Welsh Journals

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS 3. SOME LETTERS OF OWEN JONES, 'OWAIN MYVYR'. As the year 1941 is the bicentenary of the birth of Owen Jones (' Owain Myvyr 1 741-18 14) it may be well to draw attention to some of the material relating to him and to his work which is preserved in the National Library. 'Owain Myvyr' is represented in the Library by a very large number of autograph letters preserved in various collections. The largest group is among the manuscripts of Walter Davies, Gwallter Mechain the next largest is in the Mysevin manuscripts which formerly belonged to his friend and contemporary in London, William 0wen[-Pughe],2 whilst still another group comprises a few letters sent by Myvyr to Paul Panton,3 Plasgwyn, Anglesey, who had acquired the transcripts of Evan Evans, Ieuan Brydydd Hir which are now in the Library and are called the Panton Manuscripts. These persons were in various ways associated with the patriotic activities of 'Myvyr in the matter of the collection and publication of the monuments of Welsh history and literature. The few extracts printed below will serve to show how Myvyr incessantly gave of his time, money, and encouragement, both as member and officer of the Society of Gwyn- eddigion and other societies, and as an individual, to the eisteddfodau promoted by the Gwyneddigion and to the publication of The Cambrian Register, r Greal, the works of Dafydd ap Gwilym, and that corpus of our literature, history, and music-The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales (London, 3 vols., 1801-7). The letters are worthy of painstaking study, for they throw a flood of light upon the literary and cultural activities of Welshmen in London and in Wales during the lifetime of 'Myvyr'. All the letters from which extracts are given below are written from London. GROUP I. Owen Jones to Walter Davies, Gwallter Mechain'. 31, 10, 1789. Y mae ar Dafydd [ap Gwilym]4 imi o leiaf naw ugain [punt] ac nid wyf yn disgwyl ir gwalx5 dalu i mi mo'r hanner oni xerdd beth rhwyddax drwy Gymru 22, 11, 1789. Y mae y Cyfaill Gwilym [i.e. William Owen-Pughe] yn cludo hwn ir 'Mwythig ar ei daith ir Plas gwyn ymon i xwilio Llyfrau y diweddar I[euan] B[rydydd] 1 Particularly in N.L.W. MS. 1806. 3 N.L.W. MSS. 13222-4. See the note by B. G. Owens on these manuscripts on pp. 90-2. 3 N.L.W. MSS. 9073-4. 4 Barddoniaeth Dafydd ab Gwilym. 0 Grynhoad Owen Jones a William Owen (Llundain, 1789). 5 x=ch throughout.