CHARLES

For Jessel's judicial high standing see his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. In envelope with Penny Red and postmarks, and 'LADHAM HOUSE, | GOLDHURST' printed on the flap, addressed by Jessel to 'E. A. Scott Esq | Schoolfield | Rugby | Warwickshire'. The envelope is signed 'G. Jessel' at bottom left of cover, and the letter concludes with the same signature. He is 'glad to be able now to withdraw the notice' he gave Scott about his son Charles 'leaving Rugby'.

An interesting correspondence, casting light on the practicalities of early twentieth-century English portrait-painting. The recipient is Colonel Frederick Hugh Langston Oldham, D.S.O., D.L., of Overley Hall, near Wellington, Shropshire, eldest son of the Archdeacon of Ludlow, and the letter concerns Brock's portrait of Oldham's wife Christabel Josephine Oldham. The five letters in good condition, lightly aged. The four dated letters are dated between 25 February and 13 July 1920. The total 9pp (seven in 8vo and two in 12mo).

Scudamore's entry in the Oxford DNB does not refer to the financial difficulties which he describes in this interesting letter, surprising in the light of his royal patronage and success as an author. 3pp, 4to. Bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf, with postmark and seal in black wax, to 'The | Revd. Sir Thomas Cullum | Bart | Hardwick House | Bury St Edmunds'. Forwarded, in another hand, to 'Sir T G C | No 3 | Porto del Popolo | Rome'. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor trace of mount adhering. Folded four times.

According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, 'In 1844 Lover abandoned miniature painting as a result of failing eyesight but continued to paint and exhibit landscapes. He invented a new form of entertainment which he called Irish Evenings, a monologue of songs, recitations, and stories, all of his own composition. These he performed at the Princess's Concert Rooms, London.' Between 1846 and 1848 he toured North America with great success. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice.

See Clarke's entry in the Oxford DNB. The present letter, signed 'Charles Mansfield Clarke', was written (from Caston, where Clarke's son-in-law Walter Patridge was rector) a few weeks after the death on 3 July 1856 of Clarke's wife of fifty years, Mary Anna (née Squire), by whom he had two sons and five daughters. Lady Clarke's own husband had died a year and a half before, on 26 January 1855. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount on reverse of second leaf. Folded once.

The two items are on the same 12mo bifoliate. Dilke wrote his letter on the recto of the first leaf, leaving the second blank. Henslow wrote his letter on the blank leaf and folded the letter round so that his would appear first. The bifolium is in good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of the mount adhering to the reverse of the leaf carrying Dilke's letter on its recto. ONE: Autograph Letter Signed from Henslow to Lady Cullum. 2pp, 12mo. In an elegant hand, he writes: 'Dear Lady Cullum, | I forward the letters of Messrs.

Three excellent and characteristic long letters, neatly and closely written, in the first of which he describes 'the little tide of misfortune' which has befallen him, including shipwreck and indisposition; in the second he gives a vivid account of a visit to Wakefield by the temperance campaigner Father Mathew; and in the last he explains is reluctance to dissect the body of a bird she has sent him, exclaiming: 'I never do things by halves in Natural History'. Along the way there are references to 'my little roman owls' and 'my lions and my lion cubs'.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Tipped-in onto a piece of paper cut from an album compiled by Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875) of Hardwick House. Reads: 'Mr Babbage much regrets that he was unable to have the pleasure of waiting on Mr MacKinnon on Wednesday last.' Babbage's correspondence identifies the recipient as William Alexander Mackinnon (1789-1870), Member of Parliament for Rye, Fellow of the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries.

2pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount adhering to the reverse of the blank second leaf. Good firm signature. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir, | I am neither the author, nor owner of copyright, of any plays. If you wish to dramatise any book for yourself, you have full right to do so. Also, if you wish to perform, in public, any play, you have full right to do so, so long as you do not charge for admission.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. In envelope with penny red stamp and postmark, addressed to Steggatt at 53 Norwich Street, Cambridge. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir | I regret that I cannot give you an order. I have no doubt of the excellence of the cigars, but I never by any chance smoke a cigar. | Believe me | Yours truly | C S. Calverley'. A nice Cambridge association, given that Calverley's most famous poem is 'Ode to Tobacco', and that it features in Cambridge on a brass plaque on the wall of the former Bacon's tobacconists.

