Revd Dr Hincks
Athenæum Saturday
July 25. 1857
Dr Sir
I showed your memorial to one of the Trustees, (the others being mostly out of Town at present). He approved of it generally, but objected to one part (marked in pencil) which might give rise to discussion, & had better therefore be omitted. But he particularly advised me to show it to Mr Panizzi whose opinion has great weight with the Trustees – I accordingly did so, and Mr Panizzi went fully into the matter. We found that your statement “that individuals have occasionally been allowed to inspect the MSS” was founded in error – They have never been seen by any person, since you gave them to the trustees in May /54 with the single exception of Mr Vaux; – Mr Panizzi fully agrees with you that this was done contrary to the wish both of yourself & the Trustees & that the circumstance is to be regretted, being a complete mistake, The MSS. are now in Mr Panizzi’s safe custody. He wishes you to alter your memorial from the form of a “Memorial” into that of a “letter” to the Trustees (which need not be a long one) and if you will send it to him immediately, he will lay it before the Trustees at their meeting on Saturday next, after which they will have no further meeting perhaps for some months.
But he must have your letter on Friday at latest – I told him I would inform you of this immediately.
The Asiatic Society have printed the 4 translations in parallel columns – The copies will be ready for distribution probably in a few weeks. But they have omitted the notes, which are essential to the justification of some parts of the translations. I hope these will be added at the end. They have not printed as yet, the transcriptions into Roman Characters –
Of the 4 translations, Sir H. Rawlinson’s & mine offer the greatest amount of agreement though yours differs little, except occasionally – Oppert’s translation is in some parts close and correct while other parts are very wildly translated, and cannot be admitted
I remain Dr Sir Yours vy Truly
H. F. Talbot
address at present
1 Calverley Park
Tunbridge Wells.