Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 63.djvu/286

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Wynne
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Wynne

Buchedd Sanctaidd,’ a translation of Taylor's ‘Holy Living,’ which he dedicated to Bishop Humphreys. The work which has made him famous, ‘Gweledigaethau y Bardd Cwsg’ (‘Visions of the Sleeping Bard’), appeared in 1703 (London). He now took orders, in response probably to the appeals of those who had been impressed by the ability and earnestness shown in ‘Y Bardd Cwsg,’ and in 1705 became rector of Llan Danwg, and perpetual curate of Llan Bedr, both not far from Las Ynys. He was editor of the issue of the Welsh prayer-book which appeared in 1710 (London). In May 1711 he exchanged his living for the rectory of Llanfair-juxta-Harlech, which he held until his death in July 1734. He was buried beneath the altar of Llanfair. In September 1698 he married Laura Wynne of Moel y Glo, who died in the following July. On 14 Feb. 1702 he married his second wife, Laura Lloyd of Hafod Lwyfog, near Bedd Gelert. She died in August 1720; of their children, William, the second, succeeded his father as rector of Llanfair, and died in 1761, and Edward, the youngest, became rector of Penmorfa. Edward published in 1755 at Shrewsbury ‘Prif Addysc y Cristion,’ which included a brief exposition of the church catechism and some hymns and carols by his father.

The visions of ‘Bardd Cwsg’ are three—a vision of the world, of death, and of hell; each is a prose narrative, allegorical in form, religious in tone. The writer clearly owed much to L'Estrange's version of the ‘Visions’ of Quevedo, but used the material he drew from this source with independence. The satiric vigour and sublimity of the portraiture, the keen knowledge of men and of the times displayed, and the terse inimitable style, make this by general consent the greatest of Welsh prose classics. It was translated, not very accurately, by George Borrow (London, 1860); a more faithful version was published in 1897 by R. Gwyneddon Davies (London). The following is a list of the editions of ‘Bardd Cwsg:’ 1st, London, 1703; 2nd, Shrewsbury, about 1740; 3rd, 1748, 4th, 1755, 5th, 1759, all at Shrewsbury; 6th, Carmarthen, 1767; 7th, Shrewsbury, 1768; 8th, Shrewsbury, 1774; 9th, Merthyr, 1806; 10th, Carmarthen, 1811; 11th, Dolgelly, 1825; 12th, Carnarvon, 1825; 13th, Llanrwst, 1825; 14th, Carmarthen, 1828; 15th, Carnarvon, 1828; 16th, Carmarthen, 1853, with memoir by D. Silvan Evans; 17th, Llanidloes, 1854; 18th, Carmarthen, 1865; 19th, Llanidloes, 1867; 20th, Carmarthen, 1878; 21st, Liverpool, 1886; 22nd, Liverpool, 1888; 23rd, Carmarthen, 1891; 24th, Liverpool, 1894; 25th, Carnarvon, 1898; 26th, Liverpool, 1898; 27th, Bangor, 1898, an exact reprint of the first edition, with memoir, notes, and glossary by J. Morris Jones.

[The introduction to the Bangor edition of Bardd Cwsg gives a full account, based on an examination of parish records, of what is known of Ellis Wynne and his family. For the bibliography, see Llyfryddiaeth y Cymry and the Catalogue of the Welsh portion of Cardiff Public Library. Other sources are Foster's Alumni Oxon.; Silvan Evans's introduction to the edition of 1853; Williams's Eminent Welshmen.]

J. E. L.

WYNNE, JOHN (1667–1743), bishop of St. Asaph and of Bath and Wells, the second son of John Wynne of Maes y Coed, Caerwys, Flintshire, was born in that parish in 1667. He was educated at Northop school and then at Ruthin school, Denbighshire. He matriculated from Jesus College, Oxford, on 31 March 1682, graduated B.A. 1685, became a fellow in that year, and proceeded M.A. in 1688, B.D. in 1696, and D.D. on 24 Jan. 1705–6. He was appointed vicar of Nantglyn in 1696, and vicar of Llansilin (both in Denbighshire) in 1706. He obtained these preferments through college influence, but in the meanwhile he had accompanied the Earl of Pembroke abroad as his chaplain, and he was, upon his return, given the rectory of Llangelynin in the diocese of Bangor, and the prebend of Brecon in the diocese of St. David's. From 1705 to 1715 he held the Lady Margaret professorship of divinity, holding with it, as was customary, a canonry at Worcester. In 1713 he obtained in addition the rectory of Llandyssil, Cardiganshire. In August 1712, being already vice-principal, after a somewhat bitter party struggle he was elected principal of Jesus College, Oxford, but he remained in Oxford barely eighteen months, for on 11 Jan. 1714–15 he was nominated to succeed William Fleetwood as bishop of St. Asaph; he was consecrated on 6 Feb. 1714–1715, and it so happened that he was the first bishop appointed by George I. His popularity was not increased at Oxford by his retaining the principalship of Jesus along with the bishopric until his marriage in 1720. Great exception was taken to his ‘unblushing whig propagandism.’ He was a considerable benefactor to the cathedral church and the episcopal palace at St. Asaph, and he expended upwards of 600l. in repairing the damage occasioned by the hurricane of 2 Feb. 1715. He was translated to the bishopric of Bath and Wells upon the death of Bishop Hooper on 11 Nov. 1727, and ruled that see for sixteen years, being a bishop altogether