British Museum WC
18th August 1868
Dear Sir,
The inscriptions of Western Asia 3d part are not yet out. Sir H. Rawlinson is at present away for the sake of his health at a German Spa. He will however return soon to England to resume his labours. Mr Coxe is lying seriously ill at Wytham. He has had an operation performed on the bone of his leg which exfoliates. <1> In the mean time I have obtained the temperary [sic] aid of Mr. George Smith who has made great progress in the Assyrian. He has read a paper on the annals of Tiglath Pileser before the Royal Society of Literature and is going to give some more historical notices about Egypt. The Revd Mr Haigh of Erdington has written a paper on the same subject.
Yours truly
S Birch
The Honl Fox Talbot
[envelope:]
The Honorable
Fox Talbot
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
SB
Brit: Mus:
Notes:
1. William H. Coxe, who was to die on 18 December 1869 after an illness of 3 years; son of Rev. H. O. Coxe, Bodley's Librarian; Asst. to Birch at the British Museum and, briefly, Prof of Sanskrit at Kings College, London.