Lacock April 10 / 57

D^r Sir

I send you D^r Oppert’s letter that you may see what he brings forward in defence of his translation of 42 cycles. Have the goodness to return it to me when you have perused it. You enquire where the new forms of the names of Tiglath Pileser & Sardanapalus are to be found? That is just the question I have asked of D^r Oppert but I have not yet received his answer.

I have never seen the Biss Nimrud inscription, can you inform me whether the cuneiform text of it has been published? I believe D^r Oppert read a translation of it to the Royal Society of Literature at the meeting of the 2^d April but I presume he translated from the cylinder itself in the British Museum –

You will see in D^r O’s letter some remarks on a sign which has been variously interpreted “lapis lazuli”, and “copper”, can you throw any light upon this word?

I remain

Yours very Truly

H. F. Talbot