John Davies

, the fourth person of both his names, whom I have mentioned among these writers, was a Denbighshire man born, bred up at the feet of Will. Morgan, (afterwards B. of S. Asaph) became a Student in Jesus coll. in 1589, took one degree in Arts four years after, left the University without compleating it by Determination, studied Divinity in the Country, and in the year 1608. was admitted to the reading of the Sentences as a member of Linc. coll. having been fourteen years a Minister of Gods Word, and dispenced with for not ruling in Arts. But before that time he was Rector of Malloyd, or Maynlloyd in Merionithshire, (which occasioned, as I presume, Sir Leolyne Jenkyns to tell me that he was that Countryman born) and afterwards a Canon of S. Asaph by the gift of Doctor Parry B. thereof, (to whom he was Chaplain) and a Dignitary, if I mistake not, in some other Church. In 1616. he proceeded in his faculty, as a member of the said coll. of Lincoln, being then esteemed by the Academians well vers’d in the History and Antiquities of his own Nation, and in the Greek and Hebrew Languages, a most exact Critick, an indefatigable searcher into antient Scripts, and well acquainted with curious and rare authors. His works are,

Ant quae linguae Britannicae nunc communiter dictae Cambro-Britannicae, à suis Cymraecae vel Cambricae, ab aliis Wallicae rudimenta, &c. Lond. 1621. oct.

Dictionarium Britannico-Latinum. Lond. 1632. fol. With this, is printed,

Dictionarium Latino-Britannicum. Which was in a manner finish’d by Tho. Williams a Physitian, before the year 1600. Afterward compleated and published by Dr. Davies. I have been informed that in the Library of MSS. sometimes belonging to Rob. Vaughan of Hengwrt in Merionithshire, is a Welsh Dictionary that contains about two thousand words more than in the former.

Adagiorum Britannicorum Specimen—MS. in bib. Bod. He also assisted Will. Morgan B. of Landaff and afterwards of S. Asaph, and Rich. Parry who succeeded him in the See of S. Asaph, in translating the Bible into Welsh, I mean in that corrected edition, that came out temp. Jac. Clar. 1634. 1. (1620.) and also translated into the same language (which he had studied at vacant hours for thirty years) the book of Resolution, written by Rob. Persons a Jesuit. On the first of Feb. 1626. was one Joh. Davies a Doctors Son admitted Bac. of Arts, as a member of Glouc. hall, which I take to be Son of Doctor John Davies before mention’d, at which time Sir John Davies the Mathematician had a Son of both his names, who was Gent. Com. of that house.