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).

Title based on contents.

Formerly known as Llanover C. 70.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 13157A.

The description is also available in the Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume IV (Aberystwyth, 1971).

Published