Showing 2 results

Archival description
Cyffin, Roger, fl. ca. 1587-1609 Bards and bardism -- Wales.
Print preview View:

Miscellanea,

A volume (pp. 5-310) containing items of an extremely varied nature in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg'). Included, pagination in brackets, are lists or groups of Welsh words, sometimes with English definitions or equivalents or notes (17, 25, 29, 34, 38, 43, 47, 53, 80-82, 89, 102, 125-6, 134, 142, 157, 161, 170, 182, 196, 203, 219-20, 225, 235-6, 238, 242, 245, 247, 263, 282, 292); extracts from Aneurin's 'Gododdin' headed 'Silldorriadau Gododin' (119-20); notes, sometimes very brief, on or relating to Welsh bardism (21, 27, 57, 72, 127, 156, 187, 192-3, 195, 244, 258), song writing (32), the characteristics of the work of Cattwg, Taliesin, and Aneurin (32), the coming of the Cymry to Britain from Deffrobani and their loss of sovereignty to the Romans and Saxons (36), the knowledge of letters amongst the ancient Britons (37), King Arthur's court (46), the 'modern literary dialect of the Welsh' and the medieval prose and verse of South Wales (49), Welsh poetic metres called ' traethodyn milwr', 'traethodyn cwtta', and 'traethodyn chweban' (52), Merfyn Gwawdrych, 9th cent., and his contemporaries (61), the poet Twm ab Ifan ab Rhys, ? early 17th cent. (69), 'cynghanedd' and the Welsh strict poetic metres with references to an 'eisteddfod' in the time of Ifor ab Ifor of Maeshaleg, a bardic assembly at the monastery of Penrys [co. Glamorgan], temp. Edward IV, when Gwilym Tew exhibited an 'awdl', etc. (77- 8), white blackbirds and sparrows seen at Landough and wild canaries at Lantwit [co. Glamorgan] (98), the relinquishment or retention of ancient arts by nations in proportion to their progress (104), Siôn Rhydderch and his Welsh grammar [Grammadeg Cymraeg, 1728] (119), the use of the prefixes an- and di- in Welsh (133), 'Tair Cynghanedd Anianol' (150 ), 'Cynghanedd ewinog' (151), the use of various rhymes and 'cynganeddion' in Welsh (152), bardic 'cadeiriau' of or at Llanfihangel Glyn Afan, 1355, Llangynwyd, 1452, Y Wenar, 1462, and Tir Iarll, 1488 (159), the two sounds of the letter Y in Welsh (160), the bardic 'Cadair Tir Iarll' (185), the construction of 'Coelbren y Beirdd' (242), the bard Owain ap Rhydderch, late 15th cent. (273), and manifestations or representations of God (290- 91); transcripts of Welsh poems or stanzas of Welsh poems or extracts therefrom attributed to Llelo Llantrisaint sef Llywelyn ap Hywel ap Ieuan ap Gronw (23), [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (50, 68, 82, 87, 217), ? Twm ab Ifan ab Rhys (69), Llawdden (129-30), Wm. Moses (149), Taliesin (240, 242), Thos. Daf. Miles (266), Syr Roger Cyffin 'offeiriad Llanberis' (267), and Risiart Fychan 'o Gors y Gedol' (268); transcripts of unattributed Welsh poems including stanzas of hymn-tunes (23-4, 30, 34, 45, 51, 104, 115, 116, 121, 128, 1311, 148, 175, 191, 213, 232-3, 234, 274 + 283, 278-80); transcripts of English poems (107, 197, 212, 261, 284 + 273); miscellaneous Welsh triads (33, 172, 206, 247); short lists of Welsh proverbs or proverbial sayings (48, 167, 176, 231, 293); a prescription for the cure of rheumatism (50); an anecdote relating to the struggle between Caradawc ab Bran ap Llyr and the Romans, the burning of forests in Britain, and the building by Manawydan fab Llyr of a prison called 'Carchar Oeth ag Anoeth' from the bones of those slain in battle, allegedly extracted from [a manuscript called] the 'Yniales' (65-8; for another copy of the anecdote see NLW MS 13152A above); a prefatory note to an intended collection of proverbs, moral aphorisms, etc., allegedly composed or compiled by Cattwg Ddoeth (73-4); a list of old Welsh musical instruments ('Offerynau Cerdd arwest yr hen Gymry') (80); a transcript of the opening paragraph of an alleged version of 'Gramadeg Einiawn Offeiriad' (83); notes on (a) the situation and extent, and (b) the divisions of the county of Glamorgan being sections 1 and 2 of a projected chapter to be headed 'Geographical State and Circumstances' which presumably would have been Chapter 1 of a work on the said county (91-2); an incomplete list of bardic, literary, and other topics in English and Welsh, e.g. 'Cannons of Etymology', 'Miscellanies relating to Welsh poetry', 'Achau Saint Ynys Prydain', 'MSS. in Jesus College Library', under the superscription 'Collecting Sheets 8vo' (99); a list of nine topics such as 'Diarhebion Morganwg Annosparthus', 'Mangofion Gwynedd 1799', etc. (101); (continued)

