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10 Scrope Terrace (Cambridge).—Accepts an invitation, and cites a passage from the Persian poet Kháqání to illustrate the reference to a gourd in the book of Jonah.

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Transcript

10 Scrope Terrace
Oct. 29. 1884

My dear Aldis Wright,

Thank you for your kind invitation for next Saturday, which I shall have great pleasure in accepting.

I came on a passage in a poem of the Persian poet Kháqání (which I read while I was at Broadstairs in the vacation)—which may interest you as illustrating Jonah’s “gourd” qîqâyon {1}.

“If to spite the graceful planetree
The ricinus-shrub springs from the ground,
Those who are intelligently practical
Know the ricinus from the plane.
The one will extend its years of life to an hundred,
The other will not last more than three or four months.”

The Persian bîd-anjîr or “willow-fig” is explained in the Dictionaries as “the shrub Palma Christi”.

Yours sincerely
E. B. Cowell

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{1} Cf. Jonah iv. 6-10. ‘qiqayon’ is the word used for the plant in the original Hebrew.

Title on spine: 'Fitzgerald's Translations | Original Letters and Proof Sheets | Vol. II' [Vol. I is O.10a.42, a volume of letters from Fitzgerald to Quaritch'. 'Extremely interesting & valuable' written in pencil on the first leaf; note below, identifies the hand as Quaritch's. All following items tipped in onto trimmed paper stubs.

Letter from William Aldis Wright to Bernard Quaritch writing as FitzGerald's executor, 22 Jun 1883.

Nine letters from Edward FitzGerald to Bernard Quaritch, 24 Mar. 1879-4 Jun. 1879; the last letter in the book, [Apr. 1979], has a strip of printed proof pasted to it, with corrections by FitzGerald in ink. Letter to FitzGerald, 17 Apr. 1879, incomplete and without signature but from Edward Byles Cowell [see preceding letter, and pencil note at bottom of FitzGerald's letter of 20 Apr.]

Printed proofs of title page, with annotations by FitzGerald, and sub-title page of Jami's Salámán and Absál; proof from the 'Notes' to Omar Khayyám, paginated 35-36, with MS sheet in FitzGerald's hand pasted to it; two versions of revised proofs of pp. 97-112 of Salámán and Absál, with corrections and comments by FitzGerald, including a sheet of paper pasted on at the verso of the second p. 112; printed leaves from the first edition of the Life of Jami, 4 ff., with numerous revisions by FitzGerald, including an MS slip pasted to the recto of the fourth sheet; printed copy of the first edition of Salámán and Absál [1856]., 23 ff., paginated 1-45, with extensive corrections by FitzGerald including slips pasted in at various places.

References to 'the Critic' in the correspondence and notes are to Michael Kerney, Quaritch's chief assistant, cataloguer, and literary adviser.

Pembroke College, Cambridge. Dated May 23, 1901 - Weil [recte R. A. Neil] sent on Frazer's question; while he does not do comparative grammar, he thinks the derivation of Naman from Ameretat is wrong; went to see [Anthony Ashley] Bevan and he referred him to the 'Encyclopaedia Biblica' that says Naman is Numman; distrusts [H.] Winckler, and thinks [F. C.] Andreas 'is capable of turning out a bad book in the realm of later Persian history'; suggests he try Prof. Cowell.

(Cambridge.)—Cites details of the word ‘Baluchi’ from a Persian dictionary.

(Postmarked at Cambridge.)

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Transcript

I have never remembered till today to look out Baluchi in my Dict. It is ch, not kh, [Followed by Persian characters.] Vullers gives it as a Turkish word. He says that it is properly Bulūchō, Bulūch being the name of the country; but he also gives Bulūch as the name of the tribe.

E.B.C.

Nov. 8.

[Direction:] The Vice-Master, Trinity College [At the foot:] Local.

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Postmarked at Cambridge on 8 November 1897.

Beccles.—Cowell has replied to his query about the word ‘lian’. Discusses the etymology of the word ‘spinnage’, popularly used to refer to rickets. Relates Mr Gillett’s theory about the miraculous draught of fishes (Luke v).

(Sent by Aldis Wright to Robert H. Groome and returned with 8/1.)

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Transcript

Beccles. Novr 7. 1877.

