MANUSCRIPT

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with the second leaf neatly placed in a windowpane mount. The letter begins: 'I am delighted to see your handwriting again - It will give me the greatest pleasure to avail myself of Mrs Hargreaves kind invitation.' She explains why the following Wednesday will suit her best, and proposes to 'drive over arriving at Silwood about one o'Clock and if it is quite convenient for Mrs. Hargreaves to send me back in the afternoon, that will be very kind of her'.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, lightly-aged, with small pin-hole at top left and Gray's signature underlined in red pencil. He would have 'loved' to chair 'Dr. Cole's "Cantor" Lecture on 22 May, but has to 'attend at [sic] series of meetings in Ireland during the whole of that week'. He has written to Cole on the matter.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with the top corners snipped away. Document in a secretarial hand, signed by Champagny, with 'Paris' and 'Le Ministre de l'Intérieur,' printed at the head. Addressed 'à Madame Veuve Delacroix, Monsieur & Madame Verninac' (Delacroix's daughter Henriette married the diplomat Raymond de Verninac Saint-Maur (1762-1822)). Nine-line formal letter of condolence on Delacroix's death, with reference to 'S. M. L'Empereur'. Champagny was elected a member of the Society of the Cincinnati for his exertions in the American War of Independence.

The three documents all in good condition, on lightly aged paper. ONE: Secretarial Letter to 'Monsieur le Rédacteur' (of the 'Journal de l'Empire'), Paris, 16 December 1852. 1p., 12mo. Requesting the rectification of the mistake of giving the name of 'Général Petit' instead of his own in the list of 'les Généraux qui ont assisté hier à la cérémonie Funèbre des invalides'. TWO: Secretarial Letter to 'Monsieur le Directeur et cher Collègue'. Paris, 26 July 1858. 1p., 4to. A letter of recommendation for 'Alfred Fassier, élève de la classe de M.

The image is 8.7 x 6.2 cm, on part of printed London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company mount. In good condition, lightly-aged. The lower part of the mount has been cut away, and laid down over the lower part of the photograph is a 1 x 6.5 cm strip of paper, carrying Cruikshank's autograph signature ('Geoe Cruikshank'). The National Portrait Gallery copy of this image is NPG Ax17862.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with strip of sunning at foot. Docketed with stamp of the Royal Society of Arts. Having 'had time to consider the question of a lecture on Heraldry' he has decided to decline Menzies's invitation, as he 'simply cannot spare the time such a lecture would require for its preparation'.

Both letters are on bifoliums, and both on aged paper, with damp and rust staining. ONE: 7 October 1887. 2pp., 12mo. Blackwoods the publishers have forwarded to him Langbridge's 'letter asking for permission to quote three passages from George Eliot's works in a book of "Readings" which you are preparing', and he has 'great pleasure in according you the desired permission'. TWO: 12 March 1888. 3pp., 12mo. With mourning border. He is 'very glad' to have Langbridge's 'full and thoroughly satisfactory explanation'.

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly-aged. Twelve lines of text in a close hand. The document has been signed and docketed: 'Douzieme et derniere Inventoire cette soixante seize', with the underlining of passages in which Duras undertakes to pay the sum as soon as possible, and with exactitude.

113pp. in a 12mo notebook. Quarter binding with black leather spine and soft covers in marbled paper, interleaved with pink blotting paper on which occasional notes have been made. Printed on front pastedown: 'Sold by John Thomson, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh.' In fair condition, on aged paper, in worn binding. There is a section of 53pp. of itemized expenses at the front of the volume, and another of 47pp. of individual accounts at the back, with groups of six and three pages among the otherwise-blank leaves in the centre.

On 5.5 x 11.5 cm piece of paper, cut from the end of a letter. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, laid down on part of leaf from album. Reads: 'Yours faithfully | Isa Craig | R. A. Arnold Esq'.

Folio, 30 pp. In brown leather half-binding, with marbled boards. One simple pen illustration, p. 18, showing arrangement of 'Muraille' and 'Pont'. Good, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding. Neatly set out, in a secretarial hand, with a synopsis beside each paragraph in red ink in the widened left-hand margins. As a loosely-inserted printed slip explains in English, the manuscript sets out 'instructions by a French Official Commission for the preparation and arming of a fleet of steam ships to be equipped to carry marines to form an expeditionary force to the coast of Africa.

