, Bridgend, 1815 (a business appointment), and a transcript (probably not in the hand of Edward Williams) of an English poem by ? Thomas Redwood.

A composite volume containing miscellaneous material in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') including pp. 9-34, a short treatise on the Welsh bardic order, its organisation, ceremonies, etc., with the superscription 'Llyma Lafar Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain . . sef ydyw hynny son Defodawl am Freiniau a Defodau Beirdd Ynys Prydain fal y bu gynt yn Amser y Prifeirdd a Thywysogion y Cymry . . .', being allegedly a transcript of material extracted by the Glamorgan scribe Llywelyn Siôn of Llangewydd from a manuscript in Raglan Castle (for the Welsh text see Iolo Manuscripts . . ., pp. 49-62, and for an English translation ibid., pp. 430-48); 39-42, notes with the superscription 'Llyma Lyfr y Barddas sef Derwyddoniaeth Beirdd Ynys Prydain . . . ac ynghyntaf y mae Traethawd hawl ag atteb Bardd ac awenydd o waith Siôn y Cent. . .', being apparently a transcript of the first section of an essay or treatise on aspects of Welsh bardism allegedly compiled by the aforementioned Llywelyn Siôn from sources at Raglan ('llyfrau . . . yng gellawl rhaglan') (for text and trans., see John Williams: Barddas . . ., vol. I, pp. 224-35); 49- 76, 89-91, 154, 166-70, 177-80, 200-09, 212-14, notes on the special alphabets, 'The Bards' Alphabet' and 'The Monks' Alphabet', which [according to Edward Williams] had been in use amongst the Welsh bards and monks, the practice of inscribing these on wooden surfaces, the 'peithynen ', i.e. the term used to denote a series of four-sided 'billets' or pieces of wood used as a writing surface on which to inscribe words or compositions in the bardic alphabet and inserted in a wooden frame, the mythological account of the origin of the first alphabet devised by human beings, the acquisition of the knowledge of the alphabet by the nation of the Cymry, etc. (for similar material see NLW MS 13093E above); 97-111, 'A Short Account of the Welsh Bards' including a list of ?twenty-two of the 'leading maxims and doctrines of Bardism'; 123-51, further notes on the history, organisation, ceremonies, etc., of the Welsh bardic order; 155-65, lists purporting to contain examples of the following alphabets - 'Gallicum vetus' (extracted from [J.] Mabillon: De re diplomatica . . .), 'Runic', 'Gothic Alphabet of Ulphilas' Gospels', 'Etruscan' (from one of the works of [A. F.] Gori), 'Ancient or Pelasgic Greek characters', 'Romano-British of the 5th Century' (from 'monumental stones at Lantwit Major, Glam[organ]'), 'Bards' Alphabet', 'Monk' Alphabet', 'Saxon Alphabet', etc.; 185-9, ? extracts from Ole Worm: [Runir] seu Danica Literatura antiquissima . . . (Hafniae, 1636); 191-5, transcripts of a 'cywydd' by, or attributed to, Gutto'r Glynn, and 'englynion' by, or attributed to, D[afydd] ab G[wily]m, and extracts from the works of various Welsh bards; 239-63, 'An Account [of] the British Bards and the Bardic or Druidic Mythology and Theology'; 267-76, notes on ceremonial procedure, etc., at bardic meetings; 283-314, a copy of an English poem described as an 'Ode on the Mythology of the Ancient British Bards in the manner of Taliesin. Recited at a Congress of Ancient British Bards assembled on Primrose Hill near London, Sepr. 22d, 1792 . . .', with an introductory 'advertizement' describing the bardic or druidic order, and copious notes on the text (for this poem, with slight textual variations and a variant version of the introductory 'advertizement', see Edward Williams: Poems Lyric and Pastoral . . . (London, 1794), Vol. II, pp. 193- 216); and 325-34, miscellaneous notes and extracts relating to the religion of ancient Gaul, the druids, etc.