Autograph letter signed to an unknown French orientalist dated the Admirality, London, 12 October 1802

Information About

Letter relates to Marsden's work, "A catalogue of dictionaries,vocabularies, grammars and alphabets", which was published on London in 1796. The letter was written when he was serving as Second Secretary to the Admiralty.

Contribution from Singapore Memories website (5 Apr 2025) --
Page 1 -- No 64 A. Higgins to A. Catesby & enclosed a prospectus of a periodical work (vide 1748) & another printed paper for Hawkins's sermon p. 88 note Sir, I am honoured with your very obliging letter, which rates too highly the value of the little Work I did myself. the pleasure of sending it as a token of my respect for your talents. I printed only a few copies because I was aware that it must be imperfect, but having since collected a great many addit[ional] ional articles, it is my intention to reprint & publish it as soon as I can find leisure - with some change in the arrangement. I have also prepared, when the same plan, a ----- Page 2 -- general Catalogue of Oriental (printed) Books, in which the articles will be arranged Geographically, in the first instance, & Chronologically under each Head, with an Index of the Names. This collection I am persuaded will not be uninter- esting to you or to Mr. Silvestre de Sacy. But they are both works of labour merely. I should make an apology to that learned gentleman whose writings have thrown so much light upon the Palmyrene Inscriptions, for having classed them with Persian, which I did inadvertently, & shall correct. I shall be very happy to see a Grammar & Dictionary of the Berber language, & hope you will be encouraged to publish those of the late ------ Page 3 -- A. Venture at large. Höst's work contains the only good specimens we have of it. The extent of it is now found to occupy, & Homemann's interesting Notices on the subject of the Tuariks who speak it, under it a language of more importance than when it was supposed to be confined to the vicinity of Mount Atlas. I shall make no apology for addressing you in English, because I am aware that you can read it with more facility than I can write in French. Accept my best thanks for your very kind offer of service, & believe me, with much esteem, Sir, Your most faithful & obedient Servant C. Mallard Dn London (Admiralty) 12th October 1809. ------ Page 4 -- Blank Page