A person told me lately, that he had seen you at Hengwrt, in your way
home from me; and that you were permitted to look over what MSS. you
pleased; and that you translated them offhand into English, as if they
had been the common text of the Welsh Bible.
I was very glad of this, and I hope you have met there with the so much
desired copy of Nennius, which has had the benefit of Mr. Robert
Vaughan's hand, and which must be the test to all others; and then we
shall see a genuine Nennius come out in English, as far as the nature of
the thing will bear.
If I can be of any service to you in this arduous task, nothing of my
endeavours shall be wanting; and for God's sake begin to translate into
English, as fast as you can, and let me see it as you go on, perhaps I
may help you to some notes, or some illustrations or other. I have
Nennius and Tyssilio much at heart, and I cannot be long on this side the
grave.
Inclosed I send you the old papers, you talked of when here. I never
looked into them till now; and cannot guess at the authors quoted
therein, except G. for Galfrid; T. W. Thomas Williams, and H. Lh. Humphry
Llwyd. What is Scr. Sc., and H. C.?
Be sure to keep up your correspondence with that very curious and
valuable man, Mr. Percy. I am afraid that there are not many such
learned critics in the kingdom.
I was heartily sorry to see you in those foolish difficulties, when you
were here last. For heaven's sake, for your own sake, and for the sake
of us all, do not run yourself into those excesses; but shew the world
that you have not only learning and knowledge, far above the common herd;
but that you have also discretion and prudence, without which no man will
ever arrive at greatness. Nennius will set you up out of the reach of
little folks, if you stick to him.
I am yours sincerely,
LEWIS MORRIS.
_Penbryn_, _June_ 26, 1763.
* * * * *
Rev. W. Wynn to the Rev. Evan Evans.
Iolo Goch, o Goed Pantwn, yn Mhlwy Llan Nefydd yn Sir Ddinbych; y mae yno
glwt o dir a elwir, y dydd heddyw, Gardd Iolo.--The tradition is fresh in
the neighbourhood. I have read in the little book many good C. of D. ap
Gwilym since I saw you, tho' there are some very poor ones amongst them.
What I had then read were looked over in haste, and it is impossible to
form a right judgment of such things, without a careful perusal,
especially when there are uncommon words or various readings to disturb
the attention, as there are many in this book. I desire you'll dash out
of my Cywydd y Farn--_Tawdd y mellt greigiau gelltydd_, and insert these
two in their stead--_Rhed filfil rhawd ufelfellt_, _Rhua drwy'r main
rheieider mellt_--_See_ Edm. Pr. and Wm. Cynwal, Cyw. 29. I have had
access to Llannerch library for three days successively, where there are
a great many MSS., though few to your taste or mine.--English history,
exploded philosophy, monkish theology, and such trash in abundance,
written on fine vellum, in a most curious manner. Three good pedigree
books, six or seven volumes of Welsh poetry, but for the most part very
incorrect. Some of them are most shamefully mangled by the transcribers.
I have borrowed one large quarto, transcribed about the conclusion of
Queen Elizabeth's reign, by an ignorant, slovenly fellow, who has
murdered the orthography in a most barbarous manner. Yet I think it
valuable, because, upon collating some parts of it with other copies, I
found it in the general more genuine than the common run, notwithstanding
the barbarity of the orthography. Where _tarw garw_ occur, this
scribbler always robs the line of a syllable, which is the greatest
injury he commits. I have transcribed _Duchan Gwyddelyn_, o waith Iolo.
Marwnad Mad. ap Gr. Mailor, 1236, by Ein. Wan, Mar. Tywysog Llew. ap Gr.
by Gwgon, Mar. Ow. Goch; a gant Bleddyn Fardd; Cyw. merch da, o waith G.
O.; Cyw. da i ofyn Cledd, o waith G. O.; Mar. Lleucu Llwyd, o waith I.
Ll. G. M. H. Mar. Ll. G. M. H., o waith Iolo.
There is at Llannerch a little old rag, consisting of about 20 pages
accurately written, out of which I have transcribed a curious ode if not
two. It begins thus: _Nid wyf ddihynwyf hoen_. _Kreirwy hoywdec am
hudawdd mal Garwy_. After eight Englyns, there is a blank, without the
author's name, and below that begins either another ode of the same
person's, or a remainder of the foregoing, beginning thus: _Mireinwawr
drefawr dra vo brad ymddwyn_, and subscribed Howel ap Eignion ai cant i
Vevanwy vechan o Gastell Dinas Bran. After the last stanza is written
_Mireinwawr drefawr_, with a dash, which makes me suppose they are two
poems, though on the same subject; because it is common to conclude an
ode with a repetition of the first stanza.--Quere, Whether the first of
these is not the same with your Awdl Myfanwy? I cannot recollect, but I
think it is longer than yours; it ends thus:
Lliw eiry cynnar pen Aran--
Lloer bryd lwys fryd o lys Vran.
