CHARLES

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'.

According to 'The Correspondence of David Scott, Director and Chairman of the East India Company', C. H. Phillips ed. (1951), two regiments of Royal East India Volunteers were formed in 1796, 'to defend the City of London. They were largely recruited from the India House staff, and Scott acted as Colonel of the first regiment'. This is the period during which the celebrated essayist Charles Lamb was working at India House. See also Margaret Makepeace, 'The Royal East India Volunteers: The ‘Union of Civil and Military Dependence’ (2010). The document is 1p, 8vo., and headed 'Regt Ors.

Considering his involvement in the artistic world of late-Victorian and Edwardian London – exemplified by the present letter – there is a puzzling lack of information available on Downey. 1p, 8vo. In fair condition, aged and creased, with nicking to edges. An interesting letter, full of content. He writes that he has had 'a rather grim time lately', his sister having fallen ill and died that week.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. The slightest loss to margin at one edge. Good bold signature. Reads: 'Dear Sir | Enclosed please find p. o – o [i.e. postal order?] & stamps in settlement of enclosed | Yrs faithfully | Cecil Aldin'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Begins: 'My very dear Friend, | I lack words to express my real gratitude for your heartfelt kindness to so young a fellow as your devoted comrade, here writing'. He hopes for an opportunity to show proof of his 'profound and hearty friendship'. He ends with renewed thanks, and 'sincere loves [sic] to your good Wife and dear self'.

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, aged and worn. Folded twice. The letter begins: 'When my Eugenic play “The Blindness of Virtue” was first produced at the Little Theatre two years ago [i.e. in 1912] (about which Dr Saleeby [i.e. eugenicist Caleb Saleeby (1878-1940)] wrote very kindly & in great agreement in the P. M. G) you were kind enough to send a member of your staff to see me for a talk.' He explains that since that time he has had the play 'in the United States & Canada where it is still running & I have many more things to say about it & those places'.

Both items are 2pp, 12mo, and bifoliums. Both in good condition, lightly aged, and each folded once. The second has rust marks to margin from a paperclip. Given the sunbject-matter, the recipient may be a relation of the actress Mrs William Barry (1739-1771), whose maiden name was Osborne. ONE: 17 August 1769; on Park Road letterhead. Signed 'Ch. Fechter.' He begins by announcing: 'I have, by no means, altered my mind; but have been – and am still – strolling about the country'.

1p, 8vo. In good condition. Laid down on part of leaf from album. Reads: 'Lord Albemarle presents His Compliments to the Mayor Elect, and is sorry to find that It is not in his power to have the Honor of dining with him at Yarmouth on Michaelmas Day next.'

In addition to his distinguished career as a playwright, Fry had some success in Hollywood. He completely rewrote (uncredited) the screenplay of 'Ben-Hur' (1959), and was responsible for the screenplay of the Dino De Laurentiis epic 'The Bible: In the Beginning' (1966), directed by John Houston. The present item is a treatment for a film that did not make it into production. It is [1] + 71pp, 8vo. Each page on a separate loose leaf. With thin card covers, also loose, the front cover carrying a duplication of the title-page, and the back cover blank. In good condition, lightly aged.

According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, Arbuthnot 'served as private secretary successively to seven patronage secretaries; to the permanent head of the department, Sir Charles Spearman, and his successor, Sir Charles Trevelyan; to the prime minister, Sir Robert Peel; and to Sir Charles Wood, chancellor of the exchequer in Russell's administration'. The present item was written by Arbuthnot while holding the last position. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Laid down on part of a leaf from an album.

On his eightieth birthday Charles Chilton (1917-2013) was described by the Sunday Telegraph as 'the one genius' the BBC 'ever had on its staff'. Chilton worked for the Corporation for a period of almost half a century, writing and producing a succession of innovative and exciting radio programmes and serials, notably the trilogy 'Journey into Space', the last UK radio programme to attract a bigger evening audience than television, which has been cited by the astronomers Stephen Hawkins and Colin Pillinger as an inspiration.

