No. I.
23, DORSET STREET, PORTMAN SQUARE,
_Sept. 13, 1886_.
“SIR,
“I have the honour to solicit your assistance in the following
matter:—
“Our friend Dr. Steingass has kindly consented to collaborate with
me in retranslating from the Wortley Montague MS. of the Bodleian
Library, Oxford, the tales originally translated in vol. vi. of Dr.
Jonathan Scott’s ‘Arabian Nights,’ Dr. Steingass cannot leave town,
and I should find it very inconvenient, to live at Oxford during the
work, both of us having engagements in London. It would be a boon to
us if the Curators of the Bodleian would allow the MS. to be
transferred, volume by volume, to the India Office, and remain under
the custody of the Chief Librarian—yourself. The whole consists of
seven volumes, and we would begin with vols. iii. and iv. I may note
that the translated tales (as may be seen by Scott’s version)
contain nothing indelicate or immoral; in fact the whole MS. is
exceptionally pure. Moreover, the MS., as far as I can learn, is
never used at Oxford. I am the more anxious about this matter as the
November fogs will presently drive me from England, and I want to
end the extracts ere winter sets in, which can be done only by the
co-operation of Dr. Steingass.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Yours obediently,
(Signed) RICHARD F. BURTON.”
“Dr. R. ROST,
_Chief Librarian, India Office_.”
As nearly a month had elapsed without my receiving any reply, I directed
the following to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Rev. Dr.
Bellamy:—
No. II.
ATHENÆUM CLUB, PALL MALL,
_Oct. 13, 1886_.
“SIR,
“I have the honour to submit to you the following details:—
“On September 13, 1886, I wrote to Dr. Rost, Chief Librarian, India
Office, an official letter requesting him to apply to the Curators
of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, for the temporary transfer of an
Arabic Manuscript, No. 522 (the Wortley Montague text of the Arabian
Nights) to the library of the India Office, there to be kept under
special charge of the Chief Librarian. There being seven volumes, I
wanted only one or two at a time. I undertook not to keep them long,
and, further, I pledged myself not to translate tales that might be
deemed offensive to propriety.
“Thus, I did not apply for a personal loan of the MS. which, indeed,
I should refuse on account of the responsibility which it would
involve. I applied for the safe and temporary transfer of a work,
volume by volume, from one public library to another.
“My official letter was forwarded at once by Dr. Rost, but this was
the only expeditious step. On Saturday, September 25, the Curators
could form no quorum; the same thing took place on Saturday, October
9; and there is a prospect that the same will take place on
Saturday, October 23.
“I am acquainted with many of the public libraries of Europe, but I
know of none that would throw such obstacles in the way of students.
“The best authorities inform me that until June, 1886, the
signatures of two Curators enabled a student to borrow a book or a
manuscript; but that since June a meeting of three Curators has been
required; and that a lesser number does not form a quorum.
“May I be permitted to suggest that the statute upon the subject of
borrowing books and manuscripts urgently calls for revision?
“I have the honour to be, sir,
Yours obediently,
(Signed) RICHARD F. BURTON.”
“THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, OXFORD.”
The Curators presently met and the following was the highly
unsatisfactory result which speaks little for “Bodleian” kindness or
courtesy:—
No. III.
_Monday, Nov. 1, 1886._
“DEAR SIR RICHARD BURTON,
“The Curators considered your application on Saturday, Oct. 30,
afternoon, and the majority of them were unwilling to lend the
MS.[420]
Yours very truly,
(Signed) EDWARD B. NICHOLSON.”
Learning through a private source that my case had been made an
unpleasant exception to a long-standing rule of precedent, and
furthermore that it had been rendered peculiarly invidious by an act of
special favour,[421] I again addressed the Vice-Chancellor, as follows:—
No. IV.
23, DORSET STREET, PORTMAN SQUARE,
_November 3rd, 1886_.
“SIR,
“I have the honour to remind you that, on October 13, I communicated
with you officially requesting a temporary transfer of the Wortley
Montague manuscript (Arabian Nights) from the Bodleian Library to
the personal care of the Librarian, India Office.
“To this letter I received no reply. But on November 1, I was
informed by Mr. Librarian Nicholson that the Curators had considered
my application on Saturday, October 30, and that the majority of
them were unwilling to lend the manuscript.
“The same Curators at the same meeting allowed sundry manuscripts
for the use of an Indian subject to be sent to the India Office.
“I cannot but protest against this invidious proceeding, and I would
willingly learn what cause underlies it.
“1. It cannot be the importance of the manuscript, which is one of
the meanest known to me—written in a schoolmaster character, a most
erroneous, uncorrected text, and valuable only for a few new tales.
“2. It cannot be any consideration of public morals, for I undertook
(_if the loan were granted_) not to translate tales which might be
considered offensive to strict propriety.
“3. It cannot be its requirement for local use. The manuscript
stands on an upper shelf in the manuscript room, _and not one man in
the whole so-called ‘University’ can read it._
“I have the honour to be, sir,
Yours obediently,
RICHARD F. BURTON.”
“THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, OXFORD.”