'Llyfr Thomas Bona',

An imperfect, composite manuscript consisting of transcripts, in a number of hands of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, of miscellaneous prose and verse items including Welsh poems in strict metre by Edward Dafydd, Dauudd Edward, Davydd William, 'viccar Penllin', Lewis Mfln, Thomas ap Rys 'o blas jolyn', Phillipp Pwell, John Tudur, Dauidd ap Gwilym, Robin Ddv, Gruffydd ap Iefan, John Philipps, Iolo Goch, Thomas Derllysc, Gruffydd Gryg, Siôn Cent, Richard Kynnwal, Huw Machno, Robert Dyfi, and Kadwalader Kesel, two versions of the code of rules for regulating the craft and conduct of the Welsh bardic order generally attributed to Gruffudd ap Cynan, a copy of 'The order of the funerall of John Conway of Botruthan in the Countie of Flint, Esquier, who was intered in Rithlan the 23th of December 1606', a prophesy entitled 'The prophesie of Gre[ ]' (Latin), and a short sequence of Welsh triads. Some of the leaves bear contemporary foliation indicating that they formed sections of other manuscripts. An inscription in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') on the previous upper cover lists the contents of the volume, and, from this list, it appears that a section containing an account of Gruffudd ap Cynan's sojourn in Ireland in 1098 ('Hanes Gruffudd ap Cynan yn y Werddon yn y flwyddyn 1098') has been lost since the time the inscription was written. There are a few marginal annotations by Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg').

Title based on contents.

Formerly known as Llanover B. 20.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 13078E.

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

In an inscription in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') on the previous upper cover the volume is described as 'Llyfr Thomas Bona. Darn ammherffaith, 1802'. This possibly indicates that the volume was purchased or acquired by Edward Williams from Thomas Bona [of Carmarthen] in 1802 (see IMCY, t. 175; Llên Cymru, cyf. I, t: 173; and Garfield H. Hughes: Iaco ab Dewi (Caerdydd, 1953), t. 43).

Published