Five lines, 4to, some foxing not affecting clarity of text, as follows: "Jerome addresse cette despesche pour Mr des [?] fougeraire[?] que je vous prie de luy faire tenir en tout diligence Louis de Bourbon"

Folio, 110 pp, comprising [i] + 68 + [ii] + 39 pp. Handsome volume in slipcase, tight and internally in very good condition, on lightly-aged thick Whatman paper. Well bound in black leather morocco, all edges gilt. Binding blind-tooled and with 'Early Days' and 'W. V. S.' in gilt on spine and motto on front board: 'Nourish the sentiments thy principles approve and put thy trust and confidence in God.' Binding worn and rebacked, in worn black cloth slipcase.

4to, 71 pp, with one 12mo page at end. In poor condition, damp damaged and detached from green cloth covers, but with texts legible and complete. Manuscript table of contents on recto of first leaf describes nine tales in German, told by Ascher Horowitz and T.

All items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letters total 49pp, 16mo and 8vo.. All are complete except the last, which lacks the last part. They are liberally adorned with sketches. Mostly addressed to 'My dear Aunty' and signed in a variety of ways, from 'J. Bowyer B. Nichols' to 'BBN'. The first letter, dated 4 December 1871, sets the tone, showing Bowyer Nichols to be a precocious and spirited twelve-year-old. It begins: 'Will you send me, if you can find it, that poem about Sally Porter and Charlie Church?

4to bifolium (on two 19.5 x 22.5 cm leaves). The 'Ground plan' is neatly drawn on the reverse of the first leaf, and the two-page key is on both sides of the second leaf, lettered A to Z, and headed 'A. B. C. D. E. F. G. The Church & parts thereto belonging'. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Entries among the keys include 'I. Places groined over with stone one of which is supposed to have been the infirmary', 'K. Arches under which the River Skell runs' and 'S. Cloisters groined with stone the pillars whereof were painted - Over these was the Dormitory.

The last eight leaves only of a printed catalogue (no. 260 in M. V. de Chantilly's 'Robert Harding Evans of Pall Mall | auction catalogues 1812-1846 | a provisional list' (2002)). Stitched and unbound. On aged and worn paper, with slight damp staining to margins. Paginated 23-37 + [1], with the final page (i.e. the verso of the last leaf) carrying the advertisement: 'Preparing for Sale by MR. EVANS. | THE VALUABLE LIBRARY of an | EMINENT COLLECTOR.' (in manuscript: 'Mr Rennie'). Slug at foot of p.37: 'London: Printed by W. Nicol, | Cleveland-row, St.

On one side of 11 x 15 cm slip of paper. On aged paper, heavily worn at head and at one edge, with some loss of text. The damage has been skilfully repaired. Reads: 'Jan. 17. 1744/5 eived then of <...>ackin Nilliam <...>ynn Bannet the following MS viz. Dares Phrygius & Tyssillons History of the Britions in Welsh, Chronica Britonum in Welsh, & the chartulary of the Abbey de Bello in Latin | which I promise to restore on demand. Witness my hand | Tho: Carte'.

16pp., 12mo. Stitched into cream wraps with title printed in red on cover. In good condition, with slight wear to overlapping edges of wraps. Inscription in pencil at head of first page: 'ABR from Bob, 1972 | - see colophon' ('ABR' is the London antiquarian bookseller Anthony Bertram Rota). The 'Acknowledgments' (rather than a colophon) on the last page begin: 'Saul and Lillian Marks wish to thank Mr. Robert Elwell for inviting the Plantin Press to show its work at the Grolier Club, [...]'.

