TALBOT5809

Lacock Abbey Chippenham
December 1856

Dear Sir

I beg your acceptance of a copy of the 1^st number of my new publication on the cuneiform inscriptions.¹ I could have wished to have added a commentary explanatory of the text and supporting my translation by the necessary arguments, but finding that this would delay indefinitely the publication, I thought I should be doing more real service to the science by publishing a little at a time – I have been perusing the journals of the German scientific societies to see what they have been doing in the way of cuneiform discovery during the last 2 or 3 years – It is surprising how very little I can find nor is that little, very instructive. I have read Brandis's work but though it appears the production of a man of sound judgment in many things, it is evidently premature–² If he had read and considered what has been published in England he would have seen that many things are quite plain and clear, which to him appear still enveloped in the greatest obscurity –

In the department of hieroglyphic literature on the contrary, there are some writers of brilliant talent such as Brugsch and Lepsius and de Rougé in France.³

Before publishing in the Journal of S. Lit^re on the Assyrian verb, did you publish on the pronouns also? If so, can you favor me with a reference to the volume where published, as I have not seen it.⁴

Believe me Yours vy Truly
H F. Talbot