1876.] The Cradle of Civilisation. 443 
and philologists have indicated as probable. It is not in 
Egypt or among the “ blameless ” Ethiopians ; not in 
Assyria or Medea, India or China. We must not seek it 
in the ruins of Central America, or in that yet more myste- 
rious “City of the Morning Star” whose palaces and 
temples extend for many a league amidst the forests of 
Siam. It is in that Dutch province known as Friesland ! 
It appears that a certain C. over de Linden, Chief Super- 
intendent of the Royal Dutch Dockyard at the Helder, is 
in possession of a very ancient manuscript, which has been 
preserved in his family from time immemorial, its origin 
and contents being totally unknown, though a tradition had 
been handed down requesting its careful preservation. The 
manuscript is said to have been left to C. over de Linden 
by his grandfather, De Heer Andries over de Linden, who 
formerly lived at Enkhuizen, and died there, in the year 
1820, at the age of 61. As the present proprietor was then 
a child, the precious document was preserved by his aunt, 
Aafje Meylhoff, born Over de Linden, and living at 
Enkhuizen, who, in the year 1848, considered that he had 
reached a sufficiently discreet age to take the family treasure 
into his own custody. 
A rumour concerning the manuscript reached a certain 
Dr. E. Verwijs, who received permission to examine and 
copy it, and “ was of opinion that it might be of great im- 
portance, provided that it was not suppositious — a very 
judicious reservation. However, his copy soon after fell 
into the hands of a Dr. Ottema, a less critical or a more 
excitable inquirer, who very soon succeeded in convincing 
himself of the great age and of the authenticity of the 
document. His method of reasoning may be gathered from 
the following paragraph : — 
“ In old writings the ink is very black or brown ; but 
while there has been more writing since the thirteenth 
century, the colour of the ink is often grey or yellowish, and 
sometimes quite pale, showing that it contains iron. All 
this affords convincing proof that the manuscript before us 
belongs to the middle of the thirteenth century, written 
with clear black letters between fine lines carefully traced 
with lead. The colour of the ink shows decidedly that it 
does not contain iron. By these evidences the date given, 
1256, is satisfactorily proved, and it is impossible to assign 
any later date. Therefore all suspicion of modern deception 
vanishes.” 
Dr. Ottema would perhaps be surprised to learn that these 
evidences amount absolutely to nothing. He does not appear 