My dear Sir—

Many thanks for your kindness in enquiring of Professor Cowell as to the word “lian”—his reply so far as it goes confirms the opinion I had always entertained regarding “Venta”.

As to the popular use of the word “Spinnage”. A medical man is often told by a poor woman when he enters her cottage that she fears her child has got the “Spinnage”—upon examination he finds the child suffering from “Rickets” and his attention is particularly directed by the mother to a cross-like depression depression at the pit of the stomach occasioned by a sinking in of the crusiform† cartilage of the sternum towards the spine; the child has at the same time the ribs flattened laterally and the breast bone prominent; what is commonly called pigeon breasted: the spine is also more or less curved and he presents all the characters of Scrophula. As to the ety-mology of the word. “Rickets” is no doubt derived from “Ράχις—the spine”. Analogy would therefore lead me to believe that we must look for “Spinnage” in the latin “Spina” possibly “Spinam agens” or “Spine ache” may have originated the word but this is only my own idea and therefore not worth much. If spelt phonetically the correct orthography would be “Spinnage”. Has your attention ever been called to the words used by Our Ld to Simon in the 5th chapter of Luke as to the casting the nets into the sea previous to the miraculous draught of fishes? Mr Gillett has suggested an ingenious theory to account for Simon’s request to Our Saviour “Depart from me” viz—that Our Ld had requested him to cast “τα δίκτυα” into the sea; and that he re-plied they had toiled all night and taken nothing nevertheless at his request he would cast in “το δίκτυον” and when he saw the result in the miraculous draught of fishes he was so shocked at the grievous sin which he had committed in not having sufficient faith entirely to fulfil his Lord’s command; that upon recognising his divinity instead of saying “My Lord and My God” he said “Depart from me”.—

Do not trouble yourself to answer this; as I shall conclude if I hear nothing that you consider the observation of no value.—

Believe me
Very truly yours,
W. E. Crowfoot

Wm Aldis Wright. Esqr.

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Black-edged paper. Aldis Wright has written at the head, ‘Please return’.

{1} Probable reading, but the first letter is unclear.

† Sic.

Merton Rectory, Watton, Norfolk. - Writes to inform Aldis Wright of the death that morning of 'our dear friend Edw. Fitzgerald', with some details. Asks him to inform Professor Cowell and the Master of Trinity [W. H. Thompson].

Scroope Terrace - Writes in answer to Frazer's question concerning Haman/Omanes, and encloses a letter from James Hope Moulton, whom he consulted in turn.

5 Argyle Park Terrace, (Edinburgh).—Gives the results of his investigations into Captain Ward.

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Transcript

5 Argyle Park Terrace

My dear Father,

Many thanks to you & Alice for your ballad-collecting labours. You seem to have found a perfect mine of wealth. Yesterday afternoon, being very wet, I devoted to trying to learn who Captain Ward was. I went over the Calendar of State Papers, Howell’s State Trials, & several other mighty works, but all in vain. Pirates there were in abundance, & ship despatched against them, & dozens of Wards, & Captains in their number—Captain Luke & Capt. Caesar Ward, both in the closing years of Elizabeth’s reign. At last I had recourse to Lowndes & other books on bibliography, & there I did learn that Andrew Barker wrote The Adventures of Captains Warde and Danseker, the famous Pyrates (Lond. 1609), on which Daborne based his tragedy The Christian turned Turke (Lond. 1612). Watt gives Wanseker for Danseker in his title of Barker’s book, as does Allibone; but they all agree in Danseker in the tragedy. I am writing without my notes, which I stupidly left behind me at the Philosophical Institute, but I am certain of the names & dates: Andrew Barker (1609) & Daborne (1612). So Ward I imagine flourished about 1608. Danseker looks like Danziger, ‘a native of Danzig’, but neither of him could I find anything. Who was Wake? There was a Sir Isaac Wake, an ambassador, but he could hardly be the man. Possi-bly he is due solely to exigencies of rhyme, Drake-Wake, like namby-pamby. And Lord Henerỳ? Is he Lord Howard of Effingham? I forgot to look up his Christian name. Neither Barker nor Daborne are in the Advocates. Perhaps you could get somebody at Cambridge to look them up.

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Sent to Aldis Wright with Add. MS b. 74/8/1. The letter may be incomplete, as there is no concluding greeting or signature.

