Lacock Feb 14. 1857
<at top left corner: Revd Dr Hincks>
Dr Sir
I have just received your letter of the 11th inst. <in another hand?: a> I should rejoice to hear that you are coming to reside in England, where you would have so much better opportunities of extending your discoveries in the Oriental languages – With respect to the creation of a professorship in either of the Universities, I am afraid the great difficulty would be the endowment of it –
If you authorise me to show your letter to a friend at Cambridge I will enquire whether any feeling exists there in favour of the creation of such a professorship – I have no connexion with Oxford – <in another hand?: a>
In your letter of 17th Janry you gave me some very useful and curious information respecting the proper names of the Assyrian kings, but though I adopt the name of “Tiglath Pileser” I cannot say that I find the evidence as yet sufficient in amount or satisfactory – The name of Menahem leaves nothing to be desired, but that of Rezin depends upon the valuation of <cuneiform text> as zin or chin, and for this I see no evidence – You have valued it as mada in No 176 of your list. <in another hand?: b> I have had some conversation with one of the Trustees of the British Museum with respect to the printing of your translations – His impression is that a proposal to print them can only emanate properly from yourself – Therefore if you like to send me the draught of a memorial or letter to the Trustees on this subject, I will show it to some of them privately, and return it to you with their observations – It is always best to have a previous understanding with some of the members of a numerous body – it prevents their being taken quite by surprise when a subject is brought forward with which they are unfamiliar – Two or three members aware of the facts, speedily explain them to their associates & prevent a hasty decision founded on ignorance. <in another hand?: b>
The monarch whose name gives me the greatest difficulty, to pronounce or transcribe, is a certain <cuneiform text> grandfather of the great Ashurakhbal<.> Rawlinson reads him as Adrammelech I<;> I am at a loss to see how that reading results from the signs –
I remain
Dr Sir
Yours very truly
H. F. Talbot