through by bookbinder (176b) ' habet hie liber quinquaginta & octo folia ' (222 a in Jasper Gryffyth's hand). As compared with V, ' the wording is often changed and abbreviated, many passages being omitted and a few others inserted.'
It will be noticed that none of the codices now extant of the Book of Cyvnerth and the Book of Blegywryd date from before the last quarter of the thirteenth century, probably after the death of Llewelyn ap Gruffydd in 1282. Those which are antecedent to this period are the following, which are enumerated in order of time : —
- Peniarth MS. 28. Latin; 1175-1200.
- Peniarth MS. 29 (= MS. A). Welsh; Book of Gwynedd ; about 1200.
- Harleian MS. 1796. Latin; 1200-1250.[1]
- Brit. Mus. Additional MS. 14931 (= E). Welsh ; Book of Gwynedd ; about 1250.[1]
- Caligula A III (= MS. C). Welsh; Book of Gwynedd ; about 1250.[1]
- Vespasian E XI. Latin ; about 1250.[1]
All the earliest and best MSS. extant therefore of the Laws of Howel Dda were written at a time when the Normans had long interfered with Welsh affairs and had taken permanent possession of the majority of the patrias of South Wales. It is very important to bear this in mind, inasmuch as the codices, which are confessedly in a state of flux, cannot fail to reflect the political situation in Wales as it was at the time of writing.
