J. Williams - The Barddas of Iolo Morganwg Volume 1

Y GWIR YN ERBYN Y BYD.

BARDDAS

OR, A COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS, ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE THEOLOGY, WISDOM, AND USAGES OF THE BARDO-DRUIDIC SYSTEM OF THE ISLE OF BRITAIN.

WITH TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

BY

THE REV. J. WILLIAMS

(AB ITHEL)

VOLUME 1

1862

The Barddas of Iolo Morganwg Volume 1 by J. Williams Ab Ithel.

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"OES Y BYD IR IAITH GYMRAEG."

Patroness,

HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA.

Patronized also by

HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA,

AND

HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE LOUIS LUCIEN BONAPARTE.

President,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF POWIS.

Vice-presidents,

His Grace The DUKE OF BEAUFORT, K.G.

His Grace The DUKE OF NEWCASTLE, K.G.

His Grace the DUKE OF SUTHERLAND, K.G.

The Most Noble The MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE, K.G.

The Most Noble The MARQUESS OF CAMDEN, K.G.

The Right Honourable The EARL OF SHAFTESBURY

The Right Honourable The EARL OF DUNRAVEN

The Right Honourable The EARL OF CAERNARVON

The Right Honourable The EARL OF CAWDOR, F.R.S.

The Right Honourable VISCOUNT EVERSLEY

The Right Honourable VISCOUNT FEILDING

The Right Reverend The LORD BISHOP OF ST. DAVID'S

The Right Reverend The LORD BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH

The Right Reverend The LORD BISHOP OF LLANDAFF

The Right Reverend The LORD BISHOP OF BANGOR

The Right Honourable LORD DYNEVOR

The Right Honourable LORD CARBERY

The Right Honourable LORD MOSTYN

The Right Honourable LORD LLANOVER

The Honourable T. LL. MOSTYN, M.P.

The Right Honourable CONSEILLER JOUKOVSKY

SIR WATKIN WILLIAMS WYNN, Bart. M.P. Wynnstay

SIR STEPHEN GLYNNE, Bart. Hawarden Castle, Flintshire

SIR EDWARD BULWER LYTTON, Bart. M.P. Knebworth, Hertfordshire

SIR THOMAS PHILLIPPS, Bart., F.R.S., F.S.A. &c., Middle Hill

SIR HUGH WILLIAMS, Bart., Bodelwyddan

BERIAH BOTFIELD, Esq. M.P., F.R.S., F.S.A., &c., Norton Hall

WILLIAM ORMSBY GORE, Esq. M.P. Porkington

OCTAVIUS MORGAN, Esq. M.P.. F.R.S., F.G.S. Friars, Newport

W. W. E. WYNNE, Esq. M.P. Peniarth, Merionethshire

SIR GARDINER WILKINSON, F.R.S., D.C.L.

W. A. WILLIAMS, Esq. of Llangibby Castle, Monmouthshire

His Excellency MONS. VAN DER WEYER, Belgian Minister

His Excellency BARON BENTINCK, Netherlands Minister

Committee,

The Right Honourable Lord Llanover, Chairman

Octavius Morgan, Esq. M.P., F.R.S., F.G.S., Friars, Newport

J. Bruce Pryce, of Dyffryn, Esq. Cardiff, Glamorgan

J. Arthur Herbert, of Llanarth, Esq.

The Rev. Illtyd Nicholl, M.A. of Ham, Cowbridge, Glamorgan

Editors, Translators, and Collators of Manuscripts,

The Rev. J. Williams Ab Ithel, M.A. Rector of Llanymowddwy*

The Rev. E. Owen Phillips, M.A., Vicar of Aberystwyth*

The Rev. Hugh Williams, M.A. Chancellor of Llandaff*

John Pughe, Esq. F.R.C.S. Penhelyg, Aberdovey

William Rees, Esq. of Tonn, Llandovery*

Those marked thus* are also Members of the Committee.

Corresponding Members,

WALES.

