SIR

See W. J. Langford's glowing obituary of Neville (described as 'the greatest of them all' from a pedagogical point of view) in the Mathematical Gazette, May 1964. 2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. He begins by reassuring Harington that his books are 'safely here', but continues: 'I fear that every book I possess on numerical equations is on duty for the time being in the computing department of one of the RAF establishments.' He does not know of 'any book which gives an account of the processes actually used nowadays.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of stub at inner edge. A shameless plug for his book 'A Tractate on Language, with Observations on the French Tongue' (1860), closely written over four pages. As 'an old Oxford man', he 'shd feel obliged if the Editor wd give some notice of his work a "Tractate on Language" - in his weekly paper'. He had 'caused a Copy to be transmitted to him, & he trusted that if the book did not command a detailed review some observations wd be made about it - & in a note sent at the time he expressed a desire to have any paper in wh.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn. With a number of emendations, indicating that the letter is a draft. The recipient is not identified, but is presumably a senior Home Office official such as the Principal Private Secretary to Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel. Beginning: 'I find that the list which I sent you, of the number of Prisoners in the Gaol of the City of Canterbury, at the times of holding the General Sessions, for the last quarter years, did include the Debtors & Prisoners under the Mutiny Act.

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lighly aged at extremities, with the second leaf, carrying the address ('Dr. Farre | Charter House Square', with postmark), laid down on part of a leaf removed from an album. Locock's note, on the recto of the first leaf, reads: 'My dear Sir - | We will not trouble you to call on Miss Gladstone tomorrow, as she remains much the same, and they are rather anxious to get out of Town.-' Farre's unsigned reply, on the reverse, complains that Locock's letter 'reached my hands too late to prevent on the 31st.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter concerns a portrait of Hornby described in Lionel Cust's 'Eton College Portraits' (1909, dedicated to Hornby's memory), as being '56 x 45 inches. Painted by the Hon. John COLLIER, 1897. […] Seated figure to the knees, facing the spectator; in black gown and D.D. Hood. | Presented to the College by Old Etonians. (Provost’s Dining Room.)' Responding to Harington's congratulations, Hornby writes that it is 'a great pleasure to have such kind words from an old friend'.

Both items in good condition, lightly aged, and both bearing the Society's stamp. ONE: 26 January 1915. 1p., 12mo. He is obliged by a previous engagement to decline the invitation 'to take the Chair for Mr. F Vincent Brooks lecture on Lithography on the 10th.', but feels the honour 'all the same'. TWO: 1 April 1915. 1p., 12mo. He would like, 'for every reason', 'to take the chair for M. Paul Lambottes lecture on C Meunier', but he will probbably be 'out of London during the first two weeks in May'.

All three letters are on bifoliums, and they total 11pp., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. They are all written by a secretary (for reasons made obvious below), and signed by Willoughby. ONE: To 'Sir John', 27 September 1839. 4pp., 12mo. He is sending him copies of his work, 'The one dedicated to Seamen and Sailors meant for Greenwich [i.e.

Four interesting and evocative letters. The identity of the writer is not known. All but the third letter are addressed to 'Dearest Nonna', who appears to be married to 'George' and living in Viareggio. ONE: 30 December 1916. 2pp., 4to. 'This place is simply a nest of intrigues and I wish I had some of your dear familys clever brains to sort things out a bit & put them right. I loathe the double-faced dealing necessary to combat intrigues and am afraid I may lose my temper one day & tell them what I think of them - & that wd be fatal.

Typed screenplay, 103pp., 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Paginated to 99, but with the pagination heavily disrupted by the addition and removal of a large number of pages of revisions on pink or blue paper, each amended leaf dated at the head. Held together with two metal studs, in yellow card binding with windowpane for title. Title-page states 'MANDELA | by | Ronald Harwood | 9 September 1986', without further details. Loosely inserted is a six-page 'Call Sheet No.

The present item is highly unusual from the point of view of women's education, being in large part a description by a young English upper-middle-class girl of the 1840s of the rigorous course of education she is undergoing.

2pp., 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn.

1p., 12mo. With mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on part of a leaf from an album. Reads: 'My dear Mr Hammond | Will you cause a copy of Mr 's letter to Mr Fane to be sent, as speedily as may be convenient, to the Neutrality Laws Commiss[ion]ers'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. He asks her to say, 'in answer to the enquiries of Mr. Wiles that Lord Chandos comes forward as a Member of the Conservative party & a supporter of Lord Derby in opposition to the heterogenous combination found under Lord Palmerston'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. On paper watermarked 'J GREEN & SON'. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with slight loss at the spine.From the Harington family papers, the author's identity being established from other items. Clearly a youthful production, and either written during Harington's time at Eton in the 1870s, or Christ Church, Oxford, in the 1880s. Written employing the long s. The 140 lines of verse are numerated by the author, and a catch-word at the end suggests that more followed or the poet's invention failed him.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, aged and worn, with traces of mount adhering to the blank reverse. The male recipient is not identified. The letter reads: 'Sir, | My memory hardly serves me so as to answer your enquiry positively. I do not recollect Robert Craufurd in Holland in '99; and I am pretty sure that Robt: Anstruther, who died at Corunna, was our Depy. Quarter Master General'. According to Bunbury's entry in the Oxford DNB, he purchased 'a captaincy in the 16th Queen's light dragoons on 16 August 1797.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Written in a hurried, difficult hand. The recipient's name is indecipherable. King is returning a letter from the recipient's son, and is sorry to hear of 'Mrs Parker's death': 'It is very sad indeed as she was hoping to come to England after a very long absence'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, wiht crease along one edge. The letter concerns international affairs. Regarding the United Kingdom Dilke writes: 'I think it would be quite proper for us to attempt to effect a reconciliation at any moment when it seems possible that we could be of use, and I fancy that we have made some such offer more than once, possibly along with Russia.' As it happens 'the belligerents have preferred, - which was not unnatural under the circumstances, - to avail themselves of the good offices of the United States'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'My Dear Lord Chief Baron'. He is coming 'to Town for my waiting for a few days', and hopes that Pollock's 'important time could allow of you to see me for a few minutes'. He is willing either to call on Pollock, or receive a visit from him, 'at any time you would kindly appoint'.

