A bright sunny day, and I thought that I would have a day away from the computer. So I went to Cambridge. I had some vague thoughts of supplementing my photocopies from Karst’s translation of the Chronicle of Eusebius, but the relevant volume was out. So I thought that I would try to locate Aucher’s 1818 Armenian edition.
To my surprise, this was not in the rare books section of the university library, but in the classics faculty library. Over the road I went, and found a faculty library with books for students. Piled behind the desk were a few rare volumes under tins of biscuits! The one that I wanted was in two large-quarto volumes in a glass-fronted cabinet, with broken spines. I looked through them, and decided that if possible I wanted photocopies or whatever, so I have placed an order for the lot if possible and for vol.1 anyway. I expect the price to be pretty aggressive!
I also discovered that Paschal Aucher also published a dictionary and a grammar of Armenian in English with the aid of a certain Mr. Brand, as well as French versions. What a man! But he was lamentably slow to publish Eusebius, I gather.
Then I went and wandered in the streets of Cambridge, enjoying the summery weather and eating an ice-cream! We’re all entitled to a holiday, even from holidays.