HISTORY

8pp., 8vo, not bound, fold mark, minor foxing and marks, mainly good condition. Scott, p.[1], initially discusses autograph-collecting - why it is becoming more popular, sense of the past, historical value, and so on. He concludes with a caveat about the need for a professional to guide collectors through forgeries and copies. His seven-page catalogue of autographs for sale includes William Bligh (12s), Christina Queen of Sweden (£2 2s), Ferdinand and Isabella (£9 9s), Benjamin Franklin (£6), S. Pepys (15s), Alexander Pope (£25), "Shelley (Mrs. M.W.) Wife of the Poet" (7-12s).

One page, small octavo. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper, with a little rust spotting from paperclips. From the collection of the autograph hunter Rev. E. J. F. Davies. 'I have great pleasure in doing as you ask.'

One page, 12mo. Good but with paperclip spotting at head (not affecting text). Three-line quotation clearly sent in response to a request for an autograph. 'Broadmindedness, so called, is generally no more than the silly fear of being thought narrow-minded - | [signed] Charles Oman'.

One page, octavo. Good, on aged paper with some loss to extremities repaired with archival tape. Fifteen lines of text clear and complete. On learning of Dawson Turner's celebrated collection of autographs from her son, Elizabeth Palgrave's 'kind old neighbour' Lady Bentham asked her 'some questions which led to the enclosed note & the letters I send' (none present).

One page, 12mo. Very good, on lightly aged and spotted paper. 'Dear Miss Thomas | The autograph-hunter has the advantage. It is not civil to ignore her, and she cannot be refused without getting what she wants'.

One page, octavo. Good, though a little smoked at head and foot. 'Here, after a delay I am ashamed of, are the autographs: I shall indeed be glad if they give any pleasure to the recipient. | I trust that you and the Vicar were not overtired on the day of the Confirmation: and that you know what a happiness both the Service and the welcome were to me.' Sends 'Mr. Green's kindest remembrances'.

12mo, 3 pp, 35 lines. Good, on lightly aged paper, and with a thin strip from mount adhering at head of blank verso of second leaf of bifolium. Discusses 'the restriction on the importation of paper and paper making materials', imposed 'with the object of securing more tonnage space in incoming vessels'.

Two pages, 12mo. Very good, on lightly creased paper. He is sending five autographs to add to her collection and is 'sorry not to have those of distinguished men of later dates but I am quite out of the service now'. Wonders if she knows his 'very dear friend General Nicholson who is living now at St. Andrews. He and his wife are among our dearest friends.' He 'saw the Godfreys last week - both well.'

All items good. Two bearing the Society's stamp. Item One (typed note, 15 October 1931, 4to, 1 p): He is sending 'short summaries of the two lectures, in a form which I prefer to mere headings'. Item Two (autograph letter, 17 January 1932, 8vo, 1 p): He is sending 'summaries of the two lectures'. 'As you seemed in a hurry I have not waited to have them typed. I think that they are legible, but I will look at a proof if you like.' He has left it to Menzies 'to add any preliminaries or conclusions that may be necessary'.

12mo: 2 pp. Thick mourning border. Good. The recipient has provided a partial interlinear transcription of what the New DNB describes as 'Stanley's execrable handwriting'. Stanley is 'much obliged for having [his] attention called to anything in the Abbey Services which requires rectification', and will 'make inquiry into the cause of [his correspondent's] complaint'. The 'inattention [...] will be remedied, so far as the nature of the case admits'.

On one side of an irregular piece of paper, dimensions 13.5 x 18 cm. Ruckled, and with traces of glue from mounting on reverse. Signature clear and complete, but with minor damage to signature caused by removal from mount. Reads 'I request that you will be pleased to order that all Letters for me may be sent here.' Docketed on reverse (with slight cropping along right-hand edge), '21 Augt. 1836. Feversham Rt Hon S. Lushington M.P.', beneath which, 'Mr Johnson | to be attended t specially | 22 Augt.', and 'ansd 22nd Augt | DWP316 | Attended to | [signed] <?> Laurence | 23 Augt 1836.'

The front of a wove-paper envelope, 8 x 12.5 cm. Good. Reads 'London December | Ninth 1833 | Honble. Cecil Lawless | The Wick | Brighton | [signed in bottom left-hand corner] William P. Lennox'. The postmark, in red ink in the top right-hand corner, is circular, topped with a crown, and reads '9 DE 9 | 1833'.

On piece of laid paper, dimensions 6 x 11 cm. Good. Clearly complying with a request for an autograph. Reads 'With much pleasure | [signed] Napier of Magdala | March 1884'.

12mo: 1 p. On first leaf of a bifolium. Very good. Clearly responding to a request for an autograph. Reads 'faithfully yours | [signed] James Glaisher'.

12mo: 1 p. Very good. Reads '8 April 1867 | Sir | I am happy to oblige you in signing myself | Yours &c | [signed] Charles Francis Adams'. Adams was Abraham Lincoln's Minister to the Court of St James's [i.e. English ambassador] from 1861 to 1868.

