MANUSCRIPT

2pp, foolscap 8vo. On the rectos of the leaves of a bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. On laid paper with indistinct watermark. The context of the document, with the capitalisation and spelling ('mechanick', 'shou'd', 'Publick', 'tyed down', 'lookt', 'Profitt'), points to a late eighteenth-century origin (certainly before the Speenhamland System and Michael Nolan's 1805 'Treatise of the Laws for the Relief and Settlement of the Poor'). No title or heading. A forthright document, whose rhetorical tone suggests that it was intended for public delivery.

2pp, 12mo. On a bifolium of grey laid paper, with fleur-de-lys 'J M & Co' watermark. In good condition, lightly aged, with creases from having been neatly folded three times, and stub adhering to edge of blank second leaf of bifolium. The item derives from the collection of a notable nineteenth-century autograph collector, Lord Houghton, a friend of both Taylor and Norton.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged, folded twice, with staple holes to one corner. In envelope, carrying facsimile of Nixon's signature and printed 'Office of the Vice President | Washington', with typed address to 'Mr. Hugh Burnett | The British Broadcasting Corporation | Lime Grove, London, W. 12 | England'. The letter carries a good strong signature in black ink, with the merest of smudges coming outwards from the left-hand side.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Signed 'James Nasmyth', with a fingerprint beneath the signature, flanked by the words 'Hys' and 'marke', and with 'impression before Letters' jokingly added beneath. Written in a shaky hand, the letter invites Horsley to a dinner 'to meet Col Colville Mrs. [Maclins?] and Dr. [Savile?]'.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium of grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. At top of page: 'From: Lord Strabolgi.' Headed beneath the letterhead: 'TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.' Reads: 'This is to certify that Mr. T. Avery Radford worked for me as my Private Secretary when I was Member for Hull, from 1919 to 1921. He performed his duties most efficiently, was entirely reliable and trustworthy, an a great help to me in my political work.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'I pray your forgiveness. I am sincerely ashamed of my bad behaviours in putting by your letter & forgetting to answer it, especially when it was written for a charitable purpose. With great pleasure I enclose a small donation & am sorry it was not in time for your dinner.'

Ainsworth's 'Thesaurus' (1752) neatly defines 'The Royal Aid, or subsidy money' as 'tributum quod regi ex plebiscito in sumptus belli, &c. praestatur'. It was a one-off household tax, set by assessors and collected locally. (For further information see M. J. Braddick's 2013 paper 'Resistance to the Royal Aid and Further Supply in Chester, 1664–1672'.) The present two documents are each laid out in identical fashion, the two carrying different assessments for 'Land' and 'Goods' for the same 58 individuals.

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper, with pin holes to one corner and a few drops of light staining. She thanks Greenwood for her letter, but does not feel that her 'Valiant Woman' has any 'chance of making a successful film, for the very reasons you say it ought to'. She explains: 'In this country there would not be a large enough public for a film setting out the Christian attitude towards divorce, as popular sympathy is mostly on the other side'. Nevertheless she is sending Greenwood's letter to her agent 'Mr. A. D.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Folded once. Signed 'Rafael Sabatini'. After thanking her for her letter of sympathy, he notes: 'In the past I have had plenty of cause for complaint, but nothing quite so flagrant.' He has been 'avenged by the Press, which described the unutterable scenario from which the film was made in terms similar to those which I employed when I requested that my name be removed from the “author credits”'. He ends with good wishes to her 'laudable enterprise'.

The son of Sir John Kennaway of the East India Company, Kennaway was well-connected. In 1819 Poet Laureate Robert Southey provided him with a letter of introduction to Walter Scott. ONE: 'Poems of Rev. C. E. Kennaway, M.A.' (1846). xv + 216pp, 12mo. Black leather binding, with stamp of Nisbet & Co, 21 Berners Street, London, on front free endpaper.in gilt, stamped with the words 'Bagster's Binding'; all edges gilt. Internally a good tight copy on lightly-aged paper; in worn binding, especially at the spine and hinges. Bookplate of Sarah Godley.

