Autograph Letters

Octavo, 2 pp. 23 lines of text. Lightly discoloured and slightly creased. The letterhead gives the names of seven of the Anthology's staff, and features an illustration of a raven. Regarding a line missed (beginning 'O fool') in the printing of a poem of Zeman's, he is pleased that Zeman has been able to 'see the matter from my side', and doesn't think 'an explanatory note in our next issue would be adequate'. Zeman's poem is 'beautiful' and 'well worth reprinting'. 'As to the Soiree, in your honor, think no more about it.

All three items concern Littlejohns' 'British Watercolour Painting and Painters of Today' (London: Pitman, 1931)'. First Letter: 12mo, 3 pp. 43 lines. Text clear and entire. On two leaves attached to one another in a corner by a pin. Good, on lightly-creased paper. Interesting and informative letter concerning 'two watercolours' which Williams would 'like to be 'reproduced in [Littlejohn's] work on water colours'. Gives details of the titles of the works and the name and address of the owner, 'who has consented to send them'.

On irregularly shaped piece of paper, roughly 3 x 7 cm, cut around the signature and its double underlining. Good signature, with slight smudging to a couple of letters.

8vo, 3 pp. Bifolium with dimensions of leaf 18.5 x 14 cm. Good, on slightly grubby and lightly creased paper. Small slip of paper mount adhering to one margin (not affecting text). Written in a bold and distinctive hand. He will not be able to make 'an appearance with "Lhada" [?]' as he is 'sorry to see that I am in Brighton the 22nd and 23rd of April, where I sing with Madame Donalda'.

Part of letter, 4 x 1.5", good condition, saying "I have the honor to be, / Sir, / Your most obt. sert / Jared Sparks / [opp.] J.I. Webster, Esq."

Piece of paper cut from letter, 3 x 1", good condition, saying, "I am Sir / Your obedient servant. / Thos. Tooke".

12mo: 4 pp. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper. 65 lines of text. Discusses, among other matter, the recipient's 'Exposition de Dentelles', a 'voyage à Bruxelles', a 'très agréable reunion à Abbeville', and a trip by 67 members to Kent. Accompanied by a ten-line manuscript biography of de Marsy, in French in a contemporary hand, tipped in onto another slip of paper cut away from the letter's envelope, and bearing the address in de Marsy's hand.

All three letters 12mo. The letter to Jalabert (with a mourning border) is 2 pp, the others 1 p each. All three in good condition. The Jalabert letter (18 lines) mentions his wife and 'M. Goupil'. The Duvivier letter (6 lines) is a letter of introduction to a 'Monsieur Pietsch, artiste distingue de Berlin'. Asks him to give the artist 'toutes les facilités pour visiter l'Hémicycle de Delaroche et la galérie des Plâtres'. The letter to the woman (11 lines). His return has been delayed by the death of the King of Portugal.

Foolscap (roughly 31.5 x 20 cm): 2 pp. Bifolium with blank second leaf. Thirty-one lines of text. On lightly aged and creased paper, with some discoloration and chipping in a thin strip at head (roughly 1.5 cm deep), affecting the date and letterhead but not the text. Text clear and entire. Casting interesting light on early nineteenth-century news management by the authorities in the continental Europe. The letter concerns the coronation of Charles X.

12mo, 2 pp. 12 lines of text. Creased and ruckled, with a little smudging. Difficult hand. Asking the recipient 'd'aller passer une soirée avec nous'. Laid down on a piece of paper which is attached to the blank reverse of the second leaf of the bifolium is a slip of paper (roughly 2 x 9 cm) carrying Eastlake's signature ('always truly yours | [signed] C. L. Eastlake').

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium, addressed, with circular postmark in black ink, on otherwise-blank second leaf of bifolium. Correcting 'une petite erreur' which he committed in 'le Comte rendu de la dernière Séance de la Société de Géographie', and which he wishes changed in the report which will be appearing in 'l’Athenæum français'.