See Spurgeon's entry in the Oxford DNB. He was accorded one of the first of the LCC Blue Plaques at his address, 99 Nightingale Lane, but it does not state when he lived at that address. He opened his Metropolitan Tabernacle, then the largest building in England for public worship, at the Elephant and Castle in 1861. Letter: 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The recipient is not named. Begins: 'Dear Sir, | Next Sunday evening, Nov 10 my people will again stay away from the Tabernacle that strangers may find room. Please allow me to intimate this in your columns.

The letter contains an undertaking by Trollope to publish a piece by Blewitt, but the Wellesley Index has no record of a piece by Blewitt being published at this time in the St Paul's, of which Trollope was editor. The nature of the 'failure' of Dickens (who would be dead within months) and Lytton, is unclear, but it may concern the provision for impoverished authors.

On 7 x 10.5 piece of orange paper, removed from an autograph album. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Expansive signature, with surname underlined and dots to i's like dashes. Reads: 'Good luck to you! | Benno Moiseiwitsch | Decr. 1946'. Autographs on reverse, dated to 21 July 1946, of composer 'Charles Hambourg' and pianist 'Irene Kohler' (1909-1996).

Both items scarce, with no copies showing up on OCLC WorldCat. ONE: 'Weathers | Poetry and Watercolors by Charles E. Wadsworth'. [4] + 41 + [1]pp, 4to. With seven full-page reproductions of watercolours. Ring-bound in cream covers, with title printed on front cover in brown. Text printed on rectos only. In good condition, bumped at head of spine, with a little marking to covers. Inscribed on fly-leaf: 'For Christopher to enjoy | from | Waddy and Jeannie | Cranberry Isles | Maine, U.S.A.' Colophon gives short biography of Wadsworth, with an even shorter one of his brother Geoffrey C.

2pp, 16mo. Bifolium with mourning border. Heavily aged, worn and creased, with traces of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. There is no salutation. The letter begins: 'It is impossible to make the best selection, out of 11 vols which I gave Quaritch, £8. for, from the Bindon Blood Collection, and 3 thick vols, collected by the very well known Collector Chas. Kirkpatrick Sharpe of Edinbro'. I bought from Upham & Beet for £4. nett so many curious amongst the above vols.' He hopes some of these volumes will be useful to the recipient, 'now, and already before sent'.

[16]pp, 16mo (11.5 x 7.5 cm). Stitched unpaginated pamphlet, tastefully printed with decorative headpiece to title, and the Press's celebrated device to the colophon. A frail survival, aged, worn and spotted, with one corner of last leaf dogeared. At foot of title-page: 'Any volume will be sent on receipt of Postal Order in advance.' Following the title-page are two pages with a history of 'The Chiswick Press. | Founded 1789.' Then a full-page advertisement for 'A Practical Treatise on the Art of Typography', with a full page containing 'Some Press Opinions'.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with slight nick at gutter of bifolium. Addressed 'To | Revd G Bainton.' Reads: 'Dear Sir | You are quite at liberty to publish my letter. - If it finds its way into the papers, I should be obliged if you would kindly forward me a copy. | Ever yours truly | Chas Mackay'.

1p, 12mo. Seventeen lines of closely written text. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, laid down on a leaf from an album. The recipient is not named, but is addressed as 'Monsieur le Comte'. The letter concerns the count's 'ami et protégé' 'M. Leharivel' [author of 'Grammaire Francaise Pasigraphique, Simplifiee Et Regularisee, Pour Servir de Base Fondamentale; Et Anecdotes, Et Contes Historiques (1839) ].

1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with negligible traces from mount adhering to corners on blank reverse. A nice piece of Cambridge University ephemera. A crisply-printed circular, addressed to 'SIR', evidently sent to the electors for the University of Cambridge. Seventeen lines of text. He explains that when he first 'heard of the death of our late Representative, Mr.

