Welsh Journals

and that 'it cost him £ 600 out of his own purse, the repairing of his cathedral church'.116 Sir John Wynn had been particularly generous to Lewis Bayly, giving him gifts of venison, salmon, fowls, and deer, and had freely exchanged books with him.117 After Wynn's death he wrote to Beale, a printer in Aldersgate Street, London, urging him to print the Dictionarium of Dr. John Davies of Mallwyd which the squire of Gwydir had consistently supported.118 'I do much desire to see it printed, and if you will undertake the worke I am perwaded it will sell very well for it is a worke that hath beene long desired and to encourage you to so necessary a worke I will undertake to putt off a hundred of them and to returne you the money within 6 moneths for them: and if I can healpe to sell more of them I will do the best that lyeth in me & I perswade myself this edition will not long stand on your hands The tenor of the letter is sufficient testimony to Bayly's scholastic interest in the literary products of Wales in his day, even if his own chequered career deters literary critics from fully realizing his own potential in this field. When Wynn died on 1 March 1627 Bayly, in his letter of condolence to his son and heir, Sir Richard Wynn, appropriately adapted the paradoxical metaphor that 'the deer which has died is alive', implying that Wynn's fortunes and verve had passed to an equally worthy successor. 111 Lewis Bayly has been regarded in many respects, as a feeble, unenterprising prelate in the performance of his ecclesiastical duties.120 He was devoid of that persistent energy which William Morgan possessed to prosecute convincingly the rights of his diocese, unhindered by either family or fraternal attachments. Yet like Morgan, but with less success, he was prepared to squander his time as bishop on what proved to be futile disputes with neighbouring gentry of repute. Bayly's career at Bangor, however, when observed in its entirety, appears less impressive than Morgan's at St. Asaph, despite his longer tenure of office and Morgan's markedly unhappy prelacy in the north-east. Both bishops were basically aware of the need to protect the Church, but while the bishop of St. Asaph was defending his honour as well as his 111 C.S.P.D., 1624-31, 230 (7 April 1630). 117 C. W.P., Nos. 1480 (n.d. 24 November), 1488 (n.d. but before 1 March 1627). 118 Cardiff MS. 2. 741; C. W.P., No. 1542 (28 October 1629). See the author's article, 'Diddordebau Diwylliannol Wyniaid Gwedir', Lien Cymru, 1 (1970), pp. 95-124. C.W.P., No. 1521 (March 1627). The lease of the parsonage of Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd was transferred to Sir Richard Wynn's brother, Maurice; ibid., No. 1708 (12 April 1642). 1,0 A. H. Dodd, loc. cit.