A list of thirteen topics, e.g. 'Princes of Southwales', 'Anecdotes of Howel Dda', 'Meddygon Myddfai', etc., headed 'For Mr. Rees, Caermarthen' (105); copies of memorial inscriptions ? in St. Athan parish church (107-08); a list of six rules headed 'Unitarian Discipline' (113); a list of fifteen topics or personal names of a varying nature, e.g. 'Llangyndeyrn Marble at Caerm[arthe]n', 'Donne the Satirist', 'Taly Llycheu Church, D.G.' (114); a list of eight 'Ysgriflyfrau gan Iolo Morganwg 1800' (127); a list of Welsh proverbial sayings or advisory precepts some in verse form and some attributed to Cattwg Ddoeth (141, 144-6); a list of the names of six series of Welsh triads (147); a list of the names of thirteen persons headed 'Selfeducated persons in Glamorgan Vale' and a second list containing the names of eight persons headed 'Glamorgan Mountains' the persons named in this list apparently belonging to the same category as those in the first list (158); a list of eight topics or items, e.g. 'Llythyrau Dafydd o'r Nant', 'Rheolau Tudur Aled', etc., which were to be included in an unspecified work (164); brief genealogical data relating to the family of Einiawn Offeiriad (171); a list of Welsh 'Enwau Llefydd' ( 172); brief incomplete notes relating to the development of Welsh literature headed 'English Preface to Cyfrinach y Beirdd' (214); an explanatory note on 'cynghanedd groes' in the form of question and answer between pupil and master (251-2); a draft of a memorial and remonstrance to the members of, and subscribers to, the 'Fund of the South Wales Unitarian Society for the Diffusion of Christian Knowledge' expressing concern at irregularities in the conduct of the society (265 + 260); patterns or examples of metres and metric lines headed 'Specimens of Welsh Lyrics and Verse' (262); a list of the names of six Welsh bards, 1650-80, to refute L[ewis] Morys's assertion that no good 'cywydd' had been written since the reign of Elizabeth (267); brief notes on the activities of [John] Poyer and [Rowland] Laugharne in the Civil War in South Wales and a list of English sovereigns, 1603-1760 (269); ? observations on a proposed 'Essay on the Ancient Welsh Literature', etc. (271); synopses of the contents of ? six chapters of a proposed 'Collection for a New History of Wales from Ancient Welsh MSS.' ('On the Origin of the Cimbri', 'Principles of Ancient British Government', 'The Ancient Institution of the Bards', etc.) (272); music for an unspecified air (296); and notes and a sketch relating to a plan of a 'meeting house, octagonal or circular' (298). Some of the notes, etc., have been written on the verso or in the margins of a copy of a printed notice by White and Barnards, Barge Masters, advertising their services, 1800 (100), a copy of a printed notice issued by the Caslon Letter Foundry, London, advertising their preparedness to provide printing types and materials (123), imperfect copies of a printed leaflet, 1797, announcing an 'eisteddfod' to be held under the patronage of the Gwyneddigion Society in 1798 (142-3, 204-05), a copy of printed proposals, 1811, for a new edition of 'The History of Wales written originally in Welsh by Caradoc of Llancarvan translated into English by Dr. Powell and augmented by W. Wynne' (194 + 191), 'An Exemplification of Masons' Work done for Robert Jones, Esqr., of Fonmon Castle . . . Burton Causway by William Baker, Mason, 1813 and 18[14] as attested by Thos. Raecliff and Edward Williams in 1814 (198-9, 210-11), a ? holograph letter from R. Evans from Cowbridge to . . ., undated (personal) (220-21), an account for goods purchased by E. Williams [? 'Iolo Morganwg'] from James Bradley, chemist, Cowbridge, in 1816 (226 + 239), a printed calendar of prisoners in ? Cardiff Gaol, ? 1803 (227 + 238), a copy of printed proposals for publishing George Dyer's Memoirs of the Life and Writings of . . . Robert Robinson of Chesterton (234 + 231), and a ? holograph note from Thomas William to Edward Williams [? 'Iolo Morganwg'], 1814, informing him that Christopher ? James wished to see him (259 + 266).