Six items: four from Causley (one ALS, one TLS, two ACsS) and two from Hanke (ALsS). The collection in good condition. ONE: ACS from Causley. Signed 'Charles Causley'. Launceston; 31 August 1979. He is delighted that Fry 'thought of using the poem in your reading, & hope you went ahead'. He has been 'almost 2 months in Y'slavia & Czechoslovakia'. He is 'always 5 years behind with commitments & the WC Writers' beanos almost always coincide with fearful attack of conscience. The next three items signed 'Charles'. TWO: TLS from Causley. On his Launceston letterhead; 5 August 1986.

An interesting document relative to London social history, and a nice piece of Dickensiana. George Johnson is said to have established his celebrated restaurant Johnson's Alamode Beef House at 21 Clare Court, Drury Lane, in the 1780s, although the present letter states that it was licensed around 1805 . In 1824 a twelve-year-old Charles Dickens – employed in a nearby blacking warehouse as a result of his father's imprisionment for debt – himself experienced an incident which he later made use of in 'David Copperfield'.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and spotted, with loss at foot of reverse of last leaf, the verso of which is addressed to 'Mr Palmer | Bookseller | 18 Paternoster Row'. The recipient is the theological bookseller Ebenezer Palmer the elder (c.1782-1866). Twenty-two lines of text in a difficult hand. The stridently pious tone perhaps hints at some degree of mental instability. The letter opens: 'My dear Sir & friend in the LORD | I greet you in Him'.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Written after his successful return as Member of Parliament for the new constituency of Tyrone South. Headed 'Private' and signed 'William O Brien'. Begins: 'My dear Mr Edwards | Of all the letters of congratulation I received on our Tyrone victory, there was not one that gave me more pleasure than your kind note.' He would have answered sooner, had the 'fatigue of the contest' not 'proved a little too much' for him, and it would have given him 'particular pleasure' to make Edwards's acquaintance.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to reverse. Folded twice. Addressed to 'F. P. Bernard Esq M.A.' (a mistake for the barrister Francis George Bernard?) Written in purple ink, with signature and name of recipient faded as written at the end of the pen's load. He regrets to find that he has 'inadvertently omitted' to answer his letter, 'which had been put among many other papers'.

In 1829 Bell became the first Professor of Physiology, on the incorporation of the Windmill Street School of Anatomy into the new King's College London. He played a leading part in the establishment of the Medical School, but differences with colleagues led to a quick departure. Edwin John Quekett (1808-1847), botanist, histologist, microscopist, was the brother of John Thomas Quekett (1815-1861). On one side of a 10 x 15.5 cm piece of card. In fair condition, lightly aged, with circular stamp, and thin strip of paper from mount adhering to reverse.

The document bearing the ten signatures is 1p, 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of document. Folded twice. A printed form, completed in manuscript, with the ten signatures of leading figures in the medical world of Georgian London in a column at bottom right, the first two grouped as 'Governors' and the other seven as 'Examiners': 'Charles Blicke | David Dundas | C Hawkins | J Earle | G Chandler | T Forster | Everard Home | William Blizard | Henry Cline'.

The present letter relates to the founding by Davitt – who inspired Mahatma Gandhi – of the newspaper 'Labour World', in which he was an early promoter of the British Labour Party. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded once. The reverse of the second leaf carries a full-page engraving of the 'Arundel Hotel, | Victoria Embankment, Strand, W.C.' He begins by informing Knox that 'Mr Stead' has handed him his 'favour to him of the 12th. inst.' He continues: 'The paper alluded to in the Review of Reviews is not to be started in Ireland.

After a twelve-year 'amitié amoureuse' with Phillips, Violet Trefusis (a relation of Camilla Parker-Bowles, both being members of the Keppel family) died in 1972, appointing him her literary executor and leaving him her last home, La Tour de Saint Loup. The present item – no other copy of which has been traced – is from a collection of Phillips's papers amassed by his friend Barbara Reed, containing pamphlets privately printed by him between 2009 and 2014.