AUTOGRAPH

Tiller's entry in the Oxford DNB explains the background to this poem. In 1939 he 'went to Cairo to teach English literature and history at Fuad I University. During the Second World War he became closely associated with the group surrounding Personal Landscape, a review in the Middle East that had been founded and was edited by Lawrence Durrell, Robin Fedden, and Bernard Spencer'. Two items, both in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Autograph Draft of the poem, in pencil, with numerous deletions, emendations and rubbings-out. 1p, folio.

Donne was a neighbour of Lady Cullum's, having moved to Bury St Edmunds in 1846. The present letter is written following Thackeray's near fatal illness of 1849, during the writing and serialisation of 'Pendennis'. The recipient Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875), wife of Sir Thomas Gery Cullum (1777-1855) of Hardwick House, was a close friend of Thackeray's. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter is complete from salutation to signature, but Donne has written '(over)' in the bottom left-hand corner of the page, suggesting a postscript.

The Times, 16 February 1860, announces 'the new drama, called A TALE OF TWO CITIES', at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, 'Sole Lessee and Directress, Madame Celeste'. ('Madame Céleste' [Céline Céleste-Elliott] (c.1815-1882) was a French dancer and actress.) 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. The recipient is not named. The letter has a large signature ('Henry Betty.') with florid underlining.

2pp, 8vo. On a gilt-edged leaf of umwatermarked wove paper. In good condition, lightly aged. A fair copy in Milnes's autograph. A curious poem, in which Milnes's Napoleon-worship wins through over considerations of the futility of war. Retitled 'The Funeral of Napoleon', the poem was first published in 1841 in the Spectator, and in slightly different form in Milnes's 1844 collection 'Poems, Legendary and Historical'. There are a number of differences between the present version and that published in the Spectator. The final stanza is entirely recast.

1p, 4to. On leaf of aged, worn and creased cartridge paper. Addressed to 'A. T. Q. C., | Care of The Editor of | The Speaker, 115, Fleet Street, E.C., London.' An interesting letter, touching on English and American journalistic practice, 'sensational' copy, plagiarism and fin-de-siècle Paris. The context is not entirely clear: one reading is that the recipient reported on or reproduced in the Fleet Street newspaper the Speaker one of Heilig's 'sensational letters to the American Sunday papers', only to have it 'cribbed' by Pearson's Weekly.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey-paper mount on blank reverse, and minor discolouration at one edge from glue used. The actor Henry Leigh Murray (1820-1870) is identified in pencil as the recipient. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir, | You are quite welcome to a P[rivate]. Box if there is one to spare'. He asks him to 'call or send to Mr. Massingham at the Box Office at 1/2 past 4 o'clock who has received instructions to attend to your wishes, if all the Boxes are not let by that time'.

See Meadows' entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient of the letter is not named, but it comes from the album of the actor Henry Leigh Murray, which also contained a letter regarding a theatre box from Charles Kean (offered separately). 1p, 12mo. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey paper mount on reverse, and slight discolouration at corners from glue. Written with mock-pomposity, and beginning: 'My dear Sir | I hereby give you notice that Mr C. Kean has delivered unto me a Card for a Private Box for to-morrow Augt. 19th.

63pp, 8vo. With frontispiece of 'The Bart.' and long fold-out family tree at rear. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. In original blue cloth binding with the cover bearing device of sailing ship and motto 'Dabit Deus Vela' in gilt. The inscription, on the front free endpaper, reads: 'To | dear Oc | from | H. J. T. | Christmas 1932.' Two 11 x 15.5 cards, printed in brown, are loosely inserted. One depicts a sumptuous interior, the other an old lady sitting at the window of a country house (The Glen?). Both have on the reverse the stamp of 'P. A. ELLIS, | Photographer, CLOVELLY.'

See Anna Gurney's entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient and her husband had spent some time in Rome in 1842, and in 1838 had befriended the Alpinist Henriette d'Angeville at Geneva. 4pp, 4to. Bifolium with mourning border and watermark year 1840. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of glue from label on outsides of gutter. The letter begins: 'My dear Lady Cullum | I think You & Sir Thomas may be home by this time & I must wish to enquire how you both are after your long wanderings.

