MANUSCRIPT

1p, foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to an edge. Folded once. At bottom right are Grenville's signature ('W: W: Grenville') and a good impression of his seal in red wax. Twenty-line document, written in a secretarial hand, with two embossed tax stamps at head.

The Athenian Letters, primarily written by Hardwicke and his brother Charles, enjoyed considerable vogue on the publication in 1781 of the second edition (a first edition of ten copies had appeared in 1741). The present item relates to a projected third volume of the 'Miscellaneous State Papers', the first two volumes of which had been published by Strahan and Cadell in 1778. John Topham (later Librarian to the Archbishop of Canterbury) and Thomas Astle worked together on the public records at Westminster. The present item is 1p, 4to. Bifolium.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with strip of paper from mount on reverse, which also has another strip of paper strengthening a crease. The document is written out by Halford, with Tierney signing beneath his signature. A general announcement, with no recipient named. Reads: 'The King is not able to receive company at the Drawing Room to day – His Majesty having experienced an attack of the Gout in the night. | Carlton Palace | April 23. 1823 - | Henry Halford | Matthew John Tierney'.

3pp, 4to. Bifolium. Signature ('Edward') in the prince's hand, the rest of the letter by a secretary. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight damage to one corner of first leaf, and thin strip of paper from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf, which is franked 'Kent & Strathearn', with postmark, and addressed to 'Francis Freeling Esquire | &c &c &c | Genl. Post Office | Lombard Street | London'. Folded four times.

1p., 4to. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to revese of second leaf, which is endorsed '5. April 1796 | Duke of Leeds.' Folded twice. Reads 'Dear Sir. | The Duke of Rutland & some of his friends being desirous of seeing Bethlem Hospital, I shall be much obliged to you for an order of admittance for His Grace & his Company. | Believe me Dear Sir | very sincerely yours | Leeds.' Richard Clark (1739-1831) was Treasurer of the Royal Hospitals of Bethlem and Bridewell.

The frank is on a piece of paper cut from the front of an envelope. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on part of leaf from album. The frank is set out in the customary manner, with the signature 'Boyle' at bottom left, and the address reading: 'Woolverhampton [sic] July | seventeenth 1848 | Miss L: Inglis | Milton Bryand [sic] | Wooborn'. The recipient is probably Mary Louisa Inglis (d.1853), sister of Sir Robert Harry Inglis (1786-1855), Conservative politician and Lord of the Manor of Milton Bryant (or Bryan), Bedfordshire.

1p, foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to edge on reverse. Folded once. Signed 'C Townshend' with good impression of seal in red wax at bottom right. Nineteen-line document in a secretarial hand, with tax stamp at head. At foot, by two members of the Army Pay Office, Horse Guards: 'Sign'd, Sealed and delivered, (being first duly stamp'd) in the presence of | John Powell | Chas: Bembridge'.

1p, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Franked on reverse of second leaf, with seal in red wax broken into two pieces, and franking postmark: 'Frome – November twenty fifth 1814 | Messrs: Wulliamys | Watch Maker's | Pall Mall | London | Boyle'.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, aged and worn, with creasing and heavy wear at head. Folded three times. Addressed to 'The Rev. C. R. Sumner'. Reads: 'Rev. Sir | As Librarian of the British & Foreign Bible Society, I have the honor to state to you that a Resolution has been passed by the Committee of that Society, requesting permission to offer to His Majesty as a mark of their dutiful homage a set of Copies of the Versions of Holy Scripture executed or reprinted at their expence.

p, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The recipient is not named. Addressed to 'Révérend et cher Monsieur'. Sixteen neatly-written lines of text. He thanks him 'mille fois' for the number of the 'Day of Rest'. He has read the recipient's article, as well as that of 'Madame Hunt', but he is sorry 'de n'être pas assez versé dans la connaissance de la langue anglaise, pour pouvoir apprécier vos écrits comme ils le méritent'. He hopes to make progress, and is at present reading the recipient's piece in the Contemporary Review, 'qui m'intéresse beaucoup'.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. He states that the 'Certificate' of 'M. Meryon [sic] du Mersan' has been 'signed by Lord Aberdeen', and that he wishes to 'get the signatures of Mr. Gurney and Mr. Hamilton to it'. If he does not – 'or rather cannot' – send it to Akerman beforehand, he asks him if 'you can add your signature before it is read on Thursday Evening'. In addition to his literary works, Dumersan was a numismatist and Curator attached to the Cabinet des Médailles et Antiques of the Bibliothèque Royale.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin vertical strip of paper from mount adhering along top of first page. Begins: 'My dear Mrs Craigie | Mr Arthur à Beckett tells me that your story will soon be ready. When? I want if possible to commence with it [?] within the next fortnight. I shall have to definitely settle the matter. I hope you will let me have it very soon as I will then have it set up for you at once [last two words underlined]'.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Robinson is concerned, as he sent 'the corrected proofs and copy of index some time ago – quite a fortnight, I should say': 'Have you not received them? Please wire on receipt of this, if you can find them: though I am afraid they may have got lost at this end, as several letters did lately.' If need be, he has 'duplicate proofs and could correct these sharp and I have rough copy of most of the index too'. If informed 'at once', he can 'set to work'. From the Grant Richards papers.

1p, 12m. In good condition, lightly aged. Linklater writes that he is enclosing, as requested, his own copy of 'The Devil's in the News'. He asks Ashmore to 'consider the play your own property for the next six months', and to 'take any profit you can from it'. He does not expect royalties. Ashmore is 'at liberty to make any minor alterations, additions, or subtractions' that he may 'consider advisable'. The letter concludes: 'This is my only copy, and I shall be glad if some day you will return it.'

