MANUSCRIPT

On 5.5 x 11.5 cm piece of paper, cut from the end of a letter. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, laid down on part of leaf from album. Reads: 'Yours faithfully | Isa Craig | R. A. Arnold Esq'.

Folio, 30 pp. In brown leather half-binding, with marbled boards. One simple pen illustration, p. 18, showing arrangement of 'Muraille' and 'Pont'. Good, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding. Neatly set out, in a secretarial hand, with a synopsis beside each paragraph in red ink in the widened left-hand margins. As a loosely-inserted printed slip explains in English, the manuscript sets out 'instructions by a French Official Commission for the preparation and arming of a fleet of steam ships to be equipped to carry marines to form an expeditionary force to the coast of Africa.

Five lines, 4to, some foxing not affecting clarity of text, as follows: "Jerome addresse cette despesche pour Mr des [?] fougeraire[?] que je vous prie de luy faire tenir en tout diligence Louis de Bourbon"

Folio, 110 pp, comprising [i] + 68 + [ii] + 39 pp. Handsome volume in slipcase, tight and internally in very good condition, on lightly-aged thick Whatman paper. Well bound in black leather morocco, all edges gilt. Binding blind-tooled and with 'Early Days' and 'W. V. S.' in gilt on spine and motto on front board: 'Nourish the sentiments thy principles approve and put thy trust and confidence in God.' Binding worn and rebacked, in worn black cloth slipcase.

4to, 71 pp, with one 12mo page at end. In poor condition, damp damaged and detached from green cloth covers, but with texts legible and complete. Manuscript table of contents on recto of first leaf describes nine tales in German, told by Ascher Horowitz and T.

All items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letters total 49pp, 16mo and 8vo.. All are complete except the last, which lacks the last part. They are liberally adorned with sketches. Mostly addressed to 'My dear Aunty' and signed in a variety of ways, from 'J. Bowyer B. Nichols' to 'BBN'. The first letter, dated 4 December 1871, sets the tone, showing Bowyer Nichols to be a precocious and spirited twelve-year-old. It begins: 'Will you send me, if you can find it, that poem about Sally Porter and Charlie Church?

4to bifolium (on two 19.5 x 22.5 cm leaves). The 'Ground plan' is neatly drawn on the reverse of the first leaf, and the two-page key is on both sides of the second leaf, lettered A to Z, and headed 'A. B. C. D. E. F. G. The Church & parts thereto belonging'. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Entries among the keys include 'I. Places groined over with stone one of which is supposed to have been the infirmary', 'K. Arches under which the River Skell runs' and 'S. Cloisters groined with stone the pillars whereof were painted - Over these was the Dormitory.

The last eight leaves only of a printed catalogue (no. 260 in M. V. de Chantilly's 'Robert Harding Evans of Pall Mall | auction catalogues 1812-1846 | a provisional list' (2002)). Stitched and unbound. On aged and worn paper, with slight damp staining to margins. Paginated 23-37 + [1], with the final page (i.e. the verso of the last leaf) carrying the advertisement: 'Preparing for Sale by MR. EVANS. | THE VALUABLE LIBRARY of an | EMINENT COLLECTOR.' (in manuscript: 'Mr Rennie'). Slug at foot of p.37: 'London: Printed by W. Nicol, | Cleveland-row, St.

On one side of 11 x 15 cm slip of paper. On aged paper, heavily worn at head and at one edge, with some loss of text. The damage has been skilfully repaired. Reads: 'Jan. 17. 1744/5 eived then of <...>ackin Nilliam <...>ynn Bannet the following MS viz. Dares Phrygius & Tyssillons History of the Britions in Welsh, Chronica Britonum in Welsh, & the chartulary of the Abbey de Bello in Latin | which I promise to restore on demand. Witness my hand | Tho: Carte'.

16pp., 12mo. Stitched into cream wraps with title printed in red on cover. In good condition, with slight wear to overlapping edges of wraps. Inscription in pencil at head of first page: 'ABR from Bob, 1972 | - see colophon' ('ABR' is the London antiquarian bookseller Anthony Bertram Rota). The 'Acknowledgments' (rather than a colophon) on the last page begin: 'Saul and Lillian Marks wish to thank Mr. Robert Elwell for inviting the Plantin Press to show its work at the Grolier Club, [...]'.

