Drych Difinyddiaeth. [JONES (Griffith)].

Drych Difinyddiaeth: Neu Hyfforddiad I Wybodaeth jachusol O Egwyddorjon a Dyledswyddau Crefydd. Sef, Holiadau ac Attebion Ysgrythurol Ynghylch yr Athrawjaeth a gynhwysir Yng Nghatecism yr Eglwys. Angernrheidjol i'w dysgu gan Hen a Jeuaingc. Yn Bum Rhan. Gan Weindog o Eglwys Loegr.

Five volumes bound in one. 8vo. [183 x 115 x 44 mm]. xv, [i], 87, [1] pp; [2]ff, 196pp; [2]ff, 152pp; [2]ff, 63, [1] pp; [2]ff, 111, [1] pp. Bound ion contemporary calf, the spine divided into six panels by raised bands flanked with gilt fillets, later paper label, brass catches and one clasp, plain endleaves, and edges. (One clasp missing, rubbed with strip of leather removed from front cover).

[London] Argraphwyd yn Llundain, gan Joan Olfir, ym Martholomy Clos, ger llaw Smithffild Gorllewinol, yn y Flwyddyn, [1743]-1748

Libri Walliae 2881.

Under the title Drych Difinyddiaeth, ESTC has a single entry, dated 1748, terminating at pp.89, with a note "this is probably part 1 only". It locates only two copies, at Jesus College, Oxford and Andover-Harvard Theological Library. Libri Walliae is more revealing, noting that this a reissue, with new preliminaries of the five parts of Hyfforddiad I Wybodaeth jachusol o Egwyddorjon a Dyledswyddau Crefydd. Part 1 was originally published in 1741, part 2 in 1743, and parts 3-5 1746. ESTC locates six copies of Hyfforddiad, at the British Library, King's College London (missing part 1), Jesus College, Oxford, University College of Wales (missing part 1), Andover-Harvard Theological Library (missing part 1) and Harvard University, Widener Library (part 2 only).

There is some minor soiling and a few marks, but also some fine early ink inscriptions, including the signatures of Owen Morris dated 1750, William Jones dated 1754, John Edwards and Thomas Griffith, all of whom claimed ownership, and added various annotations.

A collection of Catechisms, translating as "Divine Reflection, or Training". Griffith Jones (1683-1761) was ordained in 1708 and became know as a great preacher. In 1716 he was appointed by his patron Sir John Philipps to the rectory of Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire. He was the main mover in the establishment of Welsh Circulating Schools, where pupils were taught to read the Welsh Bible and to learn the Catechism, helping to create a literate peasantry. He established around 3325 schools in nearly 1600 locations in Wales, and wrote about 30 school books, pamphlets and theological treatises. "There is a strong case for claiming that he was the greatest Welshman of the eighteenth century" (Geraint Jenkins, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

Stock no. ebc8920