VICTORIAN

1828: 2pp., 4to. 'Dalmahoy nr Edinburgh | March 3d 1828'. Signed 'Morton'. In fair condition, lightly-aged and with a short closed tear along one fold.

1p., foolscap 8vo. On laid paper, with red embossed tax stamp in top left-hand corner. In fair condition, lightly-aged. The memorandum is seventeen lines long, and begins: 'Memorandum of an Agreement made this twenty second day of October One thousand eight hundred and seventy four. Between Mr J. Hain Friswell of Fair House, Bexley Heath, Kent, of the one part and Messrs. Henry S. King & Co. of 65 Cornhill London publishers of the other part. | The said Mr J. Hain Friswell has written a Work entitled "The better self" which he herby assigns to Messrs. Henry S.

1p., 4to. Thirteen lines of text, daintily printed in small type. On lightly-aged and creased paper, with a number of short closed tears. Dated in print at the foot 'Castletown, Isle of Man, | 1847.' Beneath this De Renzy has written, in manuscript, '1st January, | [signed] George Webb De Renzy, Major | and Barrack-Master'.

On one side of a piece of wove paper, 15.5 x 9.5 cm. In fair condition, on aged paper, with one creased corner and a small nick at the head. The drop-head title is in capitals, with the second line having only the opening quotation marks (before the initial word 'BEWARE'). The poem is 29 lines long, with three seven-line stanzas followed by an eight-line one. At the foot of the poem: 'Albury. Mary Frances Tupper.' The first stanza reads 'The stamp of Rome is on their heart, | Take care! take care! | They play the Jesuits' crafty part, | Beware! beware!

4pp., landscape 8vo. On four leaves pinned together. On aged and worn paper. With numerous deletions and emendations. COPAC only lists the first edition of this book, so it may be that the second edition was not published.

All four items in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. All written in Murray's distinctive wavy hand. Letter One: 15 December 1898. 3pp., 12mo. He begins by asking Mann to 'send the proceeds for the enclosed cheque into the proper hands to discharge my debt for the pencils'. He 'had to run down by night mail on Sunday night & back on Monday night, to attend the funeral of my dear old friend James Muir who died after a very short illness'. He expresses sympathy for 'Poor Brough'.

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium. On piece of watermarked laid paper. The first page reads: 'Not to call out to any of the servants but to go up to them when wanted or to ring the call bell. | Care about curtains & chairs - wear white cotton gloves to touch them with | Open shutters gently so as not to disturb the family. | Dont talk loud or laugh loud. - where there are many servants the noise is disagreeable & never allowed.' Towards the end: 'In setting your candle down see that there is nothing over it - such as a picture frame or ornament of any kind -'.

A rare collection of material, comprising the records of a Victorian parochial school, including registers, reports and government Education Department circulars on a range of subjects. Initial reports by H. M. Inspectors are addressed to Rev. R. H. Taylor, Kemble Vicarage, Cirencester, but by the end of the series the entire system has been reorganised, with the addressee now the Clerk to the School Board, Kemble. The manuscript index to the folder lists 128 numbered documents, but 29 are lacking, and an additional seven unnumbered items bring the actual number to 106.

9pp. [paginated ii+ 7], 8vo. Disbound. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with first leaf loose. Government stamp at head of first page: 'SUPPLIED FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE'. The first two pages (paginated i-ii) give an 'Arrangement of Sections'. An historic document, almost never found alone: no copies listed on COPAC.

4pp., folio. Bifolium. On worn and aged paper. Nicely printed, with royal crest at head of first page, above the words 'ANNO VICESIMO SECUNDO & VICESIMO TERTIO | VICTORIAE REGINAE.' The full title reads: 'An Act for the Reform and Regulation of Female Apparel and to Amend and Refrenate the Customs relating to Crinoline and other Artificial Superfluities and the Profusion thereof, with the Powers, Provisions, Clauses, Regulations and Directions, Fines, Forfeitures and Penalties to be observed, applied, practised and put in execution for securing the proper observance of the same.

16pp., 16mo. Unbound and stitched. On worn and aged paper, with loss to bottom outside corner of title leaf; spine strengthened with contemporary gummed paper. On reverse of title is a page of advertisements for 'Household Tracts for the People'.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with thin strip from mount adhering to blank reverse. Addressed to 'W. G. Herdman Esqr. | Liverpool'. If his brother's picture ('Mr J. E. Lauder') and his own 'are not by this time sent off'', he would like this done immediately, 'as they must be in Edinh. by the 1st of Feby.'

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with a couple of unobtrusive creases. 'We shall be very pleased to come to tea with you on Sunday - I hope you will not mind if we are a little late - I shall be so glad to see Mrs. Arkwright also. With kind regards and many thanks | Believe me | Yours very sincerely | [signed] Emma Albani Gye'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium on mourning paper watermarked 'JOYNSON | 1874'. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The letter, signed 'George Rose', covers both sides of the first leaf, with the following written lengthwise on the recto of the second leaf: 'Yrs very truly | [signed] Arthur Sketchley'. He informs Frith that the 'long impending blow has fallen' on him, and that his 'very dear brother died on Wednesday last & will be buried tomorrow'. He would 'willingly send on some autographs', but cannot lay his hand on any. 'I am sorry to be able only to send as pr opposite page', i.e.

