“As regards Oriental MSS., it is remarked that the guarantees need not be so minute as in the case of old European MSS., which are often unique copies. According to the learned Professor of Sanskrit in this city, Herr George Bühler, there are very few unique Oriental MSS. in existence of Sanskrit—perhaps not a dozen.”
[424]. (1) “On Lending Bodleian Books and Manuscripts” (not published). June 10, 1866; (2) Appendix. Barlow’s Argument. June, 1866; (3) On Book-lending as practised at the Bodleian Library. July 27, 1886: Baxter, Printer, Oxford. The three papers abound in earnestness and energy; but they have the “defects of their qualities,” as the phrase is; and the subject often runs away with the writer. A single instance will suffice. No. i. p. 23 says, “In a library like the Bodleian, where the practice of lending prevails as it now does, a man may put himself to great inconvenience in order to visit it; he may even travel from Berlin, and when he arrives he may find that all his trouble has been in vain, the very book he wants is out.” This must have been written during the infancy of Sir Rowland Hill, and when telegrams were unknown to mankind; all that the Herr has to do in our times is to ask per wire if the volume be at home or not.
[425]. Chandler, “On Lending Bodleian Books,” etc., p. 18.
[426]. Koran, xxiii. 14.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
- P. [307], changed “hast thou him” to “hast thou slain him”.
- Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.
- Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.
- Footnotes have been re-indexed using numbers and collected together at the end of the last chapter.