[William Jerdan, editor of ‘The Literary Gazette’.] Autograph Letter Signed (to the annual’s editor Thomas K. Hervey?), regarding the reviewing of ‘Friendship’s Offering’ and ‘Mr Kennedy’s Volume of genuine poetry’.

An interesting letter, casting light on the workings of Victorian literary criticism. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The subject of the letter, ‘Friendship’s Offering’, was one of the four great nineteenth-century London ‘gift books’, appearing between the 1820s and the 1840s, for some of the period at least under the editorship of Thomas K. Hervey. 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin neat strip of windowpane mount adhering to edges. Folded four times for postage. Thirteen lines of text. Signed ‘W. Jerdan’, with recipient (‘Dear Sir’) not named. Begins ‘Dear Sir / Accept my thanks for the Friendships Offering which shall receive immediate attention. My packets are regularly sent from the Literary Gazette Office twice every day (the forenoon & evening) so that I am sure of their being speedily delivered: yet I rather think I did not get the India proofs you mention last week. If I have them now, they must be with the gentleman who writes most of the Criticisms on the Fine Arts for me.’ He ends by confirming that a review has been printed of ‘Mr Kennedy’s Volume of genuine poetry’, but that ‘the presence of more temporary matter led to its being delayed’, and that the notice will be inserted on the following Saturday.