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He regrets that 'too much time has elapsed' since her letter to 'our Mary': 'I wished to write sooner but I have missed doing so through great pressure of various urgent engagements'. He is enclosing (not present) 'an introduction to Prof. Carey Foster, which I hope may be useful unless you have already got the advice you wanted'. The recipient is probably a member of the family of Sir Otto Jaffe (1846-1929), Lord Mayor of Belfast.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium on mourning paper. In good condition, lightly-aged. Reads: 'Sir John Hobhouse presents his compliments and would be very much obliged to the Secretary of the British Institution to send him two tickets for the exhibition of this evening.'

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium on mourning paper. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He writes to thank Gardiner for sending him 'a copy of your printed but unpublished Report to His Majesty's Government on the danger of governing Gibraltar as a Colony'. Gardiner's report 'forms an appropriate termination' to his 'administration of the affairs of the "Rock," & I shall read it with the interest and attention due to your long Experience in that Fortress'. He ends by sending his compliments to Lady Gardiner.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. The letterhead has been cut away from the first leaf, taking with it the number of the month, but not affecting the text; otherwise fair, on lightly-aged paper. Marston invites Cole to 'a pleasant little meeting of some of our friends and contributors at the Office': 'We are altogether a Bachelor Party and as free from formality as a set of Australian Bush Men or Gold-diggers'. Saunders has also written 'begging the pleasure' of Cole's company. He ends by sending his regards to Cole's daughter, whom he hopes has 'recovered from her cough'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The manuscript of Doxey's article is 'safe to hand' and Jewitt is 'much pleased [both words underlined twice] with the plates & coins. It is very nice indeed.' The article is too late for the next number, 'the difficulty being the engravings'. 'If you dont mind I think I should like to give your article the "place of honour" - ie the opening article - in the following number'.

3pp., 12mo. 52 lines. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. He thanks him for sending for his 'inspection the old watch which is a nice specimen', but would have been of more interest had it been left in its original condition'. He describes the alterations, and his reasons for believing that they were 'done by a French man, & I should think prior to the time of your late Brother'. Morgan possesses a watch by Sayller, and he 'once saw an extremely curious & beautiful clock of his in a case of silver'.

4pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He considers the cut excellent, and is grateful to Brooks for having 'managed so well' with his article. 'Many such an article of mine has been sacrificed, though absolutely a pretty good one, and comparatively to that which stood in its place, superexcellent. But such is my luck. By the by, don't measure the quantity of all that I do by what appeareth.' He reports that 'Fred is much amused with the verses on the Queen's first baby. I said that there are two men here besides himself who understand a joke.

2pp., 12mo. 24 lines. On the rectos of two leaves of a bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with neat thin strips of paper from mount adhering at head and tail of second page. He begins by acknowledging the safe receipt of the paper knife, and thanking her 'for the kindness & promptness of carrying out my wish. I certainly thought the article could not be entirely strange that it could not be discovered in six weeks'.

1p., 12mo. Fair, on aged paper, with traces of glue from mount adhering to blank reverse. He acknowledges receipt of her letter 'enclosing me a report of the Ladies Negro Education Society', and is sending a 'small donation in aid of its funds'.

1p., 12mo. On bifolium. Good, on aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'T. C. Croker Esq'. Reads: 'Dear Croft | I return Hardiman with many thanks. | Yrs. &c. | [signed] W M'. The signature is underlined twice. The reference is to James Hardiman's 'Irish Minstrelsy', published in 1831.

99pp., 12mo. Eleven pages written in shorthand. In original brown calf binding, marbled endpapers. The front of the volume carries the inscribed on front free endpaper: 'Robert Johnson Junr. | February. 1846'. The text is in two parts, with 29pp. at the front of the volume (inc. 1p. in shorthand); and 70pp. (inc. 10pp. in shorthand) at the rear (with the volume turned upside down). Lightly-aged, and with a light bloom working out from gutter of central pages.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The poem is of eighteen lines, and begins: 'I agree, my dear friend that whatever we feel | We are really no more than the "flies on the wheel." | And that there's little more which each one of [us] does | Than fluster & flurry & worry & buzz | But each has his place if he only could know it | But I doubt very much if my place is a poet!

2pp., 12mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with minor water staining and a couple of spike holes. An intriguing communication, beginning: 'I would not, if I were you, allow myself to be so worried.' Smirke feels that, as 'Mess: Saunders & Co have not been backward in representing themselves as Principals in the matter', and as they 'are as largely as - or more largely, interested' than Lloyd himself 'in obtaining a payment, they had better themselves address Sir Robert'.

1p., 12mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with short closed tear to one edge and traces of mount on blank second leaf of bifolium. Signature slightly smudged. Brassey writes that he has been 'detained at the House of Lords, where I have been acting as chairman of a private committee', and as a result 'found it impossible to go down to the Albert Docks yesterday afternoon'. The letter almost certainly relates to the Albert Dock Seaman's Hospital, which was officially opened the following year, as a branch of the Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Watermarked 'JOYNSON | 1876'. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with minor staining from mount at foot of second leaf. Written in a hasty, untidy hand. The recipient appears to be 'My dear Hornby', 'Horley' or 'Howley'. Faed writes that he is 'slaving away chopping and changing sometimes worse and sometimes better (I hope) on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. 7th.

Eight items totalling 3pp., 4to; 19pp., 12mo. All are all addressed to 'Dear Sam'. All in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. 'I never had such weather or suffered so much as I have this voyage from one thing and another' declares the author, and this series of eight letters provides a vivid account by the captain of a Victorian cargo ship of a voyage packed with misfortune. As mishap is heaped upon mishap the author's spelling deteriorates. ONE. Neville Hotel, Newcastle. Undated [late 1864].