I lately borrowed a quarto, fairly written by a man of learning and great
knowledge in antiquities, but ignorant of the Welsh prosody, for which
reason it is not very correct. There are many of D. G. in it, Owdl Fair,
by I. R. I. Ll. of Gogerddan; one quarter of which is Latin. I have seen
the same in another book given to D. N---, Mawl Edw. 3 ryw bryd gwedi
Aerfa Cressi, o waith Iolo.--That battle was fought in the year
1346.--Edw IIId. died 1377.--This is demonstration that Iolo ought to
have been placed much higher in chronology than the year 1400; and by his
own testimony we find he was a mere _Cleirirach_ before the commencement
of the 15th century, though he lived about ten years after. This, though
in Iolo's usual style, I think the most ancient Cywydd I ever saw,
excepting one of D. Ddu, _Digam gwnaeth Duw oi gymwyd_; and even this is,
by some, fathered upon Iolo. _Mar._ _Tywysog Llewelyn_--Gwaith Bleddyn
Fardd--Iolo Goch was of the family of the Pantons, of Coed Panton, and
Plas Panton, in the parish of Llan Nefydd, Denbighshire. The Latin
version in Saphics of Taliesin's ode _Ef a wnaeth Panton_, and some good
_Cywydds_ of Iolo's, that I never saw before, M.D. ap Gr. ap Llew--a las
yn y Mwythig, a gant Bleddyn Fardd, Dadolwch Rhys, ap Gr. ap Rhys ap
Tewdwr, Gwelygorddiau Powys, Breiniau Powys: those three by Cynddelw Br.
Mawr.
A small volume was lately given me collected by Mr. Ellis Wynne, of
Lasynys, it contains a great many fragments of British prophecies; by Rys
Fardd eight; by Ithel Bardd y Bendro one; by Merddin (wyllt I presume)
nineteen; by Robin Ddu two; by Ieu. Drwch y Daran one; by Bercam one; by
Adda Fras; by Gronwy Ddu; by Jonas Mynyw one; Proffwydoliaeth Dewi St.
Bardd Cwsc nine; by Taliesin, on various subjects, fifteen. The matter
of those that bear the name of Merddin, may be his, but I judge they are
not his compositions by the style, though it is not modern. Some called
Taliesin's, I believe were forged by the Monks, others I think genuine.
The prophecies are worth reading, on account of the style and names of
places.
I have the constitutions of the Cymmrodorion, and am highly pleased with
their scheme. I will contribute something in money, tho I have children,
towards promoting it, and with pleasure do all in my power as a
corresponding member. Gronwy's ode is an excellent thing; but what he
calls _Cadwyn fyr_ is erroneous, because it is in reality _Cadwyn
gyflawn_. I do not blame him for this, because Dr. IDR's imperfect rule
and false examples led him into this error. Some, perhaps, may be
offended because the ode part is not _unirythm_, which it is supposed to
be by the very name; but I do not like the poem the worse for that. I
shewed you the true _Cadwyn fyr_ in W. Ll's grammar, and likewise in S.
F's.--I have since had the same in a book of Gr. Hirs, who was the chief
professor of the age, and a perfect master of the faculty, though, in my
opinion he had no extraordinary genius. His tutor was Tudur Aled, who
was nephew and pupil to D. Edm., yr hwn a ddychymygawdd y mesur Cadwyn
fyr.
It were false concord to call it _Cadwyn fyr_. D. ap Edmund's tutor was
Mered. ap Rhys, of Rhiwabon, witness G. Gl.--Y mae genyf bedwar pedwar ar
hugain cerdd Dant Crwth.--Ar 24 cerdd dant telyn, a hanes yr eisteddfod
gyntaf yn Nghaerwys.--To-day I saw an account of Merddin a' Mhorfryn's
being buried in Ynys Enlli. Here patience and paper end together.
Remember me to my old neighbours.
Yours affectionately,
WM. WYNN.
_Ll. Gynhafal_, _Dec._ 13, 1755.
* * * * *
Dr. Percy, late Bishop Dromore, to the Rev. Evan Evans.