File MS.2. - William Bodwrda: Miscellany,

166 Ff., paginated in [8], 1-20, 33-294, 3433521, [35], suggesting that some sections are missing. 230 x 170 mm. Bound in a re-used leather cover, blind-tooled, 220 x 160 mm., formerly one cover of a folio volume; D 1 is inscribed on the back and front covers of the present work. Three leather bands on the inside and outside of the spine support the sewing. Written in black ink, with many blank pages. On William Bodwrda of Bodwrda, near Aberdaron (1593-1660) and his manuscripts, see Dafydd Ifans, Bywyd a gwaith William Bodwrda (1593-1660) o Aberdaron, M.A. (Wales), 1974 (in which the present manuscript is described on pp. 550-6), and 'William Bodwrda', Nlwj, xix(1975-6), 88-102 and 300-10. All items except where otherwise indicated are in Bodwrda's hand. Ff. 2-11. 'Out of a little Vocabulary Treatise; by Jo. Bullokar, dedicated to Jane Viscountesse Mountague. from my house in Chicester in Suxxes. Oct. 17. 1616. in 8vo.'. Extracts from John Bullokar, An English Expositor: Teaching the Interpretation of the hardest words used in our Language. With Sundry Explications, Descriptions, and Discourses. (London, 1616). Ff. 12-13r. 'Y llyfr cyntaf o Retoryddiaeth o waith Marcus Tullius Cicero at Herennius, yr hwn lyfr a cyfieithodd Sion ap Howel ap Owen.'. For a transcript and discussion of the text see Bedwyr Lewis Jones, 'Sign ap Hywel ab Owain a'r 'Rhetorica ad Herrennium' yn Gymraeg', Llên Cymru, vi(1961), 208-18. Ff. 20-52. Indexes to cywyddau in William Bodwrda's folio collection of manuscripts, arranged according to subject, one page being generally devoted to each subject. Ff. 53-65. Blank, but recto sides lined as for the index to cywydebu. Ff. 67-99. [The History of the Gwydir Family]. 'Gruffydd ap Cynan Prince of wales had by his wife Angharad, the daughter of Owen ap Edwyn Lord of Englefield, Owen Gwynedd, Cadwaladr and Cadwallon . . . [f. 99v] It is to be noted also, yt certaine gentlemen and freehoulders dwelt in the countrey, but not many, who were to answere the cry and to come also upon the like distresse.'. Corresponds to pp. 1-60 of the version published by Sir John Ballinger (Cardiff, 1927. Ff. 134-138r. 'Araith Wgan o Gaer Einion ym Mhowys'. Ff. 143-144r. 'darn o ryw araith, heb ddech: heb ddiwedd.'. 'Yna hedeus yn bybyr, hyd yn gwlad y Groegwyr' . . . [f. 144r] y pum divas hefyd, a suddodel yn ddienbyd: fal na ellid moi perchenogi, na mynd ir un or rheini. Added above the text on f. 67r, in a contemporary seventeenth-century hand, is the note: 'John Williams of Brymore Maried Gaynor Griffith Daughter to Jon. Griffith Porth yr our of Carnarvon in Carnarvonshire.' On f. 147r is a receipt, dated 11 April, 1750, for 16s. 3d. received of Mr. George Hicks in payment of his light tax for Porth yr Aur, signed by Robert Thomas and David Jones, collectors. Within the back cover is the armorial bookplate of Hugh Griffith of Brynodel.