All items in good condition, on lightly aged paper, with text clear and entire. Letter Two with a little light spotting to the recto of the first leaf. Written in a crabbed hand. Concerning contributions by Cortambert to 'L'Encyclopédie'. Letter One (12mo, 3 pp): To 'Monsieur et honorable directeur', 9 July 1852. Letter Two (12mo, 3 pp): To 'Monsieur et honorable directeur', 7 June 1874. Letter Three (12mo, 1 p): To 'Mr de St Priest', undated. Letter Four (8vo, 1 p): To 'Monsieur le Caissier de Encyclopédie du 19e Siècle', Paris, Rue de Saintonge, 64.

Both items 4to,1 p. Both items good, on lightly aged and foxed paper. Both bifoliums, with the second item addressed, with broken wafer, on verso of second leaf. Both docketed in pencil in a nineteenth-century hand. Letter One (nineteen lines of text): He is grateful to Grenier for sending 'le procès verbal de l'installation de votre Cour'. Grenier was right to think that Jaubert would be interested in 'l'historique d'une cérémonie qui rend aux Cours la dignité convenable à la magistrature, et qui vous touche particulièrement'.

12mo, 1 p. Eighteen lines of text. Good, on aged paper. Address, with broken wafer and two circular postmarks (one in red ink and the other in black) on verso of second leaf of bifolium. Making an order for a periodical publication, and giving instructions for delivery and payment.

8vo, 2 pp. Twenty-two lines of text. Bifolium. Address, postmark and seal on reverse of otherwise-blank second leaf of bifolium. On aged and lightly creased paper, chipped and foxed. Text clear and entire. Acting on Falconet's advice, the Count has sent 'une Procure en regle à Mr Recamier [husband of the celebrated Madame Récamier?] à fin qu'il puisse retirer l'argenterie des mains de Mr Delamarre à l'expiration des trois mois'. He is grateful for Falconet's assistance in terminating 'cette facheuse affaire'.

4to: 3 pp. Bifolium. Good on lightly aged and creased paper. Text clear and entire. Eighty lines of text, beginning abruptly, without salutation, 'Vous m'avez demandé ma pensée sur le prospectus que vous avez proposé.

12mo, 1 p. Five lines of text. Very good on lightly aged paper. Good firm signature. He is sending the first issue of the 'Revue Synthétique' and proposes an exchange of that magazine for the one that the recipient edits.

12mo, 3 pp. Forty-four lines of text. Difficult hand. Concerns the printing of one of de Rienzi's works by Huot, to whom de Rienzi will transmit all the printed leaves which have not been published. De Rienzi's works have him fighting at Wagram and Waterloo, for the Greeks in 1818 and 1822, with Bolivar in 1819, with the Carbonari in 1821, and under Mehemet Ali in 1823. After 1830 he was a professor of Geography in Paris. He committed suicide.

All three letters 12mo, and closely written. All three with rusted pinholes at head. A valuable correspondence, in which one of Victorian England's leading critics describes his response to the work of one of the age's foremost historians. LETTER ONE (1 page, 26 lines, good): He thanks Kinglake for sending his 'new volume' [of 'The Invasion of the Crimea']. 'I am reading it with great delight. The work to me is unique both in military & literary history.

The collection is in good condition, with items on lightly aged and creased paper. Letter One (12 September 1951, Onslow Gardens; 12mo, 1 p, in envelope): As Kyrle Fletcher 'may have seen', Speaight is engaged in a biography of William Poel, and is 'anxious to trace the letters he received from Shaw & which were sold about 1930'. Kyrle Fletcher has docketed the envelope with a precis of his reply. Card (postmarked 14 September 1951): Thanking Kyrle Fletcher for his 'letter & most useful suggestions'.

4to: 3 pp. A bifolium, mounted onto a larger piece of paper by a strip along the inner margin of the verso of the second leaf. Separated horizontally into two parts by a central tear which has been neatly repaired with archival tape, but with the 39 lines of text clear and entire. A signficant letter regarding the political climate in the County of Norfolk in the period preceding the general parliamentary election of 1768.