On 17 x 12 cm leaf of thickish paper, removed from 'The Meredith Birthday Book'. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Scratchy signature, underlined. In one of three printed boxes of red rules on one side of the leaf, the other side bearing quotations from George Meredith for the days 25 to 27 April.

2pp, 4to. On first leaf of bifolium, the second leaf carrying the address to 'Lady Palgrave | Hampstead Green', with four postmarks, one dated 29 July 1837. In fair condition, on aged, worn and creased paper. Lady Elizabeth Palgrave was the wife of the archivist and historian Sir Francis Palgrave (1788-1861, né Cohen), and daughter of the banker, naturalist and bibliophile Dawson Turner (1775-1858) of Yarmouth.

Each 1p, 4to. Both in fair condition, lightly aged and worn, and each folded three times. On the letterhead she is referred to as 'The Lady Edward Spencer-Churchill O.B.E.' Chairman of the British Legion. Women's Section. ONE: 16 November 1934. Having been informed by 'Miss Gerds' that the recipient 'would like to know if I am coming by Car or by train on December 1st, to open your “Fun Fair,”' she states that she is 'not sure how long it would take to motor from London', but thinks it would be quicker by train. 'I see a good one arrives at 2-47!' TWO: 5 January 1935.

2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with several folds. Twenty-two lines written in a close, crabbed hand. Begins: 'My dear Sir | I looked for you at the last meeting of the Antiquarian Society [i.e. the Cambridge Antiquarian Society] – in vain.' He is forwarding a letter he has received from 'Mr S. Jackson of Keswick, Cumberland – concerning some coins & medals for sale', He does not 'wish to be a purchaser', but Akerman may wish to give notice to 'some one who would wish to possess some of the collection'.

On 6 x 9.5 cm slip of paper, cut from the letter. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. On one side, with part of the franking postmark in red ink, Baring has addressed the letter in the customary fashion: 'Thetford December ten 1834 – | F. T. Maxon Esqr | 6 Little Friday St | Cheapside | London – | Frans Baring'. (The recipient is the solicitor Frederick Thomas Maxon.) The reverse of the slip carries part of the conclusion of the letter, with the top half of Barker's signature.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with the top part of the blank reverse pasted onto a slip of paper cut from an album. Adressed to 'Miss Constance M. Evans, | Raventhorpe, | Carmel Road N., | Darlington.' She begins by stating that Evans's letter has been forwarded to her by Julian Herbage.

3pp, small 4to. Bifolium on wove paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with closed tear at head of gutter. Customary tax stamp in red on first page. Each page with mourning border. In small print and double column.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged. With thin strip of paper from mount adhering to the blank reverse. The recipient is not named. He informs him that he will 'not be in Town' before the following Monday, instead of the Thursday, explaining that he 'was not able to leave the King until Saturday last – and a sejour here of less than a week would hardly justify a journey of 103 miles and back again'.

The present item dates from the final period of the king's mental instability, 1810-1820. Heberden – the son of the 'father of rheumatology' William Heberden the elder (1710-1801) – had been appointed Physician-Extraordinary to the queen in 1795, and by 1809 was Physician-in-Ordinary to both queen and king.

1p, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Reads 'Major General Garth presents his Compliments to Mr Ford and informs Him that Their Majesties and Princesses stop to breakfast at Hartford Bridge – and once afterwards for five Minutes at Stoney Cross – The Compton Arms – between Rumsey & Kingwood.' Postscript: 'The Majr Genl: supposes Mr Ford is acquainted that The King leaves Windsor 17th next.' Ford – the son of Queen Charlotte's physician, James Ford – was clearly enquiring with regard to the king's itinerary for security purposes.

The letter is written a few weeks after the king's recovery from his first bout of mental instability. In the period immediately preceeding the king's recovery a Regency Bill had been making its way through the House of Commons. It was made redundant by the king's recovery; had it been enacted the Prince of Wales, as Regent, would almost certainly have dismissed Pitt in favour of his rival Charles James Fox.

3pp, 12mp. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with short closed tear at gutter. Folded three times. Having received the unnamed recipient's letter at Horndean that morning, he writes that there is no reason why he should not 'take to morrow Week, in place of to morrow, as I know it will be equally convenient to His Majesty'.

For the context of this letter see David J. Cox, 'A Certain Share of Low Cunning: A History of the Bow Street Runners, 1792-1839' (2010): 'From 1792 at least two Principal Officers were also permanently stationed at Windsor after the King had received several death threats.

The subject of the letter is clearly a seditious communication found in the Windsor area and brought to Greville's attention, which he is forwarding for the attention of the Home Secretary, the Duke of Portland. David J. Cox casts light on the context in his 'A Certain Share of Low Cunning: A History of the Bow Street Runners, 1792-1839' (2010), stating that from 1792 'at least two Principal Officers were also permanently stationed at Windsor after the King had received several death threats'.

One page, 12mo, bifolium, fold marks, grubby, some staining, text clear and complete. "Dr Freinds Complements wait upon Mr Garth. If Colonel Cracherode has executed the two Deeds he begs the favor of Mr Garth to deliver them to his Servant the bearer." A Google snippet view (from The Genealogist) discusses a situation in which Cracherode and Dr Robert Freind are executors, perhaps in a family will.

4pp, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of tissue from mount adhering to one edge. Folded three times. An interesting letter, in which Halford asks Ellis for assistance in the writing of royal biographies for the Royal College of Physicians (of which he was President from 1820 to 1844), while explaining that it would not be 'proper' to go 'lower' than George II.