For the context of the letter see Pamela M. King's 2007 paper 'Twentieth-Century Medieval-Drama Revivals and the Universities', which states that at the time of the writing, there was in Canterbury 'to be a new play by Robert Gittings about St Alphege and the Danish invasion entitled Makers of Violence', and that at the Pilgrim Players in Norwich planned to put on, at the church of St Peter Mancroft, a production of Fry's 'Sleep of Prisoners'. 2pp, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with a little light damp spotting. Folded once.

JJohn Freeman's interview with Jomo Kenyatta was broadcast on 26 November 1961 in the BBC TV series 'Face to Face'. The present duplicated typescript of the interview is from the papers of the programme's producer Hugh Burnett, and is edited for publication in the book 'Face to Face | Edited and introduced by Hugh Burnett' (London: Jonathan Cape, 1964). 1p., foolscap 8vo. Headed 'JOMO KENYATTA', otherwise consisting entirely of the transcript, with no other details.

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with binder holes in one margin. Folded once. He apologises for not answering her letter sooner, but he has been 'buried in a film studio for the past four months'. She will know that the film he is working on is 'Green for Danger'. The film has a planned autumn release.

Both 1p, 8vo, and each in fair condition, on aged paper, with creasing along one edge. The first letter with smudged date of receipt in one corner. The first letter signed 'Paddy Carstairs', the second 'John Paddy Carstairs'. ONE: Begins: 'Dear Miss Greenwood | What can I possibly say? I am “set” for my next pic, but always want very unique stories – who doesn't?! | In 22 years (nearly!) I've only sold 3 originals for the screen and none of my novels – you see, there aren't any rules'.

ONE: Typed Letter Signed from 'Bertie' (i.e. Herbert van Thal) to 'John' (i.e. J. C. Trewin). 15 March 1978. On letterhead of the London publishers Weidenfeld & Nicolson. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The letter reads: 'My dear John, Alas, they do not think that they would be able to sell this Eugene Aram idea here, without the backing of a television programme or a film to back it up. But Orbis recently asked me if I had any ideas, and I have sent it on to them. Will let you know what they have to say.

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper with central spike hole. Folded twice. Begins: 'My dear Mr. Tinsley, | I see that you are not going to use my article “We Women,” & I want it so much, to form the basis of a set of articles! - & I have no copy.' She notes that it is 'generally the case with regular workers, that the Editors return the rejected MS' and explains that she has 'destroyed the first rough draft', exclaiming: 'I do hope it is not lost!' She asks him to either tell her if it is lost, so that she may 'know the worst', or if it is not lost, '& is not to be used'.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, aged and worn; laid down on part of a leaf removed from an album. Bathurst's name written in two nineteenth-century hands at the head. The letter was evidently written on receipt of an engraving of Captain George Nicholas Hardinge (1776-1813) of HMS St Fiorenzo, adopted son of George and Lucy Hardinge, who was killed in a naval action off the coast of Ceylon.

ONE: TLS. Ithaca, NY; 20 September 1976. 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter begins: 'Dear Christopher Fry, | I so relish climbing the castellations of your wit, to where I feel energized and deliriously long-sighted, or running higgledy-piggledy with your thoughts, at times as if with the bulls of Pamplona, I simply cannot resist telling you so any longer.' According to her 'internal calculations' she owes him 'at least a galaxy for the delight your plays have given me; perhaps you'd accept these few planets instead'.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. Signed, over a red 'Postage Revenue' 2d stamp: 'Alfredo Compoli. | August 13th. 1947'. Above this the receip, in Compoli's autograph, reads: 'Received £500 (five hundred pounds) in full, (£200 deposit – and £250 in cash – also cheque value £50 (dated August 11th. 1947) for Sale of Music Library (Salon Orchestra, & Trio)'. Accompanying the document is an unsigned autograph receipt on a worn slip of white paper, reading: 'April 28th. 1947 | Received, from Jack Salisbury Esq.

