MEMOIR OF FLEISCHER. 619 



his best powers to the common good. His help was given wherever it 

 was needed; he served as editor of the Journal, and again as chroni- 

 cler of the year's work ; he was called upon to pass judgment on 

 works that were to be published under the aus[)ices of the society, and 

 to correct them 5 and sometimes he had to act as mediator between 

 opposing parties that had sprung up within the society. The society 

 thus became dear to his heart, as does a child that has been raised with 

 care and trouble to man's estate. ISTothiug (unless it were a falsehood) 

 vexed him so much as an injury done the society, or failure to fulfdl 

 punctually the duties imposed by membership. While occupying the 

 position in the governing board of executive in matters relating to the 

 library, he took upon himself the unpleasant task of making a quar- 

 terly list of all books and pamphlets that had been sent to him, and in- 

 closing it in the chest of books forwarded to the librarian at Ilalle. 

 Later, when direct communications between the library and the corre- 

 spondents of the society were established, this work was no longer neces- 

 sary. Up to that time, while 1 was librarian of the society, many a list 

 of that kind passed from his hand into mine. I do not remember ever 

 to have found an error in a single one; but I know that I often wished 

 that he would not waste precious time on unimportant work, for which 

 he might have found dozens of willing hands near him. But he would 

 have eyed with suspicion the man who would suggest that he should 

 transfer to others what he considered his own duty. Undoubtedly he 

 was right, for the society would never have turned out to be such as it 

 is if he had not had so conscientious a conception of duty. He was re- 

 paid by the pleasure of seeing it grow and thrive ; soon it could fitly 

 range itself by the side of older associations abroad ; and among the 

 learned bodies of Germany it occupied a respected position. On one oc- 

 casion, to be sure, this position caused him much unpleasantness, namely 

 when the directors had to advise the Prussian Government as to the 

 purchase of the Moabite antiquities, which subsequently proved spuri- 

 ous. This is not the place and nowhere is it concern of mine to raise 

 anew the dust under which this unfortunate affair has finally been 

 buried. The i)roper conception of the province of a business committee 

 is expressed in a resolution, afterwards adopted by the general con- 

 vention of tlie German Oriental Society : "In consequence of the position 

 assigned by the constitution to the board of directors of the society, any 

 opinion published by them on scientific and more particularly on dis- 

 puted points, cannot be construed to express the opinion of the society."* 

 Fleischer may have ptu-mitted a fatal mistake to be made, but he after- 

 wards generously assumed more of the responsibility than was neces- 

 sary. 



Surely no one who once more passes in review his extensive and 

 varied work, even in the inconq)lete survey that I have just made, can 

 find reason to doubt the truth of what Fleischer further says in the 



* Zeitackrift der Deiitschen Morgenlandischen GeaeUschaft, vol. xx.\l, p. xv. 



