VICTORIAN

12mo: 2 pp. On creased, discoloured paper, with small closed tear and traces of previous mount adhering to reverse. An amusing, playful letter in a smudged, expansive hand. Reads 'My dear Phil | The other Phil Phil May will Phil the page in Xmas No. This will fill up & give it a fillip. ergo no Caran d'Ache | With Phil we're full. | Ought to be a fine number. | Have asked Phil May to contribute previously - | Well Phil May - but will Phil? | perhaps a wilfil person'. Accompanied by long typed commentary, giving provenance 'From a group of letters to Phil Agnew.

On piece of creased and lightly spotted paper roughly 11 x 11 cm. Reads '<...> for half a Century. | Believe that I remain | Dear Barry | Your's faithfully | [signed] Joseph Kay | Charles Barry Esqr. Kt. | &c &c &c'.

Letter One (12mo: 4 pp, to 'My dear Mr Nichols', good, on discoloured paper): Explains that he has given 'a note of introduction to a most particular friend of mine Mr Lawrence of Ipplepen near Totnes and Launceston Cornwall'. Lawrence 'was a great friend of the late Mr Arundel of Landulph' and is 'a great friend of Mr Bray of Tavistock'. He is 'a man of ancient Cornish descent & from its first families'. Spence thinks Nichol will find Lawrence 'a valuable West Country Correspondent, well up in County history and nothing loth in the pursuit of antiquarian lore[.

On piece of grey paper 1.5 x 10 cms. Good. Reads '[in another hand] Yours faithfully, | [signed] P. Geddes'. Good firm signature, slightly overlapping lower loop of the central 'f' in 'faithfully'.

On piece of lightly discoloured paper roughly 4 x 10 cms, with horizontal fold on left. Reads '[typed] Yours sincerely, | [signed] Mary A. Ward.' Docketed in pencil at foot 'Mrs Humphry Ward 1914'.

12mo: 4 pp. On lightly creased paper, with spotting and some staining to the verso of the second leaf of the bifolium. Apologises at length for not being able to attend 'the next General Public Meeting [...] of the Committee for Sir E. W. Watkin's [Sir Edward William Watkin (1819-1901), railway entrepreneur] Election'. 'It is unnecessary for me to inform the Committee how anxious I am for the success of the Liberal cause on this as on all other occasions [...]'. He is at present 'quite unequal to any violent exertion or excitement & certainly could not make a speech to a large meeting.

On blue paper 10 x 18 cms. Good, with trace of previous white paper mount on reverse. Printed receipt, filled in in manuscript. Reads 'No. [32] 5, VIGO STREET, | W.1. | [June 2nd 1937] | Received a DONATION of [One Guinea] | from [The Misses Ruck] | for the ARTISTS' GENERAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. | £[1] : [1] | [-] | [next word deleted] Secretary | [next two lines cyclostyled in purple ink] most gratefully | Laura Knight'.

The letter, four newspaper cuttings and portrait are laid down on two quarto leaves, one of which also carries the manuscript biography. These leaves are discoloured and frayed at extremities, with several closed tears, and the cuttings are similarly damaged, but nowhere is there any loss to text. The portrait is very good, on slightly discoloured paper. The letter (12mo: 2 pp) is good, although discoloured and with small dog-ear to top right hand corner.

12mo: 3 pp. Very good. He hopes Cooke's son has 'conveyed to you our hope that you would be able to accompany him to Ashlyns [Longman's country house, Ashlyns Hall, Berkhampsted] next week'. 'The weather is now getting all right & I hope it will be quite summer weather when your son - & you? - come.' Doesn't suppose Cooke has 'had time to look out any drawings to experiment on'.

12mo: 2 pp. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Headed 'Private' and addressed to 'My dear Henry'. Describes Lennox (a close friend of Benjamin Disraeli) as 'a sanguine man'. 'If you thought as I do of the result of the "hundred days" between the present time and the trial of strength in Dec. you would hardly care to move.' He has 'heard nothing from Disraeli of his intentions about the Irish office', but if the opportunity arises he will do what he can to help Lennox. In 1866 Stanley had become Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in his father's third administration.