156pp., 12mo. In fine binding of black morocco, tooled in gilt on the boards and spine, one of the five compartments of which contains the word 'CYPHERS', with the date '1854' at the foot of the spine. With all edges gilt and dentelles, and a metal cast of the monogram 'EP' placed at centre of the front board. Hand-drawn and coloured Paget family bookplate on front pastedown. In fair condition, aged and worn, in worn binding.

This small archive provides an interesting insight into the world of mid-twentieth century antiquarian bookselling. In excess of one hundred items, the collection being in good condition, lightly aged and worn, including 61 typed letters, invoices and quotations by the firm, all on its letterhead, and around 30 drafts of the letters to the firm from a somewhat difficult customer, with an interesting range of interests, his purchases dating between the seventeenth and the twentieth century, on such subjects as Russian antiquities, bookplates, the classics, Rossica and Oscar Wilde.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper with some wear at bottom edge. Addressed 'Monsieur'. After a reference to a newspaper article by the recipient and 'les journalistes Français', he communicates, on the subject of cremation, 'un fait que j'ai appris hier du rédacteur en chef d'un grand journal Suisse et qui n'a pas été rendu public par les gazettes', concerning an attack on those attempting a cremation in Berne.

xi + 213pp., 8vo. In good condition, in like dustwrapper on which Korn is depicted, in characteristic lurid t-shirt, leaning against a shelf of books. Autograph inscription by Korn in blue ink on reverse of half-title: 'A. R. | d. d. | E. K. | "more stimulating than Highlife" - West Drayton Observer.' Beneath this, in pencil in another hand: '1 . xi. 89 | @ 31,000 feet.' For more on this remarkable man, see the obituary by his son Andrew Korn and memoir by Michael Frayn in the Independent, 19 December 2014.

NOTE: Autograph Note Signed. 1p., 12mo. Lightly stamped with date of receipt, 28 August 1969. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Reads: 'Dear Mr Rota, | I hope & believe this is one you havent got - it needs a touch of ink eraser - | Gratefully, yrs | Cyril Connolly'. At foot of page, in Rota's autograph: 'About exchanging issues of Personal Landscape [i.e. Lawrence Durrell's magazine]'. BOOK: xv + 414pp., 8vo. In good condition in like dustwrapper. Connolly has scored through his name on the title page and written beneath it in blue ink 'Cyril Connolly.'

On one side of 6 x 10 cm piece cut from the end of a letter. In fair condition, aged, ruckled and a little faded. Reads: '<...> kindly pass | Very soon | If convenient | & oblige - | E. A. Sothern | Haymarket Theatre.'

On one side of a 7 x 9 cm piece of laid paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn; apparently cut down. Reads: 'Adelphi | Admit 2 boxes | Wed. Dec 23 | Ch. Fechter'. Good bold signature.

LETTER: 2pp., 12mo. On lightly aged and worn paper. He summons him to a meeting, telling him to read a memo beforehand, before writing: 'I am not disposed to waive any Crown rights for money advanced | Lenders may have notice, but if P. W L C advance public money, the public must be protected against persons who are trading for profit'. CARTE DE VISITE: In fair condition, lightly aged, with 'W. H. SMITH, ESQ., M.P.' printed beneath the image, and the details of the London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company on the reverse.

1p. 12mo. On grubby and creased paper, with rust mark from paperclip. Reads: 'My dear Alfred Montgomery | Thank's [sic] for yours received this morning. I have a vacant place at my dinner table for Monday next New Years day, so I hope to see you here at 8 o'clock and personally to wish you every sort of blessing for the coming Year. I remain | Yours most sincerely, | George.'

The item provides an interesting insight into the editing process of the Thinker's Library, 140 volumes of which Watts & Co. published for the Rationalist Association between 1929 and 1951. The book is xiii + 240pp., 8vo, in red cloth binding, gilt. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight wear to one corner. A couple of leaves have been neatly torn out, evidently in the process of revision. Stamp of the Rationalist Press Association Ltd on reverse of title.