The present item is the producer Hugh Burnett's own copy of the transcript of John Freeman's interview of Cecil Beaton, broadcast in the BBC series 'Face to Face' on 18 February 1962. Duplicated typescript. 4pp, foolscap 8vo. Numbered, and headed 'CECIL BEATON', otherwise consisting entirely of the transcript, with no other details. Aged and worn, with punch holes for binder. On four leaves which were originally stapled together, but with the first and last leaves now detached. Page references 1-10 (presumably to a shorthand transcript) in the outer margin.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, aged and worn, folded three times, with labels from mount on blank reverse. With RSPCA date stamp. Singular signature, with all three parts of Fiske's name running into one another, and the middle name elongated. Addressed to Fairholme at the RSPCA, London. 'I regret that the article by Senor de Toledo [i.e. J. Garcia de Toledo of Malaga, Honorary President of the IHA] d[i]d not reach me in time to make it possible for me to send it with our other Anti-Bull-Fight MSS, to the Humane Conference.

A good letter, breathing enthusiasm for his field of study. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. He begins by stating that he will not be calling at the Museum that week, but writes to 'drop you a line to say that I have received a very long letter from Mr [Suett?] full of details regarding Ilrigocephalus etc and in which he mentions that he can drown you with notes on Rudists'. He also refers to 'a good paper by V. Hauren on the Structure etc of Caprina Partschi' ('a synonym of Cap. Paradoxa Matheron').

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Evidently incomplete: the first part only of a long letter. Begins: 'My dear Maclean | I have it not in my heart to put forward an excuse for very long silence, beyond an amount of employment the like of which I have never had thrown upon me before, for many years.' He hopes to see him, but leaves that night 'for the North on a tour of inspection'.

1p, 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, folded twice. He does not have a copy of his book 'Flying Eggs', but intends 'to order a few. Since computerization, ordering is a longwinded business, but there's reasonable hope they'd arrive before the Christmas post.' He gives instruction concerning payment and postage. He makes a suggestion if McPherson should 'at any point in the future [be] tempted to buy my first book of short stories, PENNINE TALES' (go for the paperback which is cheaper and 'much better edited').

2pp, 4to. On leaf tipped-in onto a piece of light-green card from an album, at head of which is attached a printed slip: 'BARENTIN C. L. F. de P. | Born 1738. Died 1819. | KEEPER OF THE SEALS TO LOUIS XVI.' The letter is undated, but the year '1789' has been added in pencil in a nineteenth-century hand. (That same year, following the Storming of the Bastille, Barentin was dismissed by the king.) Nineteen lines of closely-written text. Addressed at bottom left of first leaf to 'M le P Gl' (Monsieur le Procureur général?).

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The female recipient is unidentified, but would appear to be the editor of a magazine, enquiring after the progress of a 'paper' Ellis has agreed to write on 'Java Sparrows'. Ellis explains that she has 'begun a better story in the Child's department which it is consequently necessary to finish first', to appear 'in the number for June', but that 'your paper shall certainly come next'. The handwriting is not altogether straightforward, but Ellis appears to say here that 'stories will not always [write?] up when [necessary?]'.

The signature ('Robert S Ball') is on a 3.5 x 11 cm slip of paper, laid down on a piece of light-grey paper cut from an album, with the letterhead 'OBSERVATORY, | CAMBRIDGE' on a second slip laid down on the same piece. In good condition, lightly-aged.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, folded twice. An elegantly-expressed sentiment: 'Mademoiselle, | Les malheureux sont mes Amis, et l'oeuvre à la quelle vous vous interressez à [sic] toutes mes sympathies; malheureusement je suis si peu de choses que je ne puis vous témoigner que mon bon vouloir a l'oeuvre à la quelle vous vous interressez [sic]si vivement.'

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with minor damage at head. Folded once. He begins by requesting with 'much respect' to be excused 'on your great day', and explains: 'I write this from my bed, where I am confined with that delectable complaint the gout, and the moment I can move I must be off somewhere, either to Bath, or Buxton, to go through a regular course -'. He complains: 'This country does not agree with one -; we arrived in England 1 May, and I have already had three attacks of gout. I was seven months absent and was entirely free from it.