LITERATURE

The card is 1p., 12mo., sending the 'Third book of proposed Series'. He hopes to 'call to collect agreed £1 on the date arranged', but if this is not possible asks for it to be sent to John Farquharson. The printed volume is 64pp., 12mo. Bound by Townsend in patterned brown cloth, with the title 'One-Punch Chris?' in gilt on front cover. In good condition, on browned newspaper stock, in lightly-worn binding. The story, by 'Eric W. Townsend', in thirty-four chapters, is printed in small print, in double column, with a drophead title and illustration of boxing scene above text on front page.

64pp., 8vo, pictorial coloured covers, worn at spine edges rubbed, hinge strain, pages with edges stained or foxed, but illustrations clear and attractive - chromolithographs by Emrik & Binger. The Nursery Rhymes are a familiar selection. See images on my website. No other copy recorded on COPAC or WorldCat.

235pp., 4to. In two uniform volumes, paginated as follows. Vol.1: ii + 135pp. Vol.2: 89pp. With an additional nine unpaginated pages. Both volumes in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in aged and worn bindings with marbled covers and cloth spines. Written out in at least two hands. The first volume is preceded by a 'Prefatory Note', dated 30 November 1906, giving a good example of the tone of the magazine, which is written in a parody of the academic style (complete with pseudo-scholarly footnotes), and is filled with what are clearly Girton in-jokes.

On both sides of 7 x 11 cm. piece of paper, cut from a letter. On one side is the address: 'Monsr. Ventouillac | to the care of Master Morgan | From Miss Porter -'. And on the other a fragment of the letter: '<...> that the same volume will be so presented to him, by the Revd Mr. Pole and Mr. Ventouillac. Miss P - hopes Mr. V - <...> success in his <...>'.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged and ruckled. She is 'much obliged for the Catalogue', and hopes 'to make good use of it, when I have had a consultation with my brother and a neighbour or two who may like to combine in a parcel'.

viii + 491 + [1]pp., 8vo. Aged and slightly damp-stained along the fore-edge. In worn calf quarter-binding, marbled endpapers. Inscribed on half-title 'A M. J de Vasconcellos | Hommage de l'auteur | G Vapereau'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, with small printed slip from catalogue pasted above letterhead. The recipient is named as 'Mr. Green | Claremont House | Clapton'. Reads: 'Madam | My autograph can be of little value to any one, but in compliance with your wish so courteously expressed I enclose it & am | Madam | Faithfully yours | Theodore Martin'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, with minor traces of labels from mounting at head and foot. Having 'just returned from rather a long trip to the Mediterranean and found much arrears of correspondence' he can't write to Carr fully, but suggests that he call on him one day that week. 'I do not promise that I will do anything to swell Messrs Cassells bank a/c - I am rather displeased with them.' Carr's reputation was made by his 'Cruise of the Cachalot' (1898), a semi-autobiographical account of a whaling expedition.

2pp., 8vo. On aged and worn paper. The letter begins: 'Dearest Geoffrey | She is quite convinced you were Pourponne! - says it was given to her before she saw your photographs - (about which she says some very gratifying things!) How does this strike you?!' The woman is 'hunting for a confirmatory portrait'. While Lehmann herself has 'only the haziest impression of Pourponne', she does know that 'they were mutually devoted' She exclaims: 'Oh do hurry up & start this book!

Written lengthwise on front of a 9 x 15.5 cm. envelope. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'A. E. W. | I had a list of the autographs in thy literary collection but unfortunately have mislaid it. If there is a duplicate it wont make any difference because this is an uncessary little note of | D. M. C.' The page also carries annotations in another hand in light pencil.

47 + [1] + [11]pp., 16mo. Internally in good condition, lightly aged, in worn grey printed boards with wear to spine.On cover: 'Privated Printed Opuscula issued to the Members of the Sette of Odd Volumes. | No. XIII. | Coloured Books for Children.' No. 167 of a limited edition of 255 copies, signed by 'Charles Welsh', and with recipient's name erased. Hand-coloured frontispiece. Pp.27-47 carry 'A Catalogue of the Coloured Books for Children; Past and Present.' The last eleven pages contain a 'Bibliography of Odd Volumes' and 'List of Members'. Five copies on COPAC.

On one side of piece of 13.5 x 8.5 cm piece of paper. Aged and worn. Reads: 'know when I shall have an evening to myself, for in the last fifteen days or so, I have only dined at home twice, and as far as I see, that much of vagrant life seems rather on the increase than otherwise. But the first evening that I have, I will dedicate to you, & give you notice thereof | Best remembrances to your family - | Yours very sincerely | J. G. Wood'. On reverse, in another hand: 'J. G. Wood | the great naturalist'.

On 1 x 5.5 cm slip of paper cut from letter. In fair condition, aged, and with slight discoloration at one end. The signature is present in full, but the underlining flourish hs been truncated.

1p., 4to. On aged and worn paper. In response to Duncan's advertisement in 'The Stage', he asks whether he would be 'interested in the famous cartoons, in colour, which, with the signature of "Spy," used to appear in "Vanity Fair."? I have about seventy in good condition, all published between 1860 and 1885'. He also offers 'several volumes of old plays - some of them over 140 years old, and asks whether Duncan 'might care to drop in and have a look at these "treasures. | But, give me a tinkle on the 'phone first as I am rather a busy Man.'

Both items in fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with a little rust spotting from a paperclip. Macwhirter's letter is 2pp., landscape 8vo. The letterhead, featuring two engravings of coaches, is printed in blue, and boasts that Macwhirter is an 'Antiquarian and General Writer | Contributor since 1926 to leading journals', as well as 'Lecturer in New College, Edinburgh, to Scottish Church History Society, 1944 and 1952.' It also contains a three-line list of the journals he has contributed to.