1p, 16mo. On 14 x 11 cm piece of paper, with margins apparently cut down. Aged, and with slight damage to two words of text caused by removal from mount.At the time of writing Faucit's successful career had been interrupted by the recurrence of a lung condition, necessitating recuperation at a seaside resort. She has evidently asked Talfourd to contribute to an autograph album, soliciting the following response: 'Mr.

1p, 12mo. Bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'J. M. Muller Esq'. In fair condition, lightly aged, with closed tear along one of the two folds and slight creasing at foot, with a panel lacking from the second leaf. The recipient Johann Martin Muller published a few piece of music in Edinburgh in the 1840s.

4pp, 12mo. On four loose leaves. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with minor traces of grey paper mount along edges on blank reverses. The poem is titled 'The Dream of Fine Editors | (after the dinner to J. N. Dunn. April 23rd. 1897)'. (At the time of the dinner the Scottish journalist James Nicol Dunn (1856-1919) was on the verge of being appointed editor of the Morning Post, a position he would hold from May 1897 to January 1905.) There is no record of the poem having been published, and it is likely to have been written for after-dinner recitation only.

LETTER: 1p, 12mo. Signed 'Mary Cowden Clarke'. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from mount. The letter is addressed at the foot to 'Miss Reader.' It begins: 'Dear Dorothea | Accept my hearty thanks for the spirited sketch you have so kindly sent to me.

See Moxon's entry in the Oxford DNB, which describes his association with William Wordsworth as 'arguably his most important publishing relationship'. The present poem was published as 'The Two Streams' in the 'Literary Souvenir' of Alaric Watts in 1830, a year before Moxon published his first volume of Wordsworth's verse. The present item is 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, and laid down on a leaf removed from an album. Folded three times. Entirely in Moxon's autograph, titled 'Sonnet', and signed at the end 'Edward Moxon | London Jan. 5th | 1847'.

2pp, folio. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice.

2pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with traces of glue from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. She signs 'Anna Eliza Bray', and the letter is a response to a request of an autograph of the artist Thomas Stothard (1755-1834), father of her late husband Charles Alfred Stothard (1786-1821). She writes that she is 'much gratified' by Spence's 'appreciation of Mr. Stothard, not only as an Artist, but as a man: he was indeed truly estimable'.

Four items from the papers of Joseph Charles Parkinson (1833-1908), journalist, civil servant and social reformer, contributor to the Daily News, All the Year Round, Temple Bar, and associate of Dickens and Wilkie Collins. The material relates to Parkinson's book 'The Ocean Telegraph to India: A Narrative and a Diary' (1870). The four items are laid down on a leaf removed from an album, with typed explanatory notes at the head of both pages. ONE: ALS (signed 'James Anderson') from Anderson to Parkinson, 24 August 1865. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Written by Hastings in his capacity as 'President' of the Worcestershire Natural History Society, and addressed to 'Sir Thos Phillips [sic] Bart. | Middle Hill'. A circular letter, neatly written out in a secretarial hand, with Hastings adding no more than his signature.

According to V. S. Pritchett, Rex Warner was 'the only outstanding novelist of ideas' produced by 'the decade of ideas', and 'the only English novelist to make original and imaginative use of the three-cornered struggle between Fascism, Communism and Democracy'. The present two letters were written – with all the precocious glibness of an undergraduate – while Warner was sharing the house at 22 St Giles with his close friends Cecil Day-Lewis and Charles Fenby. The house would be the setting of Day Lewis's autobiographical novel 'Starting Point' (1938).

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium, endorsed 'Clarke' on reverse of second leaf. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded three times. The letter begins: 'My dear Webster, | Charles Kean has requested me to give him information respecting Theatres in England, in which it is probable he may form engagements on his return from America, as he wishes his plans to be arranged if possible previous to his departure from the United States, so as he may see his way clearly on his arrival in England.' He asks whether it would answer Webster's purpose 'to make any proposal to him'.