8vo: 4 pp. Good. Difficult handwriting. He wants him to keep the cheque, which he considers 'only a compromise between our different expectations'. 'I know that you deserve the larger sum that you spoke of - but it is a tight squeeze to make the & expenses for the year of the New Englander come out even, and I do the best I can.' With seven-line postscript.

12mo: 1 p. Good. Since he 'liked the last little thing' she sent for his magazine, she ventures to think that he may approve of the piece she encloses (not present).

8.5 x 11 cms. Grubby and lightly spotted. Reads 'My dear Mr Sonnenschein | Kindly send draft as I can collect here - | Merrily Yours | Marshall P. Wilder'. Presumably refers to the English printing of his 'The people I've smiled with: recollections of a merry little life' (1889).

4to: 1 p. With mourning border. Good, with slight wear to edges. 'Nearly every publisher in London has been at me with a proposal that I should write a book of reminiscences'. The answer to Watson's 'friend's friend' is that Pinero is 'not inclined for the task'. 'Perhaps at some future time I may feel differently disposed, but at present my mind is bent on other work.' Asks Watson to accept 'hearty thanks' for his 'kind interest'.

Octavo: 16 pp. Stitched and unbound. Grubby and a tad creased. Items, in alphabetical order from H (beginning with the Earl of Hardwick) to J (ending with Dorothy Jordan), with a few miscellaneous items on the last page, numbered 3002 to 3837. Interesting for the information it provides about minor English celebrities ('3651 JACKSON, Joseph, letter founder, nat. Old-street, 1733, res. Cock-lane and Dorset-street, London, ob.

Octavo: 18 pp. Unbound: stabbed and unstitched. First leaf and leaves with pp. 15/16 and 17/18 loose. Leaves with pp.3/4 and 15/16 half-separated. Paper discoloured and chipping at edges. Extends to 918 lots. The odd number of leaves implies the loss of a final leaf, possibly bearing text. Stamp of the Public Library Ford Collection. Docketing in pencil notes a duplicate at the New York Public Library. No other copy traced.

Quarto: 28 pp. Unbound and stapled. Good, but with wear and discoloration to last leaf, and rust stains from staples. Illustrated catalogue of one of the leading firms of the period. Divided into seven sections: 'Fine Editions, Illustrated and Special Publications', 'Novels, Works of Fiction, &c.', 'Poetry and Standard Classical Literature', 'Technical, Reference and Miscellaneous Books', 'Juvenile Literature, Gift Books, &c.', 'Books for Little Folks and Toy Books for the Nursery' and 'Eveleigh Nash Co.'s Novels, Bartholomew Maps, &c.

Octavo: 39 pp. Stitched. In original orange wraps, with grey printed paper boards. On spotted, aged paper, with insect holes to a couple of leaves. Wraps stained and worn. First English printing of an essay noted for its coupling with Henry James's piece of the same name (not present here) in an American edition of 1885.

12mo: 2 pp. Good, on lightly browned paper. Writes 'in good haste to save the post', asking for advice. 'Mr. J. Rowsell of the West Strand, Bookseller, has been here all the morning, at the request of Mr. Smith of North St.' Rowsell has 'gone through the books carefully', and offers £140 for them, not including Lady Juliana Berner's manuscript and Lord Wellesley's book. 'He says, I should not get so much if Sotheby & Wilkinson sold them.' Jesse has never heard of Rowsell, 'and his coming was quite a surprise'.

Printed on one side of a piece of paper 43 x 33 cms. Good, on lightly creased and spotted aged paper. A printed plan, with two diagrams, designed to show the members of the various livery companies where to sit at the banquet for Samuel Wilson, Lord Mayor of London. The name 'R. Taylor' (of the Ward of Farringdon Without) is filled in in manuscript: 'The Situation for Mr. [R. Taylor] is marked in Red; And for his Lady ........Blue.'

Both very good. Letter (one page, 12mo): He has written to Kegan Paul reporting his correspondent's offer of five guineas for the use of 'the Marlowe article'. 'Many thanks for so kindly undertaking to correct the errors I pointed out in the Robert Bridges volume of Miles' Poets &c.' Card (two pages, 12mo): The answer from Kegan Paul 'is a courteous negative - So that closes the matter'. Dowden recommends J.

