by the inhabitants of the level countries; where you roll I
suppose, in ancient MSS. and curiosities; and where the arms of the
invaders hardly ever reached.

Mr. W. Wynne was with me one night lately; and it seems he hath as many
ancient MSS. as other people have printed books: _Gwyn ei fyd_! I was
very much out of order when he was here, which deprived me of the
pleasure I should otherwise have had.

I had a visit paid me lately by John Bradford, of Glamorganshire (darn o
brydydd &c.) It seems that country is entirely drained of it, valuable
antiquities or else, their MSS. are buried among the rubbish of old
libraries unheeded.

The more I look into Nennius the difficulties encrease: for he has been
so mangled by ignorant or unskilful readers and transcribers, and by Gale
the editor, that, without a body had a sight of all the manuscript copies
of it in the public libraries, or elsewhere, there is no attempting to
interpret it. Mr. R. Vaughan's MS. at Hengwrt would be a vast help; but
I see no likelihood to come at a sight of that. Any ancient copy of it
on vellum, which has not been dabbled with, or compared with the
Cambridge, the Oxford MSS. &c.; that is, one which we might call a virgin
manuscript, which hath not been ravished by Camden, Markham, Sir S.
D'Ewes, or Usher, would give great satisfaction; but where is that to be
found? That which Sir J. Pryse had may possibly exist somewhere; and
that which Humphrey Lloyd had, may likely be in the neighbourhood of
Denbigh still.

I have not had a week's health since I saw you, and therefore have been
in no good humour to read or write.

Have you, among Taliesin's works, Ymddyddan rhwng Ugnach ab Mydno o
Gaerleon a Thaliesin o Gaerdyganwy? If you have it not, I will send it
you. It is from the Llyfr Du o Gaerfyrddin.

My chief business of late has been to put the names of men and places in
an alphabetical order, and to prepare them for my Celtic remains, from
Taliesin's works, Sir J. Pryse's Cambria, the Triades, the Gododin,
Beddau Milwyr, Aera Cambr. Brit. L. G. Cothi, and extent of Anglesea.

Remember that you promised me the remainder of the Gododin, and never
performed it. The last lines of the fragment which I have, are

Tymor tymhestyl
Tymhestyl dymor
Y beri rhestr rhac rhiallu.

I am now out of the way of all curious antiquities; and you who have an
opportunity of seeing every body's treasures, keep them all to yourself.
I long t