CHARLES

The present item was written at the end of a period of great tribulation for Macready. As W. T. Price explains in his biography: 'Macready suffered repeated sorrows in his retirement. His wife died in 1852, and his two sons died in their youth, Walter Francis Sheil, aged 13, in 1853, Henry Frederick Bulwer, aged 19, in 1857.

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium with mourning border, on paper embossed with the Macready crest. In fair condition, lightly aged, with torn hole to one corner of the first leaf (not affecting text), presumably caused by removal from mount. The recipient is clearly a member of the Hawtrey family (and presumably a relation of Edward Craven Hawtrey of Eton), as the letter concludes with the Macready family's best wishes 'to Mrs. Hawtrey'. It must date from before Macready's departure for Cheltenham in 1860.

According to the Daily Telegraph, 2 November 2006 (see the end of this description), Lady Margaret Sackville was 'a poet who mixed with writers such as W B Yeats and Wilfred Scawen Blunt, was a friend of Lady Ottoline Morrell, a leading member of the Bloomsbury Set'. 167pp., 4to. Each page on the recto of a separate leaf, the whole bound with green thread through punch holes in margins. The first page worn and with label (of literary agent?) removed from head, otherwise in good condition, lightly aged and worn.

An interesting exchange, casting light on manegerial practices in late-Victorian theatre. ONE: Typed Letter Signed by 'W. Lestocq'. 2pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. A long letter, single-spaced. He has 'talked over the whole matter of the prospects of “The Christian” tour with Mr Frohman for next season, and he does not desire to send out a company on tour himself. Now I could of course let it on Mr Frohman's behalf or perhaps sell his rights and the production outright.' He gives details of his first choice if the latter course were pursued.

R. J. L. Kingsford, in his history of the Publishers Association, describes Young as 'a bookseller of outstanding character and ability, a friend of Arnold Bennett, and the discoverer of the literary distinction of George Sturt'. 1p., 12mo. Neatly and closely written. Headed 'private', and addressed to 'Dear John'. Young is apparently following a dinner (of the Publishers Association) at which George Bernard Shaw was present, and the subject of the letter would appear to be an exhibition Wilson's firm has mounted of books by the London publisher John Murray.

6 + [1]pp., folio. Side stitched and unbound. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with light staining at foot of first page. The contents of the document are given as follows: '1. - Account of Sums advanced, for Public Services, from the Civil List Revenues, pursuant to Addresses, not being part of its Ordinary Expenditure. | 2. - Account of Sums advanced, for Public Services, from the Civil List Revenues, not being part of its Ordinary Expenditure. | 3.

2pp., 12mo. The item comprises a note in Sumner's hand on the first page, beneath which, and continuing onto the second page, is an order in another hand for 34 books in eight categories, under the headings 'Bibles', 'Testaments' and 'C[ommon] Prayers'. Sumner writes: 'Revd. Sir. | I request you will send me the following books on the terms of the Society, by Lamport's Farnham Waggon.' The order, in another hand, begins: 'Bibles | 5 8o Medium Small Pica without Marg[inal] Ref[erences]. And Apocr[ypha]'.

4pp., 8vo. Bifolium. Heavily aged and worn, with closed tears at fore-edge of first leaf and at gutter. The first edition (an eight-page edition followed), originally bound into the third number of Bentley's Miscellany, of which Dickens was the editor. Drawing on his experience as a parliamentary reporter, Dickens parodies the State Opening of Parliament. At the end of the main text, in smaller type, he refers to the work which had begun serialisation in the magazine in February of 1837: 'NOTE OF THE REPORTER.

On a single 8vo half-title leaf removed from the William Clarke Russell's 'Nelson's Words and Deeds: A Selection from the Dispatches and Correspondence of Horatio Nelson' (London: Sampson Low, 1890). In fair condition, lightly aged and with a central horizontal crease. Printed at the centre of the page are the words 'NELSON'S WORDS AND DEEDS', and at the head Swinburne writes: 'Isabel Swinburne | from her affectionate brother | Algernon Charles Swinburne | November 1890'.

On a single 8vo half-title leaf removed from the front of her 1881 verse collection 'Honey from the Weed'. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor loss to one corner. Printed at the centre are the words 'HONEY FROM THE WEED'. At the head of the page is the presentation inscription, in a pleasing hand: 'George Frederick Martin Esqre. | with kind regards & good wishes from | Mary Cowden Clarke | July 1881.'