Robert Harding Evans has been described as 'the greatest of all auctioneers of literary property'. In a career spanning three decades he oversaw the dispersal of many of the finest libraries ever assembled, from the great Roxburghe sale of 1812 to that of the Duke of Sussex in 1845, as well as those of the books of Lord Byron and the manuscripts and copyrights of Sir Walter Scott. In an undated letter to Bodley's Librarian (copy in Item Four below) Marcham states that he is 'working on Evans the auctioneer and the list will be published.

3pp., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, with two punch holes for placement in album to margins of each of the three leaves. He congratulates him on his catalogue, states that he is attaching a wants list (not present) and that he is leaving it to the recipient 'to make out the account as I am not good at adding - & also dont know the postage. | The Librarian at the House of Lords showed great interest in your catalogue & is writing to you for one'. He suggests sending a copy to John Hayward, and gives his address.

28pp., 8vo. Stitched into grey printed wraps. Aged and worn, with the firm ownership signature 'John Carter' in ink in the top-left corner of the front cover. A few passages are highlighted in pencil. Now scarce.

Manuscript Notebook, stiff card binding, 74pp. used, c.17 items listed per page, description of clothes and materials, and cost, total cost given at the end of each page. Author unidentified, but occasional biographical entries (e.g "Left Ireland/ Bournemouth" (1900), "W. gave me pair of corsets" (1924)), obviously well-to-do and ultimately at least middle-aged (corsets needed in 1924). Sample page (Sept. 1916-Jan/Feb 1917) "Sepr Dressmaker (May) £4/ Hat (black velvet tri-corner & gold ornament 1.10/ Veil 2[s]3[d]/Navy coat Frock 8/8/- 8.15.6/ Nov.

4pp., 8vo. 96 lines of text. On paper ruled for accounts. On lightly-aged paper, with loss to corners and at central edge, affecting a few lines of text. Accompanying the letter is a translation (2pp., 8vo) by Colin Jordan, with the assistance of Dr Loukas Christodloulos. The letter is of great interest, casting light on Leigh Fermor's activities in Crete in the period following the Second World War.

On one side of a 10.5 x 16.5 cm slip of grey paper. In fair condition, creased and lightly-aged. Reads (with manuscript text in square brackets): '[Hutchison Robertus e Coll. Exon.] | Die [5to] Mensis [Decris.] Anni [1866] | prout Statuta requirunt Examinatus in Literis Humanioribus in tribus libris et in SS. Evangeliis satisfecit nobis Moderatoribus. | Ita testatur { [J Conington | N. Pinder | H F. Tozer | David B. Monro] } Moderatores in literarum Graecarum et Latinarum Schola.' Thorley's1874-5 Lit. Hum. mark-book appears to be the earliest extant.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Eighteen lines closely and neatly written, headed 'To the Council of Bath College'. An approving testimonial: 'The Revd. Robert Hutchison, who is a candidate for the Head mastership of Bath College, was my pupil during his residence as an Undergraduate at Exeter College Oxford, and I have much pleasure in certifying to the high charater he bore for industry and good behaviour during that period. He was Scholar of the College, and his scholarship was good and sound, as he proved by getting a First Class in Moderations.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. An approving testimonial, closely and neatly written over thirty lines, beginning: 'The Rev: Robert Hutchison, M.A. was educated by me at Merchant Taylors' School, and, after having reached the distinguished rank of Fifth Monitor, (or Fifth in the whole School,) was sent up by me to Oxford, and obtained by competition an open Scholarship at Exeter College.

1p., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: '6 April 1904. | Dear Mr. Hutchison, | With all good wishes, I send, duly signed, the enclosed, received this morning. | Yours very sincerely, | F Oxon.'

1p., 12mo. On bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly-aged. In envelope with Penny Red stamp and postmark, addressed to 'The Revd | Robert Hutchison | The Parsonage | Studley | near Oxford'. The envelope, carrying the Earl's seal in black wax, has a mourning border, with '11 Hereford Gardens' printed on the back. He is writing 'a few lines very sincerely' to congratulate Hutchison on the birth of his daughter. He is sorry that the 'otherwise happy event should be tempered by the recollection of so recent & so sad a bereavement'.