Middle Hill
2 Aug 62
My dear Sir
Your letter of the 7th July was not received untill [sic] my return home the day before yesterday, in which you kindly announced your donation of your Translation of my Babylonian Cylinder, which has also been received, & for which I return you my very best thanks.
I observe your query about Zebra. If Kh & sh are mutable, Khebar becomes Shebar, & therefore a still closer approximation to Zebra. The stripes an Englishman might call “bars“. I am glad to see you defend the Welsh Language. I for my part I am half inclined to think they are really an original Colony from Babylon.” for if any thing could produce a Babel or Confusion of Tongues, it is the mode or manner by which the Welsh continually change their consonants. You translate “bieli ya” my Lords The Welsh Beli means a King, & Beli Mawr, the great King. Beth Gelert is the grave of Gelert, but ? if it did not originally mean a Temple or Tomb. Pakluti is very like the Latin Pecudes, leaving out the l, & adopting D for t
Karish a Workman in Wood &c Is this the root of Carpenter? Daliti. Is this the origin of our word Deals as applied to boards. Kar a Wall. Caer in Welsh a walled City
Have you not advanced far enough to make a small Dictionary & Grammar, or at all events a Vocabulary? I should be glad also to see all your translations with the Original Word immediately over the its translation. We might then learn the language while we read.
I have been printing two Articles, one of which is very important as throwing great light on the secret plans & plots of Jesuits relative to the Invasion of England by the Spanish Armada.
The other is a curious variation in two different relations of the same voyage by Americus Vespucius. When finished, I will beg your acceptance of a Copy.
Believe me Very Truly Yours
Thomas Phillipps
[envelope:]
Henry Fox Talbot Esqr
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts
Millburn
Tower Gogar
Edinburgh
[author's letter book copy in Bodleian Library:]
H Fox Talbot Esqr La y cock Abbey Wilts
MH Aug 2. 62
My dear Sir
Your letter of the 7th July was not received untill [sic] my return home the day before yesterday, in which you kindly announced your donation of your Translation of my Babylonian Cylinder, which has also been received, & for which I return you my very best thanks. I observe your query about Zebra. If Kh & sh are mutable, Khebar becomes Shebar & therefore a still closer approximation to Zebra. The stripes an Englishman might call “bars”. I am glad to see you defend the Welsh Language I for my part I am half inclined to think they are really an original Colony from Babylon”. for if any thing could produce a Babel or Confusion of Tongues, it is the mode or manner by which the Welsh continually change their consonants
You translate “bieli ya” my Lords The Welsh Beli means a King, & Beli Mawr, the great King. Beth Gelert is the grave of Gelert, but ? if it did not originally mean a Temple or Tomb Pakluti is very like the Latin Pecudes leaving out the l, & adopting d for t Karish a Workman in Wood &c Is this the root of Carpenter? Daliti Is this the origin of our word Deals as applied to boards. Kar a Wall. Caer in Welsh a walled City
Have you not advanced far enough to make a small Dictionary & Grammar, or at all events a Vocabulary? I should be glad also to see all your translations with the Original Word immediately over its translation. We might then learn the language while we read.
I have been printing two Articles, one of which is very important as throwing great light on the secret plans & plots of Jesuits relative to the Invasion of England by the Spanish Armada. The other is a curious variation in two different relations of the same voyage by Americus Vespucius. When finished, I will beg your acceptance of a Copy.
Believe me very truly yours
Thomas Phillipps