4to, 1 p, 12 lines. Very good, on aged paper. Asking the recipient 'through this medium to recommend my son Lieut Halliday [Francis Halliday, born around 1776; fl. 1820] of the Thunderer, now at Jamaica, to the notice of Lord Hugh Seymour; Sir Hyde Parker has sent me an account of him, but to my great disappointment has not brought him Home - - - - - Francis has been six years in the East & West Indies & very attentive to his profession'. She feels sure that 'a line from yr. Lordship to Lord Hugh could not fail of being of great use to him'. Docketed on reverse 'Mem: Enquire abt.

{Note/Billet} One page, c.16 x 11cm, some marking but text clear and complete, but partly illegible as follows: "Il faudrait . . . fut . . . merci un . . . je te ferais alors un bien joli tableau / FBarry/" This note has been soake away from a larger piece of paper in poor condition. at the foot of which an unknown hand explained that "Ces quelques lignes sont les dernieres que Monsieur Barry aient ecrits. Elles datent de 22 Aout 1905.

One page, folio, closely written, chipped with some loss of text, creases and small closed tears. Obviously close (he calls him "Jockie"), Atkinson touches on various radical matters and people in a relaxed, allusive and witty fashion. He initially discusses a poem he is putting togther which "Henry & David" wish to get printed under Childs auspices ("any idea or expression not harmonising with your taste & judgment tell me & I will amend it"). He will get the printer David Maurice (a friend; also see BBTI) to set it up.

The collection is lightly aged and in good condition. Letter One (12mo, 3 pp), Oxford, 1 November 1827, signed 'W: M.': Begins by saying that he will be pleased to join Charles 'in the Lodging you propose or any other more to your mind - I had not fixed upon any plan, but thought once of being at Ellis's Hotel - (the Colonial Club House, St. James St.) Your proposal, however, I like much better.' He will 'much prefer being in the Regent Street on late Nights in the Ho. of Commons [Manning was also a Member of Parliament], as I found Wimpole St.

One page each, 8vo, minor stains and creasing, good condition. (1847) He describes a colleague, a "M. de La Roquette", for some years Secretary to the "Societe de geographie". whom he understands to be working on Turkey. "Je me [?] de lui indiquer un ouvrage Special sur Constantinople, son historie, ses monuments . . . " He wishes to avail himself of his correspondent's knowledge of "bibliographie" to help his colleague.

One page, c.10 x 13cm, creased and dulled but text clear and complete. "Mon cher ami/ Voila tout ce wue j'ai et prenez garde d'egarer ce scenario du second acte - je n'en ai pas d'autre copie et s'il la perdait, je ne pourrai jamais me rappeler un seul mot du contiens.- / Mille [?] tendres amitiés et remerciements de votre aimable billet -"

Two pages, 4to, copperplate text by secretary, fold marks, marks of sellotape (half inch square at most) at edge, small chip bottom corner,m text cleqar and complete. Sidmouth, who has received a letter in favour of the condemned John Vartie, forger, informs his correspondent that "the Case of this unfortunate Person had the most full and deliberate consideration, at the time when the Report was made to the Prince Regent in Council.

Two pages, 8vo, good condition. He has sent Gros a brochure "sur l'Instruction publique en australie." Also, on the advice of his editor, Challamel, he has sent Gros his volumes on Indo-China, Caledonia and Australia further to a promise that he would cite them in his studies on "les mouvements geographiques.". He wants to be informed when they have arrived. He is also about to publish another book on Indo-China and one on Caledonia with maps and illustrations.

One page, minor staining not affecting text, laid down on grey coarse paper. "Here is the Cape Shipping List [perhaps including slavers?]. It's business-like details of murders by wholesale tell the cold blooded tales of horror more effectually than eloquent language. They [leave?] & lead the mind to imagine the terrible scenes enacted with poetical power which minute detail fails to [word excised "affect"] produce. I admire this brevity - it is inoffensively offensive. / I am grateful to you, my dear Sir, for your care of my daughter - your help to the helpless.