1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. With date stamp of the RSA. In response to a letter from Wood, he writes that he is 'highly honoured by the election to the membership of the Council of your Society', but that he is 'obliged to communicate to you my inability to accept it'. He explains: 'My work at the Royal Society has, in consequence of the War, increased to such an extent that I do not feel justified in undertaking any additional duties'.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper with one corner torn away (without any loss of text). Folded three times. The recipient is not named. The letter begins: 'Sir | Your letter enclosing a prospectus of your proposed work has just reached me. I beg you will excuse me for not entering into a discussion of the subject, which is a rule I have found it necessary, under my engagements, to make.

3pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. With date stamp of the RSA, and endorsement in blue pencil. He is writing to inform Wood that 'a relative of mine has written a paper on a subject of importance regarding the connection of fat [containing glycerin] with manufacture of explosives in Germany - and showing how that Country is approaching a crisis - when her supply of fat will be approaching exhaustion'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with pin hole to one corner. Folded twice. The surname in Stock's signature underlined in green. She is 'greatly honoured' by Samson's invitation, '& it is a thing I should have loved to do. But the sad fact is, I am getting too senile to be sure of being able to keep a discussion in hand as a competant [sic] chairman should'. The letter concludes: 'I fear I am a bad example of an 82 year-old in view of what Sybil Thorndike does at 90!'

See the entry for Martin Hope Sutton in the Oxford DNB, and that for his grandson Martin Hubert Fouquet Sutton in Who Was Who. 2pp, 4to. I good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded three times. With RSA date stamp. Signed 'Martin H F Sutton'. In reply to a letter from Menzies, Sutton expresses regret that 'it will be impossible for you to attend the Demonstration here on the 24th inst.' Sutton will be 'publishing certain particulars for the benefit of those present' and will be glad to send Menzies a copy.

An unusual piece of First World War ephemera, a nicely-printed notebook intended for correspondence produced to raise funds for the charity. 48pp, 12mo, each page printed on its own leaf of wove paper. The leaves are perfect bound at the head, notebook-style, into grey card printed wraps, but with the glue now brittle and with the leaves now detached from the wraps, and with some leaves now loose.

Six items. The collection in fair condition, apart from Item Two. ONE: Printed form, a 'List of Subscribers' for the 'Post Office Relief Fund. | Second Appeal.' Dated '11/14T', i.e. November 1914. (In 1914 the Post Office set up a relief fund to help relatives of GPO staff who had gone off to fight.) 1p, folio. Eleven lines of text are followed by the 'List of Subscribers', in three columns headed: 'Name', 'Rate for every complete 10/-' and 'I hereby authorise the deduction of my Subscription from my salary', the last subdivided into 'Signature' and 'Rank'.

Paper, c.17 x 12, one edge trimmed, margin created by fold, good condition. Text in secretarial hand "Monsieur le Comte, Nous vous faisons savoir que l'ouverture de la session des Chambres est fixee au dix neuf de ce mois de Novembre et que vous devez y assister."

A treasure trove of socio-medico-legal information, in seven out of a total of ten volumes of notes by a protégé of Sir Bernard Spilsbury (two of whose autopsies are described in detail), with descriptions of his autopsies (1931) and his own reports as coroner of numerous inquests by him (between 1931 and 1945), in cases of murder, suicide (mainly Lysol and gas poisoning) and accident, such as: 'Self induced abortion', 'Septic foot - cutting toe-nail', 'Arm caught in machinery', 'Fall from barge into R[iver]. Lea', 'Burns at home | Clothing caught fire', 'Fall fr.

viii + 296pp, 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and spotted paper, with slight damp staining along bottom edge. In contemporary green crushed morocco binding, with gilt decoration to the edges of the inside covers, all edges gilt, rebacked and with new endpapers. Inscribed by Rogers on flyleaf: 'To W. E. Gladstone | from his friend, the Author.' Beneath this Gladstone has added in pencil: 'June 1838'. The volume contains a handful of light annotatory marks in pencil, no doubt also by Gladstone.

