Cylchgronau Cymru

LATE ADDITIONS TO "BONEDD Y SAINT" By P. C. BARTRUM, B.A. PRINTED TEXTS OF "BONEDD Y SAINT." THE tract "Bonedd y Saint" in its original form was compiled, according to A. W. Wade-Evans, in the twelfth century (VSB, p. xvii). The earliest example (A) survives from the thirteenth century and altogether nine versions are extant which were completed before and up to about the year 1514. All of these have been printed as follows A. Peniarth MS. 16, folio 53, "Bonhed y Seint". (Early thirteenth century.) Ed. LBS, IV, 369-71. B. Peniarth MS. 45, pp. 286-90, "Bonhed Seint Kymry". (Late thirteenth century.) Ed. LBS, IV, pp. 371-3. C. Peniarth MS. 12, folio 25a-b, "Boned y Seint". These pages really belong to Peniarth MS. 4 (The White Book of Rhydderch) (c. 1320). Ed. E. Phillimore, YC, VII (1886), pp. 133-4. DD. Hafod MS. 2, folio 209b-12a, "Bonheyd Seynt". (Second half of fourteenth century.) Sometimes called the "Llanerch MS". Ed. A. W. Wade-Evans, VSB, pp. 320-3. D. Hafod MS. 16, pp. 110-12, "Bonhed y Seint" (c. 1400). Ed. A. W. Wade-Evans, RC, L (1933), pp. 24-9. E. Llanstephan MS. 28, pp. 69-75, written by Gutun Owain in 1455.1 Ed. A. W. Wade-Evans, Arch. Camb., LXXXV (1931), pp. 163-70. F. Peniarth MS. 27, part 2, pp. 67-70. (Last quarter of fifteenth century.) Ed. A. W. Wade-Evans, RC, L (1933), pp. 363-7. G. Peniarth MS. 127, pp. 43-9, by Sir Thomas ap Ieuan ap Deikws (c. 1510). Ed. A. W. Wade-Evans, RC, L (1933), pp. 368-78. H. Peniarth MS. 182, pp. 63-74, by Sir Hugh Pennant (c. 1514). Ed. A. W. Wade-Evans, RC, L (1933), pp. 378-84. The best text is undoubtedly that of Hafod MS. 2 (DD) except that it is illegible at the end.2 But it can be reconstructed (two items and a bit) with some confidence from the evidence of other versions as is done by Wade-Evans. All the manuscripts C to H have additional items, additions to earlier items and variations in the items, which are certainly departures from the primitive text. I This date is given in the manuscript, but it may be a date copied by Gutun Owain himself from one of his sources. A date c. 1475 has been suggested as more likely. See Thomas Roberts in Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, XV (1953), pp. 99 ff. 2 Lewis Morris in 1760 was unable to read the manuscript beyond the point read by Wade-Evans (see no. 29, p. 82 below).