Miscellanea,

A volume containing miscellany of prose and verse items in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg'), divided into three sections each described on its 'title-page' as 'Brith y Coed sef cynnulliad cymmysg o hen Bethau Cymreig Rhyddiaith a Phrydyddiaeth Cynnulliad Iolo Morganwg'. These three sections are numbered Rhifyn 1, 11, 111 respectively. The contents of section 1 (pp. i-viii, 1-153) consist of miscellaneous items including notes on the three bardic brothers Ednyfed, Madawc (Benfras), and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd of Marchwiail [co. Denbigh] (11), copies of versions of the dedicatory epistle to Richard Mostyn and the letter to the reader which Gruffudd Hiraethog composed as introductory material to his booklet or volume 'Lloegr drigiant ddifyrrwch Brytanaidd Gymro' which contained, inter alia, his collection of Welsh proverbs (see D. J. Bowen: Gruffudd Hiraethog a'i Oes (Caerdydd, 1958), tt. 32-7) (33-42), a list of old Welsh words extracted from the aforementioned booklet (37), a copy of Simwnt Vychan's licence as 'pencerdd' granted at the Caerwys eisteddfod, 1567 (42- 3), miscellaneous Welsh proverbs (44-5, 72), a list of fifteenth and sixteenth century Welsh bards with the names of their burial places (59-62 ), an anecdote relating to Siôn Mowddwy (64), a copy of the marriage vow ( Welsh) in force in the time of Oliver Cromwell (73), a brief note on the orthography of the 'Black Book of Carmarthen' (73), medicinal recipes (74- 5), a description of a traditional Glamorgan game called 'Chware cnau mewn Llaw' (see IM, tt. 51-2) (76), anecdotes purporting to give biographical data re Dafydd ap Gwilym (77-85), an anecdote relating to Rhisiart Iorwerth 'o Langynwyd' incorporating an 'englyn' attributed to him (86-7), an anecdote re the imprisonment of people in Cardiff gaol for their religious views in the reign of Mary [Tudor] (93-6), an anecdote re a meeting of poets at Ystrad Ywain [co. Glamorgan] in 1720 (98), a note relating to Llywelyn Bren Hen (100), a brief pedigree of the Abermarlais family (101), a list of Welsh proper names derived from Latin (105-06), a note on 'cerdd gadair' and 'cerdd deuluaidd' (107), a series of triads entitled 'Trioedd y Cybydd' (117-20), a few triads with other miscellanea ( 132-3), a note on violent winds near Ruthyn [co. Denbigh] in 1628-1629 (137-8 ), an extract from a letter from John Lloyd ap Huw to Edward Llwyd of the [Ashmolean] Museum [Oxford], 1698, concerning the location of certain ' cistiau' and stone circles (138-9), a note on Tudur Aled with a list of bards licensed at an 'eisteddfod' held at Caerwys in 1565 (150-51), and an anecdote relating to Tomas Llywelyn 'o Regoes' (152); prose items, lists, etc., with the superscriptions 'Llyma enwau Pedwar Marchog ar hugain Llys Arthur . . .' (1-10), 'Llyma enwau Arfau Arthur' (10), 'Llyma Enwau llongau . . . Arthur' (10), 'Casbethau Cattwg Ddoeth' (16), 'Enwau y Pedair camp ar hugain (24 accomplishments) a'r achos y gwnaethpwyd hwynt' (17-19), Pedwar Marchog ar hugaint oedd yn Llys Arthur . . .' (20-23), 'Cynghorion Ystudfach fardd' (27-8), 'Cyngor Taliesin . . . i Afawn ei Fab . . .' (46), 'Llyma achau a Bonedd rhai o'r Prydyddion' (49), 'Ymryson yr Enaid a'r Corph yr hwn a droes Iolo Goch o'r Lladin yng Nghymraeg' (65-70 ), 'Naw Rhinwedd y gofyn Duw gan Ddyn' (70-71), 'Graddau Carennydd' (92), 'Coffedigaeth am ladd y Tywysog Llywelyn ap Gruffudd . . . ' (130-31), 'Y Saith Veddwl teithiol' (134-5), 'Llyma saith Rhad yr Yspryd Glân' (135), 'Llyma'r . . . saith Bechod marwol' (135), 'Llyma saith weithred y drugaredd' (135), 'Llyma Weddi y Pader' (136), 'Enwau y nawnyn a diriwys yn gyntaf yn Fforest Glynn Cothi' (142-3), and 'Chwe peth a ddifa Lloegr' (148); and transcripts of Welsh poems in strict and free metre, often single 'englynion', including poems attributed to Rhys Goch Eryri (12), Thomas Llywelyn 'o Regoes' (12,141), Gruffydd Hiraethog (13), Simwnt Fychan (? 