See the entries on the two baronets in the Oxford DNB. For the context of this item see Times, 23 February 1899, reported: 'A MANSION BURNT. - Early yesterday morning the mansion of Sir Charles Nicholson, of Totteridge, three miles from Barnet, caught fire, and before effective help could be rendered from Barnet, Edgware, or Hendon it was entirely burned out.

From the papers of the journalist Henry Charles Shelly (sic), who would appear from the letter to have been connected with the Glasgow periodical The Baillie. ONE: ALS (24 February 1891). 3pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He gives him permission to 'print the enclosed extract in the Modern Church, but not before April 1, as I mean to use it in a lecture in London next month'. He is sending him 'Genelli's Dante Illustrations', and regrets that 'they have been rather badly treated'. He will send him 'a copy of Physical Religion and I need not say how glad I should be if Mr.

1p., 12mo. Aged and grubby. A convincing facsimile, sent with 'a copy of the title page, the authors preface, a few explanatory remarks and a list of chief subscribers', in the hope that the recipient 'may be induced to become a subscriber' and mention the work 'to any one likely to take an interest in the subject'. No other copy traced.

[32]pp., 16mo. Not paginated. Stapled in brown wraps, with text on front and back covers in gold and dark brown, with closed tear at foot of spine. Contains one full-page engraving: 'Testimonial Presentation to Mme. Camilla Urso in the Town Hall, Melbourne.' Cheaply printed on browned high-acidity paper, in aged and worn wraps. The wraps are attractively designed, with the violinist's name printed in large decorative type diagonally across the centre of the front cover. The back cover gives details of Urso's 'Transcontinental Tour.

1p., 8vo. On aged and worn paper. Addressed to 'Mademoiselle', but from the papers of The item is from the papers of the second wife of the geologist Alexander Henry Green (1832-1896), previously Miss Wilhelmina Maria Armstrong of Clifton, herself a scientist. He apologises for the late reply, which is to be attributed 'aux distractions du "Christmas" et du Tour de l'An'. His 'Traité de Chimie Biologique' has not been translated into English and it would please him to see such a translation made, with the agreement of his editor M. Manon'.

vi + 268pp., 12mo. In sturdy red morocco half-binding, with brownish-black boards in ribbed patterned cloth, and gilt tooling, marbled endpapers. Binders' ticket at rear: 'Bound by Blackie and Son'. On browned high-acidity paper, with slight damage to title-leaf. On the front free endpaper is the ownership inscription of 'Chas Sarolea', i.e. Professor Charles Sarolea [ Charles Louis-Camille Sarolea ] (1870-1953), noted Belgian philologist and author who settled in Scotland. Facing this, on a flyleaf, is the ownership inscription of 'J.

An uncommon theatrical signature from the era of Lamb and Hazlitt. Gilliland was a professional journalist, liked by Monk Lewis and Thomas Moore. His presence in the green-room of Drury Lane Theatre as a 'spy' caused objections from Charles Mathews the elder and other actors. Gilliland was alive in 1816, in which year his name appears in the Biographical Dictionary of Living Authors. There is an 1807 engraving of Gilliland by Thomas Cheesman, after Samuel De Wilde. The present item is 1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper with wear to extremities.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and creased paper. The body of the letter is written in another hand, and reads: 'The names of two Gentlemen appointed to act as Lieutenants whom Admiral Durham is particularly desirous of getting confirmed as Lieutenants. - | Mr Brigss - Vacancy. Lt Gordon 1st on Admiralty List appd to Spider - | Mr Maltman - do - Lt Luke promoted by Admiralty order -'. Beneath this Durham has signed: 'P. C. Durham'.

On one side of a slip of paper cut from a letter. In good condition, lightly aged. The conclusion of a letter, reading: '[...] also to get another Servant, so I shall put it off till my return & I have every thing in order. | My kind love to all of you & you my dear Mother ever truly | F Marryat'.

The Greville Memoirs caused an uproar on its publication in 1874. Queen Victoria described it as a 'dreadful and really scandalous book' which should be 'severely censored and discredited'. Disraeli characterised its author as 'the vainest being—I don't limit myself to man—that ever existed; and I don't forget Cicero and Lytton Bulwer […] when he was not scandalous, he was prolix and prosy—a clumsy, wordy writer […] a more verbose, indefinite, unwieldy affair, without a happy expression, never issued from the pen of a fagged subordinate of the daily press'.

