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a few of the treasures, while in fact, their actual motive is to thoroughly advertise the collection, in advance of some great public sale hereafter in Paris or London. It is very amusing nevertheless, and in a way instructive. Old Ali Arabi of manuscript fame, confessed yesterday in true Pagan style to having lied religiously to Prof. Dennison when he (the Prof.) went to see him last April in my behalf. After this interesting yarn he descended in to his "holy of holies" and produced two large tin boxes filled with manuscripts which he said he had kept laid away for me for many months and which he would not show Dennison nor any of the other great biblical scholars and archaelogists who visited Ali during the Annual meeting held here last Spring. Ali's devotion to my interests in the face of such a great body of anxious buyers of International reputation, naturally excites my suspicions. And I shall move with as much discretion as I can command. The M.S.S. are attractive in appearance, but they are not, I am sure, equal in quality to those first secured by me. I can't read a word of the thousands contained in the lot, and know absolutely nothing about the subject, but these do not make my back crawl like the others did, and unless they produce the creeps along my spine when next seen, good or bad, they will be lost to my collection.

Ali is heartbroken at my indifference!