16pp. (of which 12pp. in 8vo and 4pp. in 4to). In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Neatly written out, with underlinings in red ink. Loosely inserted in the marbled wraps of an exercise book, with 'Adelphi' in pencil on the inside of the front cover. The first scene is written out complete on ten leaves from the exercise book (now loose), with the main text on ten pages, and additions on two versos. In addition to this is a grey paper bifolium, carrying over 4pp., 4to, additional matter to be inserted at the beginning of the second scene.

9pp., folio. On five leaves of aged and worn paper. Heavily reworked, with numerous deletions and additions. Headed 'The Confessions of A [amended from 'The'] Suspicious Gentleman. | by Lord Nugent'. The present short story was first published in 'The Musical Bijou' for 1830, and was reprinted in 'The Polar Star' (abridged) and 'New York Mirror', before being collected in an anthology by Nugent and his Wife, 'Legends of the Library at Lilies, by the Lord and Lady there' (London: Longman, 1832), pp.51-91.

On 2.5 x 6.5 slip of paper cut from the end of a letter. Laid down on a small piece of black card. In good condition, lightly aged. In a small tight hand. Reads 'Very truly yours | M. O. W. Oliphant'. With cutting of part of an article. featurinng a photograph of the novelist.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight rusting at head from paperclip. He writes that there is 'no relationship between myself and any of the people you mention. I have no antecedents such as you suggest and I cannot recall having received a copy of your catalogue.' Turning to the character 'Horace' in his play 'Nothing Up My Sleeve' he writes: 'he's just a figment of my imagination and the whole play is just a piece of work without any intended resemblance to anyone, only types.' The carbon copy of Barry Duncan's letter is somewhat aged and worn around the edges.

The inscription is on a 22.5 cm square piece of card, and reads: 'Eden Phillpotts - somewhat battered, but still telling stories. | May 1950.' Laid down on the card, above the inscription, is a 14 x 18 cm black and white photograph, depicting Phillpotts, book in hand, standing in front of a bookcase, which has apparently been cut by Phillpotts from a magazine. The item is in fair condition, lightly-aged and worn.

ONE: Letter. 1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He cannot attend the breakfast club, as he is to be best man to a friend in Wimbledon at that time. He is 'rather too old for the character but all his other friends are married'. He would 'prefer the chat but, alas, it cant be managed'. TWO: Note. 1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper with slight damage at foot. He regrets that, being out of town, he will be unable to 'join the breakfast club' at the recipient's house.

14pp., 12mo. Disbound without wraps. In good condition, lightly aged. Poem of seventy five-line stanzas, arranged in four parts.

On 12.5 x 9 cm piece of cream paper. In good condition, with light signs of age. Boldly written and underlined, at the top of the page, reading 'Eric Linklater.' No other writing on either side of the leaf.

ONE: Typed playscript. 64pp., 8vo. Typed in purple ink, on rectos only. In pink card 'Ludgate File', with white typed label on front cover: 'THE FAIRYLAND EXPRESS'. In fair condition, aged and worn, with the leaves bound in with a rusted metal bar. Initial blank leaf with ownership inscription: 'Jack Denton | 12 Montague Road | Richmond | Surrey', as well as 'Mr Percy Nash | see phone'. The first page gives Denton's typed address as '25 Monmouth Road | Watford', and lists the cast, headed by 'Prudence . . . a little girl from Kensington', and 'Eric' and 'Marjorie', who are 'Her cousins . .

Learned and witty, Spedding was a popular figure within the literary scene of Victorian London. As he lay dying following an accident, Tennyson rushed to the hospital and begged admission to his bedside. When approached by Delia Bacon, he dismissed the Baconian theory with contempt, and was the first to realise that the play 'Henry VIII' was a collaboration between Shakespeare and John Fletcher. Both of the present letters are signed 'Jas Spedding' and addressed to 'My dear Mrs. Pollock', and both in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with minor traces of glue from mount.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with postmark, to 'John P. Aston, Esqre | Messrs. Ainsworth & Co | Solrs | Essex Street | Manchester'. Aston was Ainsworth's father's law clerk. The year after this letter was written the novel 'Sir John Chiverton', on which Ainsworth and Aston collaborated, was published to great success (and endorsement by Sir Walter Scott).

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper. He thanks him for sending 'Idylls of Spain' (by Rowland Thirlmere, 1897), which 'Mr. Milner' will settle with him for, and states that he is 'interested in the subject and would be glad of a note of any books you happen to come across on this subject'. In 1903 Crockett would publish 'The Adventurer in Spain'.

The envelope is 7 x 12 cm, with penny stamp printed on. In fair condition, lightly-aged, with back flap intact (i.e ungummed rather than cut open). The address - certainly in Swinburne's hand - simply reads: 'The Hon. J. Leicester Warren | 67 Onslow Square | S.W.'

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He begins by noting that they have not corresponded for a while, and that he has 'been abroad most of my time for several years'. He is sending him 'a set of advance sheets of a little book I am to publish with Cassells at the end of September' ('Recollections of Rossetti'), 'because I have a very grateful memory of all the kind, appreciative and very able articles which you have written about other books of mine'.

On one side of an 8 x 13 cm piece of paper. In good condition, with light signs of age, and central horizontal fold. Firm, bold signature, 8 cm long, with underlining flourish. Beneath the signature, in a small hand, is the message: 'M Guinot | M: Vigny vous adresse son nom pour vous remercier il ne connait pas votre adresse'. Addressed on reverse, 'à M. Eug. Guinot'.