[‘The foremost diplomat of his age’: James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury.] Autograph Letter Signed to a cleric near Cranbourn, apparently concerning the inadvisability of introducing Portland sheep onto his estate.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB and the History of Parliament (‘the foremost diplomat of his age’). It was Malmesbury who went to Brunswick to fetch the Prince Regent’s betrothed Princess Caroline, and whom he asked to get him a brandy on his first encounter with her three years before the present letter was written. A legible script was clearly not a prerequisite for a successful diplomat, as the handwriting of this missive is scandalously bad: practically on a level with that of Dr Parr. 1p, 4to. On recto of the first leaf of a bifolium, the verso of the second being franked, with partial ‘HENLEY’ postmark and red wax seal, ‘Henley June twenty four 1798 / Revd Mr [Tawcence?] / Partridge / near Cranbourn / [?]’. The franking signature ‘Malmesbury’ appears between two lines in the customary bottom-left corner. Heavily aged and worn, with short closed tear to letter, and repaired long closed tear across leaf carrying address. The whole of the following transcription is tentative ‘Dear Sir / After consulting with Mr [Wilt?] & with my bailiff they both agree that [?] is not let for Portland sheep & that as [?] plantation that it will be my [?] to keep them from there [?] so much wilder than there [?] it is for that reason that I have to thank you & I beg you to thank your Father for the trouble you have taken in this subject, which for for the present at least I have given you uselessly. / I should hope your affair [?] will be settled to yr satisfaction[.] I am glad yr brother [&?] are so well.’ See Image