7 - Series I

Summary

(i) The manuscripts and stemma

Since all other manuscripts of Series I derive from the Black Book of Carmarthen (NLW Peniarth 1, 32r–35r), their variant readings are ignored in the edition below, although occasional reference is made in the commentary to significant variants or marginal comments. The englynion, set out as prose in the Black Book, are printed as verse, and word division and capitalisation are introduced. The exact layout on the manuscript page can be seen on the National Library of Wales’s website.

In roughly chronological order, the manuscripts of Series I which have been consulted are as follows:

NLW Peniarth 1, 32r–35r, Anon. (two scribes), s. xiii med.

NLW Llanstephan 120, 78r–80r, by Jaspar Gryffyth, c. 1597–1607.

NLW Peniarth 111, pp. 56–68, by John Jones, Gellilyfdy, c. 1607.

NLW Peniarth 98ii, pp. 18–25, by Dr John Davies, Mallwyd, not before 1617.

NLW Peniarth 107, 21v–25r, by Robert Vaughan, s. xvii med.

NLW Llanstephan 145, 68r, by Edward Lhwyd, c. 1700.

NLW Llanstephan 18, pp. 4–19, by Moses Williams, c. 1728?

NLW 2040A (Panton 74ii), pp. 138–51, by Evan Evans, c. 1760.

BL Add. 14867, 192v–197v, by William Morris, 1762.

BL Add. 14907, fols 115–21, by Lewis Morris’s amanuensis ‘X146’, not later than 1749.

NLW 2022C (Panton 55), pp. 1–15, by Evan Evans, c. 1765.

BL Add. 15002, pp. 76–82, by Owen Jones (Owain Myfyr), c. 1768.

NLW Peniarth 201, pp. 47–52, by Richard Thomas, 1777.

NLW 13239C, pp. 163–74, by William Owen Pughe, 1784.

NLW Cwrtmawr 454, pp. 470–77, by Peter Bailey Williams, c. 1791–93.

Bangor University, General Collection, 14675, pp. 106–17, by Peter Bailey Williams, 1794.

NLW Cwrtmawr 12, pp. 466–84, by David Ellis, 1794.

Cardiff, Central Library, 2.141, Part i, pp. 156–66, by Edward ‘Celtic’ Davies, not before 1792.

NLW Llanstephan 193, 152r–158r (pp. 200–12), by Hugh Maurice, 1796.

NLW 13100B, pp. 425–28, by Iolo Morganwg (Edward Williams), c. 1800.

NLW 170C, pp. 56 and 58, by Edward Jones, c. 1800. (I.8, 13, and 44 only.)

NLW 322E, pp. 60–61, by Edward Jones, c. 1800. (I.8 and 44 only.)