longer in this city, I cannot with any propriety prefer my own intereft to a more material one; nor ought I longer to injure the public, by depriving them of the pleasure and advantage they may reap from this manuscript's coming to your hands. Mr. Montague loaded me with compliments to you, meant as real teftimonies of the esteem he has for you, which I am very unfortunate in not having the pleasure of delivering.

I have the honour to be, &c.

MID. HOWARD.

Mr. JONES to Mr. HOWARD.

SIR,

Oct. 4, 1774.

I cannot exprefs how much I am flattered by the kind attention, with which you honour me. I have just received your moft obliging letter, with a fine Arabic manufcript, containing the works of a celebrated poet, with whom I have been long acquainted; this teftimony of Mr. Montague's regard is extremely pleafing to me, and I have a most grateful sense of his kindness. I am

confcious how little I have deferved the many honours I have lately received from the learned in Europe and Afia; I can afcribe their politeness to nothing but their candour and benevolence. I fear they will think me still less deferving, when they know that I have deferted, or rather fufpended, all literary pursuits whatever, and am wholly engaged in the study of a profeffion, for which I was always intended. As the law is a jealous science, and will not have any partnership with the Eastern muses, I must absolutely renounce their acquaintance for ten or twelve years to come. This manuscript however is highly acceptable to me, and fhall be preferved among my choiceft treafures, till I have leisure to give it an attentive perufal. There is a compliment to me written in Arabic verfe in the firft leaf of the book, and figned Abdurrahman Beg; the verses are very fine, but fo full of Oriental panegyric, that I could not read them without blushing. The present feems to come from the learned Arabian ; but as he has not inferted my name in his Life-V. I.

Q

verfes, and speaks of Oxford, he must have heard me mentioned by Mr. Montague, to whom therefore I am equally indebted for the present. If I knew Mr. Montague's direction, I would fend him a letter of thanks for his indulgence to me, and would also return my compliments in Arabic to his Afiatic friend, who seems to have fent the book. Before your return to England, I fhall probably be removed to the Temple, where I shall wait impatiently for the pleasure of seeing you.

I am, &c.

WILLIAM JONES.

Mr. WADDILOVE to Mr. JONES.

SIR,

St. Ildefonso, Aug. 1, 1774. Upon my arrival at Madrid, I delivered your prefent of your Afiatic Commentaries to my friend Dr. Fo Perez Bayer; he defires me to return you his compliments and thanks for your politeness to him, and begs your acceptance of a copy of the Infant Don Gabriel's Salluft, which he accordingly

fent to me the night before we left Madrid. As we shall not be there again till next Christmas, I fhall have no opportunity of forwarding it to you very foon; whenever any one offers, you may depend upon receiving it, but as this probably will not be before next spring, I hope you will not defer acknowledging the favour till then. If you should wish to fee the Salluft before you write again to Mr. Bayer, you will find a copy in the Mufeum. If you have had any time to examine the Differtation upon the Phoenician Language, &c., Dr. F. P. Bayer will be glad of any remarks upon it, as a new edition of it in Latin will foon be printed. He has a curious collection of Samaritan coins, and is now employed upon that fubject; and if he could be prevailed upon to publish more of his enquiries into the antiquities of this and other countries, the learned world would be much indebted to him. Cafiri is engaged at present in deciphering Moorish inscriptions, which have been found in different parts of Spain. Some are already engraved, but not

yet published. He reduces first the characters to the modern Arabic, and then gives a translation and comment in Latin. Your Salluft is unbound, and you have already the differtation to add to it.

I am, &c.

R. D. WADDILOVE.

* Mr. JONES to F. P. BAYER.

Oct. 4, 1774.

I can scarcely find words to ex

prefs my thanks for your obliging present of a most beautiful and fplendid copy of Salluft, with an elegant Spanish translation. You have beftowed upon me, a private untitled individual, an honour which heretofore has only been conferred upon great monarchs, and illuftrious univerfities. I really was at a lofs to decide, whether I fhould begin my letter by congratulating you on having fo excellent a translator, or by thanking you for this agreeable proof of your remembrance. I look forward to the increasing splendour, *Appendix, No. 27.