Littlegrange, Woodbridge. - Glad to hear Houghton is well and involved in literary pursuits. Thanks for suggesting him for Calderon Committee but he prefers quiet existence here: Houghton and the Archbishop [Richard Chenevix Trench, Archbishop of Dublin] will do the job admirably; recommends Professor E. B. Cowell of Cambridge as a worthy third is needed. Glad the Master of Trinity is recovering. Has withdrawn from the New Shakespeare Society owing to Furnivall's 'blackguard manifestoes'.

(Place of writing not indicated.)—Discusses the origin of the word ‘motley’.

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Transcript

July 7. 1876.

Dear Sir—

I understand from Prof. Cowell that you are on the look out for origin of the word motley.

I think it is worth while to notice mottelet, mattelé in Cotgrave, & also mattes, cards. Brachet gives Fr. motte, a clod: etym. unknown. But cf. A.S. mot, a mote, a particle; Eng. smut, once smot, as in Chaucer’s besmotered; Welsh ysmot, a patch {1}, a spot. I have no doubt that the word means spotted or speckly, tho’ I cannot trace its history correctly. You will remember that it occurs in Chaucer’s Prologue, l. 273. Mottled = spotted.

Yours
W W Skeat

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{1} Underlined twice.

Letters, from both scholars and members of the public, regarding W. Aldis Wright's editions of Shakespeare (including collaborations with W. G. Clark) as well as notes on the texts and suggested emendations. Some letters with no addressee may have been written to W. G. Clark. Correspondents include E. B. Cowell, F. J. Furnivall, C. M. Ingleby, H.A.J. Munro, W. W. Skeat, Duncan Tovey, and the 8th Duke of Devonshire. Some notes by Julius Lloyd and Lionel Booth.

Cambridge. - Has written to Professor Roth. Wright 'will find a long account of the Pali Subha Sutta in Burnouf's Lotus de la bonne loi.

Concerning the Pali manuscripts. Includes a letter to [Edward Byles] Cowell dated 12 March 1869.

Two letters, including his thanks for Theodor Aufrecht's Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Thanks Sidgwick for his 'kind congratulations.' Reports that he is to be on a board, and 'shall be delighted to do what [he] can to encourage modern and mediaeval languages.' States that he would be extremely glad to go on with lectures on Early English, on Chaucer, if required, and anything relating to the early period; but draws the line at AD 1400. States that a lecturer on Shakespeare is to be found. Suggests that 'a young fellow of Trinity or some other college' could be found to lecture on the subject. Declares that he would be glad to find anyone who would read Chaucer, with a view to lecturing on him. Relates that Professor Cowell often gave him free lectures in Sanskrit, and states that he wishes to take the same view of his professional functions; he would give two lectures to any student who desires them. Reiterates that the subject read should be anterior to AD 1400.

Extracts copied by Trevelyan from Layamon's "Brut"; blank verse retelling of the story of Siddhartha; "Everyman, Scene I" with characters Worldly Wiseman and Fight-the-good-fight, both on recto with corrections and additions on facing page.

From the back of the book inwards: extracts from the "Buddha Carita or the Life of the Buddha", translated by E. B. Cowell, on Siddhartha's 'Four Sights' [unlike Trevelyan's hand, and possibly copied out by Gordon Luce?]; retelling of Siddhartha's story in rhyming verse, on recto with corrections and additions on facing page.

Cambridge. - Is much obliged to Quaritch for the portrait of Edward FitzGerald.

30 Blenheim Terrace, Scarboro'. - Sure Quaritch would not do anything 'discreditable' to FitzGerald's memory, but his friendship for Aldis Wright will prevent him writing a notice of this edition and memoir. Note on FitzGerald's translations.

36 Warrender Park Terrace, Edinburgh. - Encloses the photograph of Little Grange promised in his first letter; since he wrote that, he has seen Blackwood and heard from Mowbray Donne, 'both of whom express much regret'. Points out a mistake in the preface of the 1887 edition of FitzGerald relating to E. B. Cowell's Cambridge connections. Clodd tells him there is a rose tree at Kew brought back from the grave of Omar Khayyám; thinks a scion should be planted over FitzGerald's grave in Boulge churchyard.

The photograph originally enclosed with the letter is pasted to a leaf following the letter.