A manuscript, written in the same hand as Llanstephan MSS 123-125, containing poetry, the poets cited including Taliesin, Iolo Goch, Dafydd ap Gwilym, Lewis Glyn Cothi and Siôn Phylip. The first half of the cywydd at p. 35 is missing. The poems at pp. 37, 40, 43 were copied from imperfect originals and are full of lacunae. That which appears at p. 292 is apparently not the beginning of the poem as there is a page left blank between this and the previous poem. On pp. 633-646 is an index, with the poets' names arranged alphabetically, 'made by Richard Morris for Wm: Jones F.R.S. in London 1746.'
A manuscript written after 1643 (see p. 199) containing poetry, the poets cited including Iolo Goch, Ieuan Tew Brydydd, Wiliam Cynwal, Lewis Menai and Siôn and Rhisiart Phylip. An index, with the poets' names arranged alphabetically, has been added at pp. 641-651 by Richard Morris 'i Wm: Jones F.R.S. yn llundain 1746'. The original or originals of this manuscript were apparently often defective as many lacunae and imperfect lines occur: the beginning of the poem at p. 139 is wanting and the rest is very imperfect; the beginning of the poem at p. 181 is wanting as that which is noted as the first line here is in fact the 8th or 10th line; 'A chanoes ac ychwaneg a ranno dvw ir wen dêg' is added in a later hand on p. 316; an addition in the margin at p. 435 ends the poem with 'do'n ifanc ai i nefoedd'.
A manuscript containing a collection of Welsh arms and pedigrees compiled and abridged from the works of several authors during the years 1697-1698 by John Gruffydd of Cae Cyriog, Ruabon, here transcribed and rendered into English by William Jones of Llangadfan. P. ix contains 'A list of the Heralds and Genealogists from whom the author compiled the following Book and the dates of their MSS'; amongst the names mentioned are Gutun Owain, William Salesbury of Rhug, John Salisbury of Erbistock and Foulk Owen of Nantglyn. At the beginning of the volume are loose papers which include two letters in the autograph of Walter Davies ('Gwallter Mechain'), one of which is dated 3 June 1799 and relates to the Board of Agriculture. At the end of the volume (pp. 155-166) are copies of letters from Robert Vaughan concerning Gwaithfoed, Lord of Cardigan, with a reply from Mr Kynaston of Pant y Byrsley.
Manuscripts once held in the library of Plas Llanstephan, Carmarthenshire. The collection comprises mainly transcripts from medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the Black Book of Carmarthen and the Red Book of Talgarth which include poetry, triads, pedigrees, arms, lives of saints, Brut y Brenhinedd, Brut y Tywysogion, the Laws of Hywel Dda, etc.; grammars and vocabularies; translations, mainly from Latin and English sources; proverbs; theological tracts; medical recipes; etc. The earliest of the manuscripts date from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. Most of the manuscripts are in the hands of Moses and Samuel Williams, with other scribes including Dr John Davies, Mallwyd, Dr John David Rhys, William Maurice, 'Iaco ab Dewi', Edward Lhuyd and William Owen-Pughe.
A manuscript containing The Burial of Arthur (pp. 206-233), The Travels of Odoricus (pp. 234-277), The Seven Wise Men of Rome (pp. 278-319), The Gospel of Nicodemus (pp. 320-343), theological tracts, etc. (pp. 344-407). For The Seven Wise Men of Rome see also the Red Book of Hergest, col. 555. The text of the Gospel of Nicodemus is very brief and seems to follow the 'Latin Gospel of Nicodemus' (see Tischendorf & Harris Cowper's editions of the Apocryphal Gospels). The text beginning at p. 350 breaks off in the middle of a commentary on the tenth commandment and the remainder of the text is lost. The Commandments are given in Latin and Welsh, and the commentary upon them is extensive. This manuscript is a continuation of 'Didrefn Gasgliad Vol. I'.
A manuscript containing poetry by Dafydd ap Gwilym, Tudur Aled, Iolo Goch and other poets mostly of the second half of the fifteenth century. On p. 247 Huw Cae Llwyd has written: 'oydran jesy n dyrnasol / py ragor pymp ar higain / pymthec cant rifant y rain', which would date the manuscript at hardly earlier than 1525. The style of the writing points to an earlier period, and the orthographical habit of writing - for example, 'kaid' to rhyme with 'eneid' (see p. 73, &c.) - belongs to the second half, if not the last quarter, of the fifteenth century (compare Llanstephan MS 7 and Peniarth MS 70).