13, 109), Bleddyn ddu (13), Dafydd Benwyn (13), Richard Hughes ( 14, 116), Wm. Llyn (14), Elis Wynn 'o blwyf Llanuwchlyn' (15), Taliesin Ben Beirdd (23, 90-91, 104), Ystudfach fardd (23-6), Thomas Gruffudd (32), Llen. Deio Pywel (46), Llywelyn Siôn 'o Langewydd' (47-8), Hopcin ap Thomas ap Einon 'o Ynys Dawy' (50), Gytto'r Glynn (55), Thomas Glynn Cothi (57-8), Tomas Lewys 'o Lechau' (63-4), Morys Dwyfech (72), Twm ab Ifan ab Rhys (87-8), William Dafydd 'o Abercwmyfuwch' (88-9), Siôn y Cent (97, 112- 14), Dafydd ap Gwilym (99, 108), Edward Richards (108), Revd. Mr. Davies, Bangor (108), Tudur Aled (109), Edward Maelor (109), Rhys Cain (110, 115), Dafydd ap Siancyn Fynglwyd (110), Roger Cyffin (110), Siôn Tudur (110), Syr Huw Dafydd 'o Euas' (111), Ieuan Brydydd Hir 'o Lanyllted' (111), Thomas Powel 'o Euas' (111), Dafydd ab Edmwnd (114), Rhisiart Iorwerth (115), Syr Ifan, 'offeiriad Carno' (115), Matthew Owen (115), ? Huw Morys ( 115), Rhisiart Philip (115), Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr (116), Seisyllt Bryffwrch (116), Dafydd Nanmor (131), Iago ab Dewi (140), Llywelyn Tomas ( 141), and Rhobin Ddu 'o Fôn' (143-8), a sequence of fifteen stanzas called 'Araith y Gwragedd' (29-32), a sequence of 'Englynion y Misoedd' attributed to Syppyn Cyfeiliog or Cneppyn Gwerthrynion reputedly 'o Lyfr Ysgrif yn llaw'r Dr. Dafis o Fallwyd' (121-4), and a sequence of thirty-two 'Englynion yr Eira' attributed to Macclaff ap Llywarch (125-30). (continued)

Section 2 (pp. 161-312) contains miscellaneous items including a note relating to Morgan Llywelyn ? 'o Regoes' (170), a short list of Welsh bards who had acted as bardic teachers to other bards (198), miscellaneous genealogical and chronological data (220-21), lists of Welsh bards 'yn amser y Clymiad cyntaf ar Gerdd', 'yn yr ail clymiad Cerdd', and 'yn amser y trydydd Clymiad ar Gerdd' (225-32), a copy of an introduction written by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' in 1800 to a proposed booklet to be called 'Gwern Doethineb' containing ? extracts from miscellaneous Welsh manuscript sources (268-70), a brief chronicle of events in Welsh and British history to 1318 A.D. (275-9), a further brief chronicle of events in Welsh and British history to 1420 A.D. (280-300), and a third brief chronicle of such events to 1404 A.D. (301-03); prose items or lists with the superscriptions 'Henaifion Byd' (171-5), '14 Prif geinciau Cadwgan a Chyhelyn' (186-7), 'Llyma Ddosparth Cerdd Dant' (211-14), 'Llyma enwau y pedwar mesur ar hugain Cerdd dant' (214-15), 'Llyma y saith mesur ar hugain' (215-16), 'Llyma Lyfr a elwir Cadwedigaeth Cerdd Dannau . . .' ( 217-19), 'Llyma yr ystatys a wnaeth Gruffudd ap Cynan i'r Penceirddiaid a'r Athrawon i gymmeryd Disgyblion . . .' (271-4), and 'Dosparth yr awgrym' ( 303); and transcripts of Welsh poems, sometimes a single 'englyn', including poems attributed to Dafydd ap Gwilym (169-70, 205), Siôn y Cent (175-9), Huw Machno (180-84), Thomas Carn (184-5), Thomas Dafydd ap Ieuan ap Rhys 'o Bwll y Crochan' (a sequence of twenty 'Englynion Eiry Mynydd ar Ddiarhebion') (187-93), Dafydd ap Edmwnt (194), Siôn Brwynog (195, 200), Hywel ap Syr Mathew (196), Dicc Huws (197), Syr Thomas Williams 'o Drefriw' (199), Dafydd Nanmor (200, 304), Thomas James (200), Rhys Cain (201, 203 ), Siôn Philip (201-02), Huw Pennant (202), Morgan ap Huw Lewys (202), Huw Arwystli (204), Tudur fardd coch (205), Llawdden fardd (206), Dafydd Manuel (207-10), Guttyn Owain (222-4), Edward Dafydd (265-7), and Thomas Llewelyn 'o Regoes' (304), a series of 'englynion' mostly to the nightingale reputedly composed in connection with 'eisteddfodau' held at Caerwys including 'englynion' attributed to Siôn Tudur, Wiliam Cynwal, Wiliam Lleyn, Rd. Davies, escob Mynyw, Robert Gruffydd ab Ieuan, Bartholom Jones, Huw Llyn, Elis ab Rhys ab Edward, Syr Lewys 'o Langyndeyrn', Hittin Grydd, and Lewys ab Edward (233-9), a series of one hundred and sixty stanzas with the superscription 'Chwedlau'r Doethion (o Lyfr Tre Brynn)' each stanza commencing 'A glywaist ti chwedl' (240-60), and a second sequence of thirty-four stanzas of the same nature (260-65).

