Welsh Journals

RESTORATION OF THE BOOK OF CYNOG IT has often been observed that Llyfr Cynog is named and quoted as an authoritative book in many medieval Welsh legal tracts one which would presumably have been faithfully copied and preserved. Peniarth MS 35 is a compilation resulting probably from an attempt to reconstitute the Book of Cynog, which as we shall see, was far less disordered than the present arrangement of the text would suggest. Gwenogvryn Evans gives the following description in his Report on Manuscripts in the Welsh Language, 1, 367-8: PENIARTH MANUSCRIPT 35 MS 35 Hen. MS. 39. "Llyfr Kyna6c". THE LAWS OF HOWEL DA, with a considerable number of Pleadings (Cynghawsed). Vellum; 51 x 4 inches; 119 folios,-the outer half of folio 1, and practically the whole of original folio 86 are cut out, while folios 50-51, 71-72, 86, 99-100, and 106 are blank; there are besides two blank folios at either end of the MS.; last quarter of the XIIIth century-in two hands, folios 52-70 being in hand after the style of MS. 4 above, and the rest of the MS. is in the same hand as MS. 45 below; the sectional initials are black, excepting those on folios 26-31, which are red; beginning and end wanting; bound in leather. d. CYN yw arwydocaad yr hanner cyntaf ir llyfr hwn yn Neddfgrawn W: M. Canys ysgrifenedig yw fal hynn (page 76 infra). Ac felly y teruyna llyfyr CYNAWC. Arwydd yr eil-rhann yw AD CYN. Hwn ei gyd a goppiwyd, neu a gymharwyd ar Cyfr. oedd effioes yn 'fcrifenedic, y gann W. Maurice 1662. This MS is the G of Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales, but no use was made of the greater part of it, while variant readings were given from later MSS. like D and K (see Pen. MSS. 32 and 40), which derived a large number of their peculiar readings from G. The relation of G to B (TITUS D. II. in the Harl. Coll., Brit. Museum) cannot be decided without a detailed examination, but judging by a few test passages, both must have had a common original, or the scribe of G must have used B, or vice versa, whichever is the older copy; certain readings are peculiar to the two MSS. and their copies, while C (CAL. A. III. in the Harl. Coll., Brit. Museum) must have been used by the scribes of B and G. The subject matter of this MS. may be seen for the most part, though differently arranged, in the printed edition of the Welsh Laws. Folios 1-19b and 76b- Vol. ii. pp. 176-182, 186-206, and 210, or Book VIII, part of which is taken direct from this MS., the original apparently of F, which supplies the text of the earlier parts of Book VIII. Folios 20-49 Vol. i, pp. 112-188; folios 52-70 Vol. ii, pp. 126-172, but differently arranged; folios 77-lllb Vol. i, pp. 322-334, 314-322, 212-262, 80-108, 262-310; folios 112-119b Vol. ii, pp. 2-32. Folios 22b-25b, 73-76b, contain repetitions, pleadings, and a few Triads.