The Right Hon. Lady Llanover, (Gwenynen Gwent) Llanover, Abergavenny

Lady Charlotte Schreiber, Dowlais, Glamorganshire

George Grant Francis, Esq. F.S.A. Caer Baily, Swansea

Major Herbert, Llansanffraed, near Abergavenny

Rev. Dr. James, (Dewi o Ddyfed,) of Pantg, Monmouthshire

Arthur James Johnes, of Garthmyl, Esq. Judge of Local Courts, North Wales

John Johnes, Esq., Dolaucothy, Caermarthenshire

Rev. T. Jones, M.A. Llanengan, Caernarvonshire

The Very Rev. Dr. Lewellin, Dean of St. David's, & Principal of St. D.C.L.

Thomas Wakeman, Esq., The Graig, near Monmouth

W. W. E. Wynne, Esq. M.P. Peniarth, Merionethshire

Rev. Sir Charles Salusbury, of Llanwern, Bart.

Miss Williams, of Ynysls, Glamorgan, South Wales

Miss Jane Williams, of Ynysls, Glamorgan, South Wales.

ENGLAND, &c.

Rev. A. B. Clough, B.D., F S.A., &c. Braunston, Northampton

Rev. Robert Jones, M.A. All Saints Rectory, Rotherhithe, London

Rev. R. H. Lloyd, M.A. of Owersby, Lincolnshire

J. Whitefoord Mackenzie, Esq. F.R.S., F.S.A. &c.

Edinburgh Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart. F.R.S. Middle Hill, Worcestershire

The Lady Charlotte Schreiber, Roehampton, Middlesex

Secretary,

Mr. William Griffith, 4, Sidmouth Place, Gray's Inn Road, London.

HONORARY FOREIGN SECRETARY FOR GERMANY.--Mr. J. G. Sanerwein, Asiatic Society's Office, London.

HONORARY FOREIGN SECRETARY FOR FRANCE.--Monsr. Rio, Paris.

Treasurers,

Messrs. Bailey, Gratrex & Co., Bankers, Abergavenny.

Publisher,

Mr. D. J. Roderic, Llandovery, South Wales.

The Welsh Mss. Society,

HAS been formed for the purpose of transcribing and printing the more important of the numerous Bardic and Historical Remains of Wales, still extant in the Principality, and other parts of the world, that have hitherto been allowed to continue in a state of obscurity, without any effective measures being adopted to lay their contents before the public, and secure them from the various accidents to which they are liable. In addition to the general decay which, from their perishable nature, these venerable relics have been for ages undergoing, whole collections have, within a short space of time, been destroyed by fire; and of those MSS. dispersed throughout the country, numbers known to have existed a few years ago, are now no where to be found.

Besides the interest which these ancient documents possess, as objects of antiquarian curiosity, and as contributing to the elucidation of British History, they have a claim to attention of a far more general character, as being intimately connected with the origin and progress of modern European Literature; for it is among the legends and traditions of the Welsh that many of the materials are to be found, which supplied the nations of the Continent with their earliest subjects of composition, and produced those highly imaginative works that continue to exercise so powerful an influence to the present day.

A great mass of Historical information, relating to the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries, is contained in the unpublished Poetry of Wales; from which an intimate acquaintance with the state of society during those periods may be obtained; the Welsh Bards being the Chroniclers of the times in which they lived, and their Poems chiefly addressed to the leading men of the day. Besides Poetry, there is still existing unpublished a large collection of Prose, both Historical and Legendary; persons of affluence are therefore solicited to contribute larger Donations and Subscriptions, than are required by the Rules of the Society, in order to enable the Committee to proceed with greater rapidity in carrying on the publication of Manuscripts.

The first Work that was published by this Society, was the LIBER LANDAVENSIS, or LLYFR TEILO, comprising nearly 700 Royal 8vo. pages; gratuitously edited and translated by the late Rev. W. J. Rees, M.A., F.S.A. &c. Of this Work only a few Copies remain to be sold to persons becoming Members of the Society at 1 2s. 0d.--Non-members, 2 2s. 0d.

The second Work of the Society consisted of a MISCELLANEOUS SELECTION OF ANCIENT WELSH MSS. in prose and poetry, from the originals collected by the late Edward Williams, (Iolo Morganwg) for the purpose of forming a continuation of the Myvyrian Archaiology, and afterwards proposed to be used as materials for a New History of Wales. Edited with Notes and Translations, by his son, the late TALIESIN AB IOLO, of Merthyr Tydvil. This work is of the same size and price as the Liber Landavensis, and a few copies remain still in the hands of the Publisher.