to attract the attention of ignorant people. Subsequent writers have gone so far as to state that the Primer was in fact the first edition of the Welsh Bible, whereas it does not contain, with the exception of the Ten Commandments, any portion of Holy Writ. Its title page is as follows: kymraeg | Yn y Lhyvyr | hwnn y traethir Gwydor It consists of sixteen leaves with a page of errata, and was printed by Edward Whitchurch, in London. Its main object was to teach the people to read the Welsh language correctly, and to instruct them in the principles of the Christian Church. The first reference to the book is found in the Epistle to the Welsh People, 1567, written by Bishop Richard Davies, of St. David's. "To such an extent was the Welsh language neglected," says Bishop Davies, "that the printing press brought no Welsh books to the country until, of recent years, William Salesbury printed the Gospels and Epistles used in Church,' and Sir John Prys, the Paternoster, the Creed and the Ten Commandments." Bishop Humphreys, in his Additions to Wood, also mentions the book, and describes it as an Almanac, probably because it contained the calendar, together with other matter usually found in Almanacs. As before stated, Moses Williams, in his Cofrestr, gives the title page of the book, and Ames also in his Typographical Antiquities, 1749, gives the title page and a description of it. At that time a copy of the book was in the possession of Mr. William Jones, F.R.S., better known 1 Published in 1551. as the father of Sir William Jones, the Oriental scholar, and from him it passed, with the remainder of Jones's library, into the collection of the second Earl of Macclesfield, at Shirburn Castle, where it still remains. There has been some difference of opinion as to its authorship. Gwallter Mechain, Canon Silvan Evans, and Dr. Lewis Edwards were inclined to attribute it to Salesbury, whilst Rowlands and the Rev. John Peter thought it the work of Sir John Prys. The latter were undoubtedly correct in their surmise, for not only does the direct testimony of Bishops Davies and Humphreys support them, but the character of the language and orthography are totally distinct from those of Salesbury. In fact, were there no direct testimony in existence, one would be safe in asserting that the writer was a native of South Wales, from his use of words peculiar to Glamorgan and Brecon, and from the general character of his orthography. Sir John Prys, or Price, lived at Brecon, and was for many years the King's Attorney, taking an active part in that monarch's marital differences. He also acted as one of the Crown agents in the Suppression of the Monasteries and appears to have reaped a good harvest therefrom. His name constantly figures in the State Papers, and he seems to have enjoyed a portion of the King's confidence. The Historia Britannica Defensio, written by him in defence of "Geoffrey of Monmouth", when the latter's history was attacked by Polydore Vergil, was his chief work, and was published after his death in 1573. The Primer of 1546 has an interesting introduction, in which Prys states that he was prevailed upon to publish the book, because of the large number of Welshmen who knew no language but Welsh. The book consists of a Preface by the author, directions how to read Welsh and how to sound the letters, a Calendar giving Saints' days with the feasts of many Welsh Saints, an Almanac for twenty years, information as to the changes of the moon, etc.; the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Seven Virtues, the Seven Deadly Sins, together with other prayers and holy instructions. The greater part of the book is a mere translation of the English Primers of the time, but considerable additions have been made to the Calendar; and the latter portion of the book may be an original contribution or an extract from some devotional work. The following is a specimen of the additions made to the Calendar and inserted at the foot of each page : 66 CHWEFROR. : y mis hwnn tyun y mwsswng o dyar dy goed ffrwyth, torr y keingyey dyfyrlhyd, dod goed byw a choed rhos ar vath hynny, scathra a phlyg dy berth yn niwed y lheuad, dod gyffion koed ievaink a cheingieu a chlwmmey yn y lhawnlhoer," etc. These directions as to gardening and planting, irresistibly remind one of similar directions to be found in the Almanacs which emanate from Caergybi and Aberteifi at the present time. There is one curious blunder or omission in the book. Sir John purports to give the Ten Commandments (deng air deddyf), but he only gives nine of them, and curiously enough—when one remembers that Sir John received a goodly portion of the lands of the Welsh Monasteries, the one he omits is the eighth—“ Thou shalt not steal." I have said that the Primer was the first Welsh book, but this is not absolutely certain, for in the same year, or very soon afterwards, William Salesbury published a book which bears the following title : : "Oll Synnwyr | pen | Kembero | y gyd | wedy r gynull, ei gynnwys aegyfansoddi mewn crynodab ddos | parthus a threfn odidawc drwy | ddyual ystryw | Gruffyd Hi. | raethoc prydydd o Wy. | nedd | Is-Conwy | This book was printed by Nicholas Hyll, but without date. It contains 64 pages. It has a long and interesting preface by William Salesbury, the remainder of the book being taken up with the Welsh Proverbs, collected by Gruffydd Hiraethog, a Welsh bard of the sixteenth century. Salesbury, in his preface, gives an account of the manner in which he had become possessed of Gruffyth Hiraethog's book. It seems that the bard and he travelled up to London together, and on the way Gruffydd allowed Salesbury to read his proverbs. The latter took advantage of the opportunity and copied it all out without Hiraethog's knowledge, afterwards passing it through the press. Incidentally, he suggests that it would be a good thing were other Welsh books purloined for the same purpose, as so many people would become possessed of a knowledge of Welsh literature who could never hope to become acquainted with it in any other way. It is an interesting fact that a MS. book of Gruffydd Hiraethog's proverbs, in what Mr. Gwenogvryn Evans thinks is the bard's autograph, is preserved at Peniarth. This may turn out to be the very book secretly copied by Salesbury. There is also in the British Museum, Add. MSS., 14,973, f. 47b, a collection of Proverbs by Gruffydd Hiraethog, but written at a much later date, probably between 1640 and 1660. This manuscript has two prefaces by the bard himself, which are not found in the printed book, and as they are short and interesting I quote them in full :— 66 'At y ddiledriw voneddigaidd Vrutwn pwy bynnag fo. Och Dduw mor angharedig ag mor anatiriol vydd llawer o genedl gymru ag yn enwedig y rain a elont allan o derfynau i gauedig ddaiaren ai gwlad, pawb vali bo yr achos a ymgais ai arvaeth; rai yn alluawl o gyfoeth er gweled a dysku moes ag arver tai a |