A manuscript containing poetry of Lewis Glyn Cothi, Ieuan Brechfa and other poets, written in several hands of the early and mid sixteenth century. Hands A (pp. 1-40, 351-2), B (pp. 41-102, 151-8, 297-332), and Bb (pp. 271-96, 333-50, 353-64) belong to the first quarter of the sixteenth century, while Hand C (pp. 103-50, 159-247, 250-59, 262-70) belongs, apparently, to the second quarter. Other folios contain other somewhat later hands. Hand B uses 'ρ' for 'dd' throughout, while hand Bb uses 'dd' mostly (cf Peniarth MS 70). Pp. 351-2 are in a different hand and misplaced in the manuscript. The ends of some lines of text are wanting, though some of them have been completed by a later hand. Neither the beginning nor the end of the cywydd on p. 158 is legible and its lines were evidently never all complete.
A manuscript containing flyting poetry exchanged between Archdeacon Edmwnd Prys and Wiliam Cynwal. Following the death of Wiliam Cynwal, Edmwnd Prys breaks off the exchange and composes an elegy to his erstwhile poetic rival (p. 177). Another elegy by Edmwnd Prys, to Siôn Phylip, occurs on p. 187. Richard Morris indexed the manuscript for W. Jones, Armiger, R.S.S., London, 1747 (see pp. iii-v). At p. 124 there is a copy of a letter from Edmwnd Prys to Wiliam Cynwal which refers to nine cywyddau of Wiliam Cynwal, of which a note on p. 93 of Peniarth MS 125 informs us the ninth was lost. The extensive explanatory marginalia accompanying the compositions of Edmwnd Prys, coupled with the fact that the elegy to Siôn Phylip was evidently once folded and carried in the pocket, suggests that this manuscript may be a holograph once belonging to Edmwnd Prys. Much of the text of this manuscript, or one of the same archetype, was transcribed into Peniarth MS 125, though Peniarth MS 49 has four additional lines following 'Dôd i ddôl dedwdd Wiliam ...'.
A manuscript containing poetry of Taliesin, Dafydd Ddu Hiraddug, Sion Tudur, Gruffudd ab yr Ynad Coch and others (pp. 1-52); the Twenty-four Feats (pp. 53-55); triads of the court of Arthur (pp. 56-57); carols (pp. 65-79); proverbs collected by Gruffudd Hiraethog (pp. 81-126); prayers (pp. 127-136); etc. At p. 8 three triplets are written in the margin. For the estimated date of the manuscript see pp. 80, 132. The text at p. 127 differs greatly from that in the Book of Taliesin (see Peniarth MS 2).
A manuscript containing poetry by Siâms Dwnn, Huw Arwystli, Gruffydd Phylip, Dafydd Nanmor, Dafydd ap Gwilym, Guto'r Glyn and others Pp. 1-498 are in the hand of Siâms Dwnn (see p. 457); pp. 499-521 are in the hand of 'Tho: P.' [Thomas Prys]; and pp. 521, ll. 10-542 are in a hand resembling that of Siôn Cain. At p. 238 some lines are given in fragments only, the scribe's original being imperfect. Prophecies, including those attributed to Merlin and Taliesin, are listed on pp. 507-520. At p. 521 is a copy of a letter from Thomas Prys to his 'cosin Lewis Evans'.
A manuscript containing poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym, Rhys Fardd, Iolo Goch, Dafydd Llwyd ap Llewelyn ap Gruffudd (Dafydd Llwyd, Mathafarn) and others. Ff. 83-134 contain transcripts, mostly in a modernised orthography, of pp. 9-62, 70 (l. 13)-102 of the Black Book of Carmarthen. F. 134 has the following note: 'Tro oddiyma rhagot 17 o ddalennau ac yno y cei di ychwaneg wedi ei scrifennu allan or llyfr du : ac yn dechreu Marwnad Madawc mab Mredydd'; however, there is no trace left of the leaves containing the material to which reference is made. Ff. 237-267 verso are in the hand of William Maurice, as is the note on f. 137 - 'O Lyfr Phylib Wiliams or Dyffryn'. The poem at ff. 135-136 is attributed by the scribe to Dafydd ap Gwilym, yet on its reproduction at f. 137 it is attributed to Gruffudd Llwyd ap Dafydd ab Einion [Lygliw]); this work is attributed in most manuscripts to Dafydd ap Gwilym - wrongly, as most students of Dafydd ap Gwilym would say.
A manuscript containing the Welsh laws, described as being 'Variantes Lectiones & Addidamenta Ex Codd. MSS. Gul. Williams Baronetti'. The volume also includes a list of the subjects contained in Llyfr Gwyn Hergest (the White Book of Hergest) (p. 38, part i) and in 'Oes Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu' from Llyfr Coch Hergest (the Red Book of Hergest); together with a copy of Mostyn MS 136, pp. 1-44.
A manuscript containing medical recipes, lists of names of medicinal plants, etc. Much of the text agrees practically with that of the Meddygon Myddfai, but the order is quite different, and the wording varies also.
A manuscript containing 'Kyngor Katw ddoeth ar Bardd glas', being a transcript by Samuel Williams of a manuscript written in 1604 by John Jones, Gellilyfdy.
