It is now almost an age since I heard from you. From an annual animal it
would be a proper expression; and I am but little better, as I change for
the worse every year, till I shall be no more.
I was glad to hear you had got to Llanrhychwyn; a place scarcely ever
heard of by the inhabitants of the level countries; where you roll I
suppose, in ancient MSS. and curiosities; and where the arms of the
invaders hardly ever reached.
Mr. W. Wynne was with me one night lately; and it seems he hath as many
ancient MSS. as other people have printed books: _Gwyn ei fyd_! I was
very much out of order when he was here, which deprived me of the
pleasure I should otherwise have had.
I had a visit paid me lately by John Bradford, of Glamorganshire (darn o
brydydd &c.) It seems that country is entirely drained of it, valuable
antiquities or else, their MSS. are buried among the rubbish of old
libraries unheeded.
The more I look into Nennius the difficulties encrease: for he has been
so mangled by ignorant or unskilful readers and transcribers, and by Gale
the editor, that, without a body had a sight of all the manuscript copies
of it in the public libraries, or elsewhere, there is no attempting to
interpret it. Mr. R. Vaughan's MS. at Hengwrt would be a vast help; but
I see no likelihood to come at a sight of that. Any ancient copy of it
on vellum, which has not been dabbled with, or compared with the
Cambridge, the Oxford MSS. &c.; that is, one which we might call a virgin
manuscript, which hath not been ravished by Camden, Markham, Sir S.
D'Ewes, or Usher, would give great satisfaction; but where is that to be
found? That which Sir J. Pryse had may possibly exist somewhere; and
that which Humphrey Lloyd had, may likely be in the neighbourhood of
Denbigh still.
I have not had a week's health since I saw you, and therefore have been
in no good humour to read or write.
Have you, among Taliesin's works, Ymddyddan rhwng Ugnach ab Mydno o
Gaerleon a Thaliesin o Gaerdyganwy? If you have it not, I will send it
you. It is from the Llyfr Du o Gaerfyrddin.
My chief business of late has been to put the names of men and places in
an alphabetical order, and to prepare them for my Celtic remains, from
Taliesin's works, Sir J. Pryse's Cambria, the Triades, the Gododin,
Beddau Milwyr, Aera Cambr. Brit. L. G. Cothi, and extent of Anglesea.
Remember that you promised me the remainder of the Gododin, and never
performed it. The last lines of the fragment which I have, are
Tymor tymhestyl
Tymhestyl dymor
Y beri rhestr rhac rhiallu.
I am now out of the way of all curious antiquities; and you who have an
opportunity of seeing every body's treasures, keep them all to yourself.
I long to see the Legends of our Welsh Saints (Buchedd y seintiau). I
forgot to tell you, that I am at this very time putting the names of all
the parishes in Wales into alphabetical order, for the above purpose.
But I find my catalogue of the parishes is not very correct; therefore I
must desire the assistance of some that live near the places that are
doubtful, and have their correction, or opinion of them. One of them is
Llangynsarn. I never heard but of three Plwy'r Creuddyn. Is there a
Llangedol near Bangor? Are there parishes called Llangedyrn, Bodfrenin,
Llandydwen, Betwnog in Lleyn, or how otherwise called? Is there a parish
called Llansilien, near Corwen in Edeyrnion? Or is it Llansilian, or
Tyssilio? Are there parishes called Llanelidan, and Y Fynechdid, in
Cantref Dyffryn Clwyd: and what is the etymology of them; and also of
Llanhychen; and whence is Llanferrys yn Ial derived; and who is Trillo,
and Trillo Caenog; and what is the common opinion of the derivation of
the name of Gyffylliog?
I shall stop here at present; and leave Flintshire, Montgomeryshire, &c.
to another time; and shall hint only what is come just now into my head.
I think you have a vote for a knight of the shire, in this county; if you
have not made a positive promise to Mr. Vaughan, or that party, I would
advise you to do yourself greater service than you expect at their hands;
and I believe you know, that I would not advise to any thing but what
would be of advantage to you. Let me hear from you about this point.
I am surprised Dewi Fardd does not come with his books, to deliver to the
subscribers. I do not hear that they are come to Aberystwith. He has
murdered a good book, by inserting in it the works of the greatest
blockheads of the creation, and the most illiterate creatures that bear
human shapes; such as Robert Humphrey, &c., &c.--Ffei ffei o honynt! Or
were they put as beauty spots, to set you and others off? If it is
otherwise, you are alive, and may defend yourself, for standing in such
company; but I am heartily sorry for poor Hugh Morris. If he knows of
this, that he must stand in spite of his teeth, in company with people
that were not worthy to carry the feathers of his quill; and the room
which his poem should have filled up, taken by persons as far below him
as a _Crythor Crwth Trithiant_ is below Corelli or Vivaldi.
Let me have your opinion upon the names of the parishes as soon as you
can.
I am,
Yours sincerely,
LEWIS MORRIS.
_Penbryn_, _Dec._ 20, 1759.
* * * * *
The same to the same.