TALBOT7398

Killyleagh C^o Down

28^th April 1857

Dear Sir,

The same mail car which took away my last letter to you brought me one fm M^r Norris, containing a proposal for me to translate the T. P. Inscription. If his letter had come in fact sooner, it would have prevented me sending the Memorial; & yet, on further considering the matter, I dont think that it ought to have had that effect.

I have now your letter of the 24^th fm which I find that M^r Norris has informed you of my having accorded to the proposal. I will translate as much as I can; but the time allowed is so short that I shall probably not go through much more than half of the inscription. I will make a point, however to do the last part, relating to the buildings, & containing the date.

I will adopt your plan of a double translation with transcription, but I should like to have your answer to one question. From what text have you translated? fm a copy taken by the eye by yourself fm photographs? or fm the lithographs prepared with Rawlinson’s superintendence? M^r Norris has sent me copies of the last: but I find them fearfully inaccurate. I had copied the greater part of the two last columns & fragments fm the <illeg>; & on comparing parts of my copy with the lithograph, I noticed that in two places a word had been omitted by the lithographer, which was essential to the sense. I observed other minor errors. This prevents me having any confidence in the lithograph in places where I have not a copy taken by myself; and I unfortunately cannot consult the original. I expect great discrepancy between the four translations, although there will be so much agreement, that the sceptics will be left without excuse.

Believe me Yours vy truly

Edw Hincks

H. Fox Talbot Esq^re

Since I sent the preceding post, I observed that the lithographer has omitted seven consecutive characters (probably a whole line) between the last line of the first half of Col. 4 & the first line of the other half. Supposing that the principal cylinder omits this clause, its not being given as a variant reading is really inexcusable. I fear Rawlinson’s India House engagements have made him a bad editor.