2pp., 12mo. With mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. When Twiss 'suggested the circumstance', Sir R. Palmer 'had some doubts about the United States Courts having limited the criminal consequences of violating neutrality to the cruise [last word underlined]'. There was also 'some doubt about the effect of a sale by a <?> of a Prize Court to a third party. Twiss thinks 'it might be desirable to print & circulate the enclosed observations bearing upon those two points'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, laid down on part of brown paper leaf from album. Annotated at head in a contemporary hand: 'Author of the life of Burke'. Reads: 'I shall feel obliged if you can forward the accompanying letter to its destination under a cover. It contains an inclosure which I do not like to entrust to the common channel, but with the cover I shall deem it safe.' In a postscript he reports that he is returning to Margate the following day, 'to scribble'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. The name of the addressee has been amended from 'J. B. Waring' to 'J. R. Planché Eqr.' In 1854 Wyatt and Waring had collaborated on four architectural guidebooks to the courts of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, and the present item relates to sculptures present there. The letter beings iwth Wyatt thanking Planché for 'a copy of your interesting comments on Professor Cockerell's views with respect to the Wells & other sculptures', which he has read 'with care and interest'.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Docketed crosswise across the valediction, including the signature, but not in an overly-obtrusive fashion. An interesting letter, casting light on the franking system and fraud within the pre-Hill Post Office.

1p., 12mo. Heavily aged and worn, with closed tear along fold line at head, and remains of mount on reverse. Horner's note, on the upper part of the paper, reads: 'Dear Sir | Be so good as admit Mr Phillips to the privileges of the Reading Room at the British Museum - | Yours faithfully | Leonard Horner | University of London | 11 Feby 1830'. Beneath this Ellis has written: 'My Dear Sir | Mr. Phillips can be admitted at the Age of Eighteen, but is not eligible for our Reading Room at present | Ever faithfully Yours | H. Ellis | L. Horner Esqr'.

2pp., 12mo. With postmarked frank (again signed 'Hardinge') addressed to 'Colonel Abbott C. B. | Addiscombe'. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. He is pleased that Abbott is 'to receive a mark of distinction from the Queen, which combines the satisfaction which your Services have given at Addiscombe [Abbott had become lieutenant-governor of Addiscombe Seminary in 1851] with those which you so efficiently & ably performed in the field in India'. He hopes to shake him at the hand 'at the Levée'.

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. The year has been added in another hand in pencil. Reads: 'Most grateful to you dear Mrs Bartholomew for all your kind care & thought. I have yet to go finally through the sheets and correct all it [sic] stopping &c. so that your corrections will be of great use – I am just off to America for a good long holiday. | Good bye | Yours very truly | & obliged | G. Grove'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged.. Addressed at start to 'Cher Monsieur', with indistinct name of recipient following Haden's signature. He is sending him, 'by the hands of Mr. Chapman the sum of 50 francs wh. I have received on yr. behalf from the authorities of South Kensington Museum – and have obtained the promise of this office that yr. Two splendid etchings (the large group of flowers) that he suspended among the Chefs D'Oeuvres of the Establishment.' He concludes: 'Mr. Chapman will explain the hurry in wh. I write'.

1p., 16mo. In good condition. Reads: 'Dear Prof. Adams, | Will you give us the pleasure of your company at lunch at the Royal Observatory on July 8 at 1 o'clock?'

3pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of stub adhering to blank reverse of sevond leaf. He is 'very much flattered' at Waddington's 'wishing to include sonnets of mine in your proposed selection. You are quite welcome to those you have named, or any others of mine.' He hopes he will 'include some of Hartley Coleridge's beautiful sonnets', and asks him to accept 'a vol. of sonnets by my Father, the late Sir Aubrey de Vere. Wordsworth spoke of his sonnets (my Father's) as the best modern sonnets he was acquainted with'.

For details of Ady and his methods, see his entry in the Oxford DNB. The present item is on one side of a 9.5 x 22 cm piece of paper.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair conditon, lightly aged and worn. He asks him 'to give insertion, among your literary notices, in the Globe, to the enclosed account of 2 little books on the German Spas, which I have just concocted. The author is a friend of mine, but I assure you, on my honour, I have not said one word more in praise of his Treatises than they deserve. To convince you of this I will send you the one on the “Homburg Spas” if you have time to read it – and you may give it to any friend going to Germany.