[ Grenville Murray, journalist and diplomat. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('E C Grenville : Murray'), a letter of introduction to his solicitors, who are to arrange the valuation of the property of 'the late Count Duke of Aragon'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, aged and worn. Reads: 'My dear Sir | Allow me to introduce to you Messrs. Cookson Wainewright & Co my solicitors and to request that you will be so good as to allow a valuation to be made under their directions of the property in your possession which belonged to the late Count Duke of Aragon in order to enable me to prove his will.' The Oxford DNB gives a good account of Grenville Murray's colourful career, including the following, which also serves to explain the background to the present item: 'After insulting Robert John, second Lord Carrington, in a newspaper article Murray was publicly horsewhipped by Carrington's son, Lord Carrington, outside the Conservative Club in St James's Street, London, on 22 June 1869. He sued Carrington (who was found guilty at the Middlesex sessions on the same day) for the assault, but was generally felt to have been in the wrong. His reputation was not enhanced by the charge of perjury that had been made against him only a few days earlier (17 July) for having denied authorship of the article which had purportedly slandered Carrington. Although remanded by the Bow Street magistrates until 29 July, he jumped bail and went to Paris, effectively exiling himself from England. In France he became known as the Count de Rethel d'Aragon, having taken the title of the Spanish lady whom he had married.'