70pp, on thirty-six leaves of a worn 16.5 x 10.5 late-Victorian album, bound in black cloth. An additional seven pages at the end of the volume carry an index, divided into 'China', 'Furniture' and 'Silver Pages'. In fair condition, aged and worn. The compiler is unidentified. The first nineteen pages of the volume carry a total of thirty-six 5.5 x 3.5 cm silk labels, each with a coloured illustration of an item of porcelain (from 'Astbury' to 'Zurich'), with the manufacturer's name and marks beneath, each accompanied by a strip of paper carrying a caption printed in blue.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. The letter begins: 'My dear Lloyds, | However I may grieve at any misunderstanding between you and James - I cannot interfere.

Fourteen letters with a total of 25pp, various formats. The collection in good condition, lightly aged. The first two letters, from 1903, signed 'R. Perceval Gibbon', the other fourteen, 1909-1923, signed 'Perceval Gibbon'. Written in a close neat hand, a correspondence - by no means a perfunctory - casting light on the relationship between Gibbon and his agent. Sent on following letterheads: 1903 (two), Bryn-Gwyn, 116 Clapton Road, N.E.; 1909, Elm Lodge, Riverside, Mortlake, S.W.

Gibbon was a New York Times war correspondent with the Italian Army during 1917 and 1918. He reported from the Isonzo, the Plave, the Carso, and elsewhere along the Italian front. In 1918 and 1919 he served as a Major in the Royal Marines. The main letter of the three present here was written from the Western Front on 7 November [1917?], Gibbon's agent J. B. Pinker having clearly asked him to arrange a meeting with his son, who was serving with the British Army. It is a Typed Letter Signed, 4pp, 4to, with a few autograph emendations. On four leaves of cartridge paper.

1p, 12mo. With mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. The recipient is not named, but from the postscript may be named Hyslop. The letter was written following the death (under a train at Bayswater Station) of Geikie's son Roderick (1874-1910), Chief Clerk in the Colonial Office, who was educated at Harrow School. It reads: 'Dear Sir | Will you accept my sincere thanks for your kind letter.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Only the salutation ('Dear Mrs. Russell,') and the valediction ('Yours very sincerely | Edward German :' are in German's hand; the rest is by a secretary. He writes that he would 'have liked to write you [sic] personally, but it is a little more than I can manage at present'. Nevertheless he assures her that he is 'most grateful' for her 'very kind message'.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, creased and lightly aged. Folded twice. Letterhead printed in red, with illustration of quill pen, inkstand and lighted candle. Written in purple ink. The recipient is not named and the letter begins: 'My dear, | I am horrified to find I have made some awful mistake in my diary & am at the Foyle lunch on Wednesday to stand in for someone else who may not turn up, so I can't break with it. I could cry, for I feel that I have let you down & so wanted to see you to hear how you really are'. She is 'worried to death' about the recipient's sight.

The four items in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: ALS. 2pp, 8vo. Folded twice. He wishes to tell him 'what pleasure Pleasure Garden has given & is giving me - chequered only by occasional [footnote: '& most unworthy'] annoyance that you should have spotted something which I thought that no one but myself had ever noticed and appreciated'. He finds it 'a delightful and entirely fresh book - which pleases many different bits of one's mind'. He continues in the same tone, noting with approval that Hill has 'preserved specimen's of Pan's quaint pomposity'.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter begins: 'Dear Allardyce | May I present you with this as a (somewhat belated) Easter egg? - At least I meant to get it off at Easter, but various alarums and excursions got in the way.' Persisting with the conceit, he explains that 'there is no more obligation on you to eat it, than there is to eat any other Easter egg'. He gives a list of three theatrical topics for his 'Malvern lectures', beginning with 'Play of the Wether [sic] & R. Roister Doister & their respective authors'.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded once. Her letter has been forwarded to him and he has 'much pleasure in sending you my autograph. In order to make it a little more personal, I am sending it on one of my own private book-plates.'

4pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good conditon, lightly aged. Folded twice. With envelope addressed by Keble to 'Revd. Alfred Kent | Coln St. Aldwins | Fairford'. He thanks him for his 'note about the Organist', before mentioning 'two or three things which have struck Mr. Richards (our Curate & Precentor) and myself'.