13 Montague Place
1 Septemb 1870
My dear Sir
I have heard nothing of our friend’s Garden of Eden, beyond his speech at the meetng of the R.A.S and the letter printed Report. I am almost afraid that he has been too sanguine, and made some jump at tempting and plausible theory, which a more sober investigation may have thrown doubts upon. I fear I am guilty of such things occasionally, but as I do not generally publish them, my faults are known only to a few friends. – You are very kind to my mistakes, but they are very numerous, and the margins of my working copies of the dictionary are full to running over with additions and corrections.
I have begun seriously my chapter of the verbs. My plan at present is to set down at least one example of every form I find, and to refer to others; all these I arrange according to the most usual grammars, and I propose to add to each form, any others that I cannot make agree with the rest, such as matrar to pray or invoke. I do not think imhur involves any difference of signification. I think mahar is rather to le<illeg> than simply to receive.
For the arrangement I am not yet decided, but think of adopting that by consonants only; thus I put <hebrew> to carry off, along with <hebrew> to rule, making a subdivision of course; but I make each verb on a separate bit of paper, so can easily vary my plan if I find it necessary, and I propose to make out, at the end a copious of all forms regular and regular, <sic> referring each to its real roots thus I would put <cuneiform> under Α<unknown character> <cuneiform> under DK, and refer both to halak. Can you give me any suggestion?
I am glad you are proceeding with No 3 Glossary I fear I have not made all the use I might of what you have done already for want of an alphabetical index. I work in haste and if I do not easily find a word I want, am apt to try what I can do without it.
I remain my dear Sir yours faithfully,
Edwin Norris
H. Fox Talbot Esq
&c &c &c
My progress has been slow hence I have just sent off for revise the word manzazhani, p828.