The five signatories are: Sir Alfred Claud Hollis (1874-1962), Governor of Trinidad and Tobago, 1930-1936, and author of a historical account of Spanish Trinidad; his wife Enid Mabel Hollis (née Longman), Lady Hollis (1888-1939); Sir Edward Brandis Denham (1876-1938), Governor of British Guiana, 1930–1935, and Jamaica, 1935–1938; Sir Thomas Reginald St Johnston (1881-1950), Governor of the Leeward Islands, 1929-1936; Sir William Charles Fleming Robertson (1867-1937), Governor of Barbados, 1925-1932. On one side of a 13.5 x 16.5 cm leaf of cream paper torn from an autograph album.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, laid down on piece of card, with slight staining from the glue employed. The note reads: 'My dear Benthall. | I enclose what you wished for, a slip of Sala's “Copy”, and one of my own. They are both sufficiently grimy, having been through the printers' hands. | Sincerely your's [sic] | Edmund Yates'.

1p., 12mo. With mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. He found the recipient's 'kind letter' on his return home, and thanks him for it and for his 'good offices in procuring me the payment from Rustal's Charity'. He asks him to communicate his best thanks to the Trustees, 'at the next opportunity which may occur'.

xii + 187pp., 8vo. A handsome example of Whittingham's handiwork, printed on good thick laid paper, with title page in black and red. In original grey paper wraps. Small vignette of a tree within a decorative circular border printed in brown on the front cover and in black on title page. Uncut edges. Internally in good condition, loose in frayed and worn wraps. Author's presentation inscription on flyleaf: 'Sophia Cunliffe Rodger | Given at Nice | to her by | Sir John Kingston James'. Printed 8vo presentation leaf loosely inserted, reading: Château Denis, | Hyères, Var, | France.

The recipient's name, given at the foot of the last page, appears to read 'Mr. L. Newland' or 'Newlaw'. This may be J. W. Newland, was an English daguerreotypist and magic lanternist who travelled from New Orleans, through Central and South America, to the Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, England, and finally to Calcutta between 1845 and 1857. 2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He has submitted the recipient's letter to the Queen, 'together with the Daguerrotypes that accompanied it'.

The present collection of 31 poems, Menken's only book, was published a few days after her death. Menken was heavily influenced by Walt Whitman, and has been claimed to be the first poet and the only woman to be his follower (although at the time the New York Times reported that Whitman had disassociated himself from her work). The present copy is [8] + 142pp., 12mo. (Prelims numbered to v.) Frontispiece portrait of Menken, and reduced facsimile of a letter to her from Charles Dickens on the reverse of the dedication leaf.

PLAY: 81pp., 8vo. On one side each of 81 leaves of yellow paper. In good condition, lightly aged, with the first leaf a little dogeared. No cast list or other prelims, but the complete play, and with each page paginated from 1-81. First page headed: 'CHAMPOEG: THE STORY OF OLD OREGON | by Charles Deemer'. An unpublished two-act historical drama, in 35 scenes, covering a thirty-year period, with the first scene titled 'The Return of the Brigade (1829)', and the last 'Statehood (1859)'.

Small piece of paper, 13.5 x 8.5cm, faintly foxed, otherwise good condition, text clear strong (see image). A flamboyant hand. He writes "John Dickens. | The reputed Father | of "Boz" | Augt 17th 1844". In "reputed" he refers perhaps to Charles's nickname, but his comment has the flavour of resentment perhaps. Since he had no qualms about sending begging letters to his son's friends, perhaps writing such signed sentiments was another financial enterprise.

The signatories are the British astronomer Sir Richard Arman Gregory (1864-1952), the American author Edwin Diller Starbuck (1866-1947), the American lawyer (twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize) Manley O. Hudson [ Manley Ottmer Hudson ] (1886-1960), and the two Japanese professors of English Ichikawa Sanki (1886-1970) of the Imperial University of Tokyo (friend of Lafcadio Hearn) and Rintaro Fukuhara (1894-1981) of Bunrika University (colleague of William Empson). The signatures are on four leaves of 8vo paper, In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with some fold lines.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with tissue labels from mount adhering to the blank reverse. Tinsley Brothers of 8 Catherine Street, Strand, were Ainsworth's publishers during this period. The letter begins: 'Dear Mr. Tinsley, | You are quite incorrigible.' Ainsworth complains that Tinsley has sent him a letter, 'delayed since Novr. 11th. last', and that he has 'been obliged to write a long letter of explanation and apology'. He hopes that 'the lady – for the writer is a lady – will be satisfied'.