Yours faithfully,
(Signed) J. Bellamy.”

“Sir R. F. Burton.”

To resume this part of the subject.

The following dates show that I was kept waiting six weeks before being finally favoured with the curtest of refusals: 

Application made on September 13th, and sent on.

On Saturday, September 25th, Curators could not form quorum, and deferred next meeting till Saturday, October 9th.

Saturday, October 9th.  Again no quorum; and yet it might easily have been formed, as three Curators were on or close to the spot.

Saturday, October 23rd.  Six Curators met and did nothing.

Saturday, October 30th.  Curators met and refused me the loan of Ms.

My letter addressed to the Vice-Chancellor was read, and notice was given for Saturday (December 3rd, 1886) of a motion, “That the Ms. required by Sir R. F. Burton be lent to him”—­and I was not to be informed of the matter unless the move were successful.  Of course it failed.  One of the Curators (who are the delegates and servants of Convocation) was mortally offended by my letter to “The Academy,” and showed the normal smallness of the official mind by opposing me simply because I told the truth concerning the laches of his “learned body.”

Meanwhile I had addressed the following note to the Most Honourable the Chancellor of the University.[FN#422]

23, Dorset street, Portman square, November 30th, 1886.

“My lord,

“I deeply regret that the peculiar proceedings of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, necessitate a reference to a higher authority with the view of eliciting some explanation.

“The correspondence which has passed between the Curators of the Bodleian Library and myself will be found in the accompanying printed paper.

“Here it may be noticed that the Committee of the Orientalist Congress, Vienna, is preparing to memorialise H.M.’s Secretary of State, praying that Parliament will empower the British Museum to lend out Oriental MSS. under proper guarantees.  The same measure had been proposed at the Leyden Congress of 1883; and thus an extension, rather than a contraction of the loan-system has found favour with European savants.[FN#423]

“I believe, my Lord, that a new statute upon the subject of the Bodleian loans of books and MSS. is confessedly required, and that it awaits only the initiative of the Chancellor of the University, without whose approval it cannot be passed.

I have, &c.,
(Signed) Richard F. Burton.”

“The right honourable the Chancellor.”

My object being only publicity I was not disappointed by the following reply:—­

Hatfield house, Hatfield, HERTS,
December 1st, 1886.

“Dear sir Richard,