A versatile poet , Ellis wrote elegies on Evan Evans ( Ieuan Brydydd Hir ) and on his old schoolmaster Edward Richard (qq.v.) . Probably his greatest service to his contemporaries was to translate the following English works into Welsh : The knowledge and practice of Christianity by Thomas Wilson ( London , 1774 ); A short manual of prayers for common occasions , by James Merrick ( London , 1774 and 1805 ); and The History of the Holy Jesus , by William Smith ( Trefriw , 1776 ). He translated into Welsh a poem by Evan Evans ( Ieuan Brydydd Hir ) , entitled The Penitent Shepherd: a sacred poem , which was published in Blodau Dyfed , an anthology compiled by J. Howell ( Carmarthen , 1824 ) [p. 55]. He also copied a large number of Welsh manuscripts which today are included among such well-known collections as Peniarth , Cwrtmawr , and N.L.W. , in the National Library of Wales ; Gwyneddon in the library of the U.C.N.W. , Bangor , and Cardiff City Free Library . He also made a transcript of Mona Antiqua Restaurata , by Henry Rowlands ( 1655 - 1723 ) (q.v.) , which he presented to the library of his old school at Ystrad Meurig .