Your letter of the second instant, I received this day; and I was very
glad to hear that you had procured leave to go to the private library in
Jesus College. It is charming to get into conversation with _Llywarch
Hen_, _Aneurin_, _Merddin_, &c. They are most pleasing old companions.
I understand that my copy of _Brut y Brenhinoedd_ is not the same with
that in _Llyfr Coch o Hergest_. Mine was copied out of five MSS. three
of them upon vellum, very ancient; but the transcriber, not understanding
the occasion of the difference between the copies, stuffed all into this,
that he could find in all the MSS. Had he known that some of those MSS.
were from Walter the Archdeacon's original translation of the history,
out of the Armoric; and some again from his second translation from
Galfrid's Latin, he would have kept the copies separate. The transcriber
of my copy mentions sometimes--"thus in such a MS. and thus in such a
MS.," but it is impossible to find which is which.
_Brut y Tywysogion_ is only the history of Caradoc of Llancarvan, which
was Englished by Humphrey Lloyd, and published by Dr. Powell; and
afterwards a very bad edition by Mr. W. Wynne. I would not have you take
the trouble upon you to transcribe that; for there are many copies of it.
What is most worth your care is the works of the poets; especially that
part of them that is historical, as some of Taliesin, Merddin, Llywarch
Hen's are. Merddin mentions the war in Scotland, between Rhydderch Hael,
Aeddan ab Gafran, Gwenddolau ab Ceidio, &c., and Taliesin mentions
several battles, that none of our historians ever so much as heard of.
These are matters of great curiosity--Llywarch Hen in one of his Elegies,
mentions _Eglwysau Bassa_, that was destroyed by the Saxons. Nennius
says, that one of the twelve battles fought by Arthur against the Saxons,
was upon the river _Bassas_. Who is that great Apollo among our
historians who knows anything of these affairs?--Is there ever a MS. of
Nennius, which you can come at? I wish that book was translated into
English: it is but small. However, since you are now about the Llyfr
Coch, I would have you first to write an index of the contents of it, and
send it me, sheet by sheet, and I will give you my opinion what is best
to transcribe, and is most uncommon or curious. I do not remember
whether the book is paged; let it be as it will, you cannot be long in
making such an index, with the first line of each piece. There are some
other curious MSS. there; some _Bucheddau_ (Lives) as far as I recollect.
But the silly copy of _Brut y Brenhinoedd_, in a modern hand there, is
not worth talking of.--How do you know it is the same with the Bodleian?
I presume, that the _Brut y Brenhinoedd_, in _Llyfr Coch_, is not the
original translation from the Bretonic copy; for I think it mentions
Galfrid's translation in the conclusion of it.--But it is many years
since I saw it. I shall ask some questions about certain passages in it,
when I have leisure to look into my own copy. I have written abundance
of notes, in defence of mine, since you saw it; and the more I examine
into it, the better I like it. I had at first but a poor opinion of it;
being prepossessed with the character given if by English writers; but
when I find the poets, and our genealogies, and ancient inscriptions and
coins agree with it; and some foreign writers, I do not wonder that the
inveteracy of the old Saxons should still remain against it, as long as
Bede is in being. I shall only ask you now,--whether the son of Ascanius
is called _Silius_ or _Silvius_, in Llyfr Coch? It is in the beginning
of my copy, which begins--Eneas gwedi ymladd Troya, &c. Mine is not
divided into chapters or books. I have time to write no more, but that
I am,
Yours sincerely,
LEWIS MORRIS.
_Galltvadog_, _Oct._ 13, 1751.
* * * * *
The same to the same.