American physician and explorer of Africa (1866-1939). The recipient was Assistant Secretary at the Natural History Museum, London. One page, 12mo. Good, on slightly discoloured paper, and with remains of stub still neatly attached to one edge. A significant letter, sent on the eve of Donaldson Smith's most notable expedition. 'Just a line in haste to tell you I & Dodson [a taxidermist engaged for the expedition] are ready to start for Rudolph Gillitt [another taxidermist] having left for England after hearing of his father's death.

English writer and critic (1829-1919), brother of the painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the poet Christina Rossetti. The letter is docketed as to '(Besant)', presumably the writer Walter Besant (1836-1901). Four pages, 12mo. On a piece of grubby, discoloured paper, torn in half and neatly repaired with archival tape. Traces of glue from previous mounting on verso of second leaf of bifoliate. Docketed as 'About Keepsake MS'. He returns the book with thanks.

Two pages, octavo. Good, apart from damage and loss to one edge caused by removal from mount. Would appear to relate to the controversy between the surgeon Sir Henry Thompson (1820-1904) and John Tyndall (1820-1893), held in the pages of Strahan's 'Contemporary Review'. Reads 'I herewith send you the proof of your reply to Sir Henry Thompson | Please revise and return it tomorrow.

Quaker author, editor and member of the London banking family (fl.1847), several of whose manuscripts are now in the Society of Friends' Library. Eight pages, quarto. Good, on lightly creased and discoloured paper. A long 'improving' letter. Begins by discussing his return from Polam in Bedfordshire, and a railway journey taking in York.

See 'The club of 'Nobody's Friends' 1800-2000: a memoir on its two-hundredth anniversary' by Geoffrey Rowell (2000). Four-page bifolium. Good, on grubby, discoloured paper, with some creasing and wear at foot. Gives details of the election between 1820 and 1877 of fifty-nine Actual Members, and of eighteen Honorary Members. Includes the Rev. Charles Burney, the artist George Richmond and the publisher John Murray.

English poet, essayist and civil servant (1800-86), author of 'Philip van Artevelde' (1834). Four pages, 12mo. Very good, on somewhat grubby paper. He is glad that his correspondent's aunt 'is getting so well thro' the seventies of this winter & the changes, which are perhaps more trying than a constancy of coldness. Indeed what were in my time the established notions about the evil effects of cold weather seem to be subverted, & not without reason.

Scottish geologist (1805-98), Fellow of the Royal Society. Written in capacity as Secretary of the Geological Society. Four pages, 12mo. On grubby, stained paper discoloured with age. Second leaf of bifoliate attached to two fragments of draft replies in similar condition. 'Your very elaborate Paper on the L[ower]. Greensand Corals came before the Council yesterday for consideration: and the unanimous wish was to print it in the Journal with the fullest illustrations.

English philosopher (1820-71). 24 pages, 12mo. Very good, neatly bound in brown cloth binding. Bound in are the original grey printed wraps, affected with foxing, and with very slight damage from glue to front wrap. The rear wrap carries an advertisement of 'BOOKS LATELY PUBLISHED | BY J. VINCENT OXFORD.', including 'NINEVEH: the Best Newdigate for Years; therefore not recited in the Theatre, Oxford, July 3, 1851. 12mo. 1s.' A brilliant satire on academic reformers and German philosphers. Copac only lists copies of the third, fourth and fifth editions.

12mo: 24 pp. Leaf dimensions: 15.5 x 9.5 cms. Unbound. Good, on aged paper with fraying to extremities and a little light staining to title. Decorative title-page with vignette. On verso of title: list of twenty-three 'Penny Histories' ('Crown 12mo. Three or upwards sent post free to any address, on receipt of stamps to the amount') and nineteen 'Penny Song Books'. Heavily worn type and loss to text at foot of three pages due to faulty imposition. According to BBTI Robert Benson Bowman was active in Newcastle from before 1826 to after 1859.