156pp., 12mo. In fine binding of black morocco, tooled in gilt on the boards and spine, one of the five compartments of which contains the word 'CYPHERS', with the date '1854' at the foot of the spine. With all edges gilt and dentelles, and a metal cast of the monogram 'EP' placed at centre of the front board. Hand-drawn and coloured Paget family bookplate on front pastedown. In fair condition, aged and worn, in worn binding.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper with some wear at bottom edge. Addressed 'Monsieur'. After a reference to a newspaper article by the recipient and 'les journalistes Français', he communicates, on the subject of cremation, 'un fait que j'ai appris hier du rédacteur en chef d'un grand journal Suisse et qui n'a pas été rendu public par les gazettes', concerning an attack on those attempting a cremation in Berne.

xi + 213pp., 8vo. In good condition, in like dustwrapper on which Korn is depicted, in characteristic lurid t-shirt, leaning against a shelf of books. Autograph inscription by Korn in blue ink on reverse of half-title: 'A. R. | d. d. | E. K. | "more stimulating than Highlife" - West Drayton Observer.' Beneath this, in pencil in another hand: '1 . xi. 89 | @ 31,000 feet.' For more on this remarkable man, see the obituary by his son Andrew Korn and memoir by Michael Frayn in the Independent, 19 December 2014.

NOTE: Autograph Note Signed. 1p., 12mo. Lightly stamped with date of receipt, 28 August 1969. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Reads: 'Dear Mr Rota, | I hope & believe this is one you havent got - it needs a touch of ink eraser - | Gratefully, yrs | Cyril Connolly'. At foot of page, in Rota's autograph: 'About exchanging issues of Personal Landscape [i.e. Lawrence Durrell's magazine]'. BOOK: xv + 414pp., 8vo. In good condition in like dustwrapper. Connolly has scored through his name on the title page and written beneath it in blue ink 'Cyril Connolly.'

On one side of 6 x 10 cm piece cut from the end of a letter. In fair condition, aged, ruckled and a little faded. Reads: '<...> kindly pass | Very soon | If convenient | & oblige - | E. A. Sothern | Haymarket Theatre.'

On one side of a 7 x 9 cm piece of laid paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn; apparently cut down. Reads: 'Adelphi | Admit 2 boxes | Wed. Dec 23 | Ch. Fechter'. Good bold signature.

LETTER: 2pp., 12mo. On lightly aged and worn paper. He summons him to a meeting, telling him to read a memo beforehand, before writing: 'I am not disposed to waive any Crown rights for money advanced | Lenders may have notice, but if P. W L C advance public money, the public must be protected against persons who are trading for profit'. CARTE DE VISITE: In fair condition, lightly aged, with 'W. H. SMITH, ESQ., M.P.' printed beneath the image, and the details of the London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company on the reverse.

1p. 12mo. On grubby and creased paper, with rust mark from paperclip. Reads: 'My dear Alfred Montgomery | Thank's [sic] for yours received this morning. I have a vacant place at my dinner table for Monday next New Years day, so I hope to see you here at 8 o'clock and personally to wish you every sort of blessing for the coming Year. I remain | Yours most sincerely, | George.'

The item provides an interesting insight into the editing process of the Thinker's Library, 140 volumes of which Watts & Co. published for the Rationalist Association between 1929 and 1951. The book is xiii + 240pp., 8vo, in red cloth binding, gilt. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight wear to one corner. A couple of leaves have been neatly torn out, evidently in the process of revision. Stamp of the Rationalist Press Association Ltd on reverse of title.

Robert Harding Evans has been described as 'the greatest of all auctioneers of literary property'. In a career spanning three decades he oversaw the dispersal of many of the finest libraries ever assembled, from the great Roxburghe sale of 1812 to that of the Duke of Sussex in 1845, as well as those of the books of Lord Byron and the manuscripts and copyrights of Sir Walter Scott. In an undated letter to Bodley's Librarian (copy in Item Four below) Marcham states that he is 'working on Evans the auctioneer and the list will be published.

3pp., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, with two punch holes for placement in album to margins of each of the three leaves. He congratulates him on his catalogue, states that he is attaching a wants list (not present) and that he is leaving it to the recipient 'to make out the account as I am not good at adding - & also dont know the postage. | The Librarian at the House of Lords showed great interest in your catalogue & is writing to you for one'. He suggests sending a copy to John Hayward, and gives his address.