Small 8vo: [ii] + viii + 240 + i. Many illustrations in text. In original cream boards, cream endpapers, with leather label. Binder's ticket of 'F. Westley, | BINDER, | Friar Street, | - NEAR - | Doctors Commons'. All edges gilt. Tight, with spotting to endpapers, prelims and last few leaves. Binding heavily discoloured and worn, with remains of spine laid down. Last leaf carries an advertisement for the 'Christmas Box' of 1828 by 'John Ebers and Co. 27, Old Bond Street'. Contributors include 'Miss Edgeworth' ('Garry Owen; or, the Snow-Woman'), 'Mrs.

12mo: 1 p. Good, with four fold lines. Helps held the post of Clerk of the Privy Council from 1860 until his death. In large letters beneath the oval blue Privy Council crest reads 'Life of | Las Casas | 2 copies for | [signature] A Helps'. The handwriting is bold and the signature is underlined with a flourish.

For Osler (1849-1919) see the Dictionary of National Biography. 4to. Pages: xv + 243. 107 figures in text. Good, tight copy, with minor spotting. In worn and stained green cloth binding, with lettering entirely faded from spine. Attractive bookplate of Irving S. Cutter, medical author, and a signed inscription from him presenting the book to F. Wood Jones. From the library of the librarian of the Medical Society of London, Nehemiah Asherson.

FIRST U.K. EDITION, pp.[viii].435,plates, very good in original white cloth, sl. soiled, INSCRIBED by historian of science, Douglas McKie (see Dictionary of National Biography).

8vo: 1 p. On grubby, creased, discoloured paper, with chipping and slight loss to extremities. In French. As a result of the bad state of his health he is forced to live far from Paris and will not be able to accept the invitiation of the British Medical Assocation. The writer will soon receive the replies of those of Lorain's colleagues who have also been invited.

On piece of paper roughly 11 x 10 cm, ruckled and with stains from previous mounting on recto. Seven lines (cropped at right) on recto, and eight lines and signature on reverse. In French. He would have liked to have put 'un peu plus d'exactitude' in the matter he promised to send her, but 'l'xpedition du courrier d'Amerique' prevented it. For his part, he considers himself very happy to be able to please her.

12mo: 1 p. Good, with pin holes to top left-hand corner (not affecting text). He might be able to give her his 'lecture on Hypnotism' in May, but 'cannot tell unless I know the approximate date as I am rather a busy person with my official duties here.' Asks her to let him 'know about it'.

On piece of card roughly 3.5 x 7 cm. Good, though slightly discoloured. Reads '[signed] Admiral | Lord Ams. Beauclerk', beneath which, in a contemporary hand, 'Port Admiral | of Plymouth'.

On irregular piece of paper roughly 4.5 x 4.5 cm. Good, on lightly discoloured paper. With part of signature '[S]mith' below. Docketed on reverse 'Sir Wm. Trumbull Statesman Wm 3d'.

Dimensions of paper roughly 4 x 6.5 cm. Good, although with slight wear at left and small part of loop at beginning of signature crossing over a printed vertical line. Docketed in pencil 'Lord Treasurer'.

12mo: 2 pp. Very good. Addressed to 'Mr. W. Phillips' on otherwise-blank second leaf of bifolium, which carries traces of previous mount. Acknowledges 'the obliging present' of Phillips's 'valuable work on mineralogy' (the influential 'Outline of the Geology of England and Wales', 1822, written with William Conybeare).

12mo: 3 pp. Good, but with the leaves of the bifolium separated, and reattached with three tissue mounts. 'It is impossible to trace the obstructiveness of the Postal department to any particular officials; they stand shoulder to shoulder, defiant and impenetrable, like a square of infantry'. Nevertheless Heaton has 'succeeded in getting some reforms of importance inserted in the Post Office Acts Amendment Bill'. Mentions 'permission to send circulars in unclosed envelopes' and briefly discusses the postage of newspapers to the Colonies.

Two pages, 8vo, some staining but text clear and complete. He thanks Munnings for his good wishes. "Yes, I am better, and well in the collar again. Astonishing how the work piles up if one is off for a week or two! | When we moved to Anglesey it was partly because of health reasons, I being one of those short-necked, rather bronchail individuals . . . My bout of pneumonia was the direct result of bird drawing near Tring in semi-arctic conditions. It is obvious I am not as tough as I used to be. | What an attractive place your estuary seems to be!

On piece of paper roughly 11 x 11 cm. Good, on lightly discoloured paper, with traces of tissue mounts adhering to blank reverse. With five lines of text: '<...> Thank you sincerely for your letters & the enclosure. I quite feel that you cannot be in sympathy with certain proceedings. | Yours faithfully | [signed] Herbert Card Vaughan'.

One page, 8vo, page one of bifolium, good condition, marked "answered". "My dear Mr Grönwold I took the clutch of Savi's Warbler's eggs - one of which you sketched - at the Veleneze Lake, Hungary on May 29 1899 " amd the Willow Warbler's here at Worplesdon, Surrey on May 20th 1902 " Hoping that this information is what you require. . . .. | F.C. Selous".