Autograph Letter Signed ('T: Cooke') from the Irish actor Thomas Simpson Cooke to the English actor Thomas Potter Cooke, complaining that 'Mr. Chilvers music copyist to the Coburg Theatre' has 'seriously injured' him professionally. With portrait.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on the reverse of the second leaf to 'T: P: Cooke Esqre | Royal Coburg Theatre', with two postmarks. The two men do not appear to have been related. TSC requests TPC's 'friendly interference to endeavour at getting from Mr. Chilvers music copyist to the Coburg Theatre a Symphony which he got from me two months since under a promise to let me have it copied in six days.' TSC states 'I have been seriously injured (and am unlikely to be more so) in my profession for want of it, as it is a work of much labour and I have been compelled to repeatedly disappoint those to whom its perusal was to be submitted for their approval of my qualifications for a situation of considerable import to me-'. He has 'time after time allowed sufficient scope to avoid interference' with Chilvers' 'duty to the Theatre But in fact he trifles with me beyond all endurance, and what is worse has made me appear to do so with others who have it in their power much to serve me.' He continues to complain of Chilvers' 'shameful neglect', and requests from TPC 'all the convenient dispatch in this affair in your power'. Accompanying the letter is an original engraved portrait by Thomson from Burgess of 'MR. T. COOKE, AS CARLOS.', published in 1818 by Simpkin & Marshall. It is lightly spotted, but otherwise in good condition on a 12mo leaf.