Section 3 (pp. 313-444) includes prose items with the superscriptions 'Llyma Ragaraith Bardd Ifor Hael' (with a note thereon by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg') (335-9) 'Cas Bethau Bardd Ifor Hael' (339), 'Trithlws ar ddeg Ynys Prydain' (340-41), 'Llyma fal y telid iawn dros alanas gynt. . .' (352), 'Llyma ddosparth yr awgrym' (356), 'Dewis Bethau Bach Buddugre' (357-8) 'Casbeth Ieuan Gyffylog' (358-9), 'Casbethau Dafydd Maelienydd' (362-3), 'Llyma gynghorion y Dryw o'r Llwyn glas' (364-6), 'Llyma gynhorion Gwas y Dryw' (366), 'Araith Ieuan Brydydd Hir o Lanylltid' (with a note thereon by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg') (369-72), 'Llyma Enwau Prif Gaerydd Ynys Prydain' (393-7), and 'Dewis bethau Hywel Lygadgwsg' (424-5); transcripts of Welsh poems, sometimes a single 'englyn', including poems attributed to Wmffre Dafydd ab Han, 'clochydd Llan Bryn Mair' (321-7), Wiliam Philip 'o'r Hendre Fechan' (328-34), Morgan Mwcci Mawr (334), Richard Wiliam (343-9, 374), Dafydd Llwyd 'yn ymyl Llanrwst' (351), Dafydd Ddu 'o Hiraddug' (351), Llywelyn fawr y dyrnwr (360-61), Ieuan Brydydd Hir ( 372-4), Merfyn Gwawdrydd ('canu misoedd y flwyddyn') (375-82), Guttyn Owain (383-4), Maclaf ab Llywarch ('Eiry Mynydd' stanzas) (385-9), Taliesin Ben Beirdd (390-91, 398-401), Dafydd Edward 'o Fargam' (417), Thomas Llywelyn 'o Regoes' (417), Ednyfed Fychan (418), Morgan Llywelyn 'o Gastell Nedd' (419), Ystudfach Fardd (twenty-four 'Englynion y Bidiau') (421-4), Gwgan ab Bleddyn (426-7), and Davydd Davies 'o Gastell Hywel' (432); and miscellaneous items including instructions in Welsh for making fishing hooks ('Modd y gwneir Bachau enwair') (342-3), medicinal recipes (349-51, 420), lists of Welsh proverbs (353-5, 367-8), an anecdote re Taliesin and Maelgwn Gwynedd (391-2), a copy of the introduction written by Thomas Wiliems [of Trefriw] to his Latin - Welsh dictionary 'Thesaurus Linguae Latinae et Cambrobrytannicae' transcribed by [Edward Williams] ' Iolo Morganwg' from one of the manuscripts of Paul Panton of Plas Gwyn, Anglesey (now NLW MS 1983 of which see ff. 48-56) (402-13), a note by 'Iolo Morganwg' relating to Thomas Wiliems (414-15), a note relating to Cattwg Ddoeth (418), brief notes on Dafydd ap Gwilym, Llawdden Fardd, Dafydd ap Edmwnd, and Tudur Aled (428), four versions of the Lord's Prayer in Welsh 'o'r un llyfr yn llaw Edward Llwyd' (429-31), a note on Tudur Aled (432), and a short treatise commencing 'Llyma son am Fonedd ag anfonedd sef y traether am fonedd ac anfonedd yn hynn o fodd . . .' (433-9 ). Each section is preceded by a list of contents.