Simonides and the dedication to the emperor Nicholas

[Steven Avery]

Literary Forgeries (1907)
Greek Forgery: Constantine Simonides
James Anson Farrer
https://books.google.com/books?id=Ei1KDcglxf8C&pg=PA59

Simonides... the most amazing was his claim to have written when at Mount Athos in 1840 the Sinaitic Codex (Codex A), which Tischendorf discovered at Mount Sinai under highly singular circumstances between the years 1844 and 1859. The claim of Simonides to have transcribed this Codex, at the suggestion of his alleged uncle Benedict, as an intended present for the Czar Nicholas I., was first publicly made in the Guardian of 5th September, 1862, and in the Literary Churchman on 16th December of the same year.

 

[Steven Avery]

British Quarterly Review (1863)
The Sinaitic Codex
https://books.google.com/books?id=TMNjkkJZw8UC&pg=PA354

... the MS. had been forwarded to Sinai. In 1852 he saw it there himself, and found that the librarian knew nothing whatever of the origin of the MS., and he for his part said nothing. He examined the MS., however, and found it altered, having an older appearance than it ought to have. The dedication to the Emperor Nicholas, placed at the beginning of the book, had been removed.

https://books.google.com/books?id=TMNjkkJZw8UC&pg=PA362
This epistle speaks about ‘ the deacon Hilarion, and thy friends Nicander and Niphon, who lent thee the Books of Esdras at the time when thou wast preparing in Athos, at the exhortation of my uncle, the present (of the Holy Scriptures) to the glorious Emperor Nicholas.'

 

[Steven Avery]

Journal of Sacred Literature (1863)
Miscellanies
The Codex Sinaiticus and its Antiquity
https://books.google.com/books?id=vvgDAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA228
p. 228-229

“ The discovery of the above-mentioned library induced my uncle to establish a printing-press at Athos for the dissemination of the various unpublished MSS. and those which be was preparing for publication....

... Benedict, as well as the principals of the monastery, wishing to recognize with gratitude the munificence of the Emperor Nicholas on the one hand, and desiring on the other to acquire a printing-press without expense, and being unable otherwise to effect these purposes, decided that a transcript of the sacred Scriptures should be made in the ancient style, and presented as a gift to the Emperor Nicholos, and he found that all the heads of the monastery perfectly agreed with him.

And although I had a peculiar inclination for it, as well as for all the fine arts, I never became a professional caligraphist, because I had always more important and independent occupations in hand. But I was compelled to understand this work—first, to gratify my uncle ; secondly, as no one was there at hand at Athos to execute it; and thirdly, which was the most important to me, in the hope of obtaining the present of a printing-press. To these motives may be added my youthful ambition to become first of all at Mount Athos in the profession of caligraphy, which actually came to pass.