EARL

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In original envelope, with black wax armorial seal, addressed by Dalhousie to 'Mr. Forbes | 76 Queen Street | Edinr.' Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Dealing with his 'own Servant' Wood, first, he states that he has been with him for five years, 'in keeping my Cloaths, and my Butler latterly altogether; I have found him at all times sober, attentive active, and I believe him perfectly honest, & trustworthy. He has kept my house accounts, my Cellar Books, & all house matters regarding the men Servants, & that both at home and abroad to my satisfaction.

1p., 12mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with short closed tear to one edge and traces of mount on blank second leaf of bifolium. Signature slightly smudged. Brassey writes that he has been 'detained at the House of Lords, where I have been acting as chairman of a private committee', and as a result 'found it impossible to go down to the Albert Docks yesterday afternoon'. The letter almost certainly relates to the Albert Dock Seaman's Hospital, which was officially opened the following year, as a branch of the Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich.

7pp., 4to. Attached with a brass stud. The six pages of the catalogue are in fair condition, on aged paper, the title leaf is dusty and spotted. The manuscripts listed in this catalogue are primarily of a political and diplomatic nature. They do not appear to correspond with those in the 'Hinchingbrooke Collecton' listed by Cambridgeshire County Record Office on the National Archives website, an entry which gives a useful account of their origins (mainly the stables at Hinchingbrooke).

1p., 12mo. With mourning border. (On his father' sdeath in October Derby had acceded to the title.) The letter reads: 'Lord Derby presents his compliments to the secretary of the Royal Zoological Society, and beign desirous of becoming a member of that body, would be much obliged to the secretary if he would inform him which steps are necessary to be taken for that object.'

1p., 12mo. On aged and lightly-spotted paper. Reads: 'My dear Sir, | Mrs. Hope's house will do & I shall be obliged to you to engage it for me, from the Saturday before the show for a week & the stables at Mr. Wrights also. | Yours most truly, | [signed] Spencer'. Mrs Hope is probably the Hon. Louisa Hope (d.1851), wife or widow of the connoisseur Thomas Hope (1769-1831), and one of the wealthiest women of England. If this is the case the letter was written before her second marriage in 1832 to her cousin Viscount Beresford.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. Text complete, on aged paper with a number of closed tears repaired with archival tape. The second leaf of the bifolium, lacking a strip at the top, is docketed 'Dr. Morris of Parliament Street's Success in curing Persons afflicted with Complaints similar to that which His Majesty labours under'. Considering the political content at the end of the letter, the author is probably Charles Hamilton, at the time of writing known by his courtesy title of Lord Binning.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with thin strip from mount adhering to margin of verso of second leaf, which is addressed to 'Mr. M. A. Jullien de Paris.' Printed slip from nineteenth-centrury catalogue describing the item laid down on first leaf. Doane begins 'My dear Sir, | Through the medium of M. George (whom I have had the pleasure of seeing since I wrote you last) I send de la part de M. Bentham the following works'. A list of thirteen items follows, from 'Christomathia 2 vols' to 'European Magazine for April 1823'. 'Those which are marked thus * Mr. B. wd.

Poem: On one side of a piece of 12mo paper. Fair, lightly-aged and a little ruckled, with traces of gum from previous mounting on the blank reverse. The 12-line poem is written in heroic couplets, and begins 'POOR, faithful animal, adieu! - | To Nature's kind affection true, | For fourteen years, thy grateful heart, | Devoted, play'd its humble part.' At the end a contemporary hand has ascribed the poem to 'B. B.', and the same hand gives the date as 'September 3d'.

12mo, 2 pp. Fair, on lightly aged and creased paper. Although it is 'unnecessary' , she is writing 'in Sidney's name to implore for your Vote & interest on Friday next as against the Govt. - Independently of the grave question at issue as regards India no friend of Lord Canning's can be indifferent to the base & ungenerous treatment he has received'. Sidney is writing to the Bishop of Salisbury 'in the same sense', and if he cannot come to London for the vote, he will, she hopes, 'send his proxy'. Docketed on reverse 'Authoress'.

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. 26 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with traces of blue paper mount adhering to the blank reverse of the second leaf. Apologises for being unable to 'attend a meeting of Managers of St. John's Schools' that week: 'Miss Wilbraham will be away from home the following week & Lord Skelmersdale does not arrive till the 20th.' Gives dates when he can attend, if his unnamed correspondent thinks it 'advisable to have the meeting without them'.

The Earl of Darnley's four letters (all signed 'Darnley') total 27 pp in 12mo; Lady Darnley's eight letters (all signed 'H. Darnley') total 26 pp in 12mo. All items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Darnley's first letter, 16 September 1853 (12mo, 12 pp), is unusually blunt for the period, and revealing on the etiquette of the period. It begins: 'I trust that the change in your mode of addressing me was accidental, and I have therefore not imitated it, and have used one word which you omitted [presumably 'Dear'].

On rectangle of paper, 11 x 5.5 cm, cut from front frank. Aged and spotted, with closed tear at head repaired on reverse with archival tape. The whole in Amherst's hand, with his signature (as usual on frank) in bottom left-hand corner between two horizontal lines. Launched in 1805, the Pomone was a 38-gun Leda-class fifth rate Royal Navy ship, built by Josiah and Thomas Brindley at Frindsbury. She saw action during the Napoleonic Wars, primarily in the Mediterranean, and was wrecked off the Needles in 1811.

4to, 2 pp. Seventeen lines. On worn aged paper, with the cropping of one margin resulting in minor loss to a few words of text. Requesting inclusion in 'any arrangement which may be made' regarding 'a move from Halifax [Nova Scotia]' as a result of a 'late vacancy at the Navy Board'. He is writing despite having 'neither claim or pretension' to Spencer's 'goodness', but 'having received an answer not sufficient to banish hope, in an application about 3 years ago', he is induced to try again.

The letter is of 23 lines, written on the front and back of an opened envelope with the cancelled address of 'John Wickham Flower Esq, Park Hill, Croydon'. In good condition, on aged paper. The rear of the envelope carries a good impression of a red wax seal, and the letter begins: 'My dear Sir, I had written this letter having obtained my object through my friend the York Herald and I still send it on account of the Seal which was the counter seal of Richd Neville Earl of Warwick killed at the battle of Barnet'.

Both letter and estimate clear and complete; both good, on lightly-aged paper. Letter: 4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Addressed, with faint circular 'ABER | DEEN' postmark in black ink, on reverse of second leaf, to 'The Right Honourable | The Earl of Aboyne | Montrose'. The letter is in two parts: the first (12 lines) on the recto of the first leaf, informs the Earl that 'The Buttons were sent by yesterdays Mail', and that, 'Some days since', he 'sent by the Mail Coach a pattern Coat as a Uniform for the Band.

On a square of paper, circa 10 x 11.5 cm. Aged and lightly-creased. Evidently a reply to a request for an autograph. Bold signature, with the whole reading 'Your's faithfully | Clarendon'. Docketed with a few biographical details on reverse.

Folio, 1 p. Bifolium. Text on recto of first leaf; docketed on reverse of second leaf. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged and worn paper. Headed 'Longhoughton | Northumberland'. Signed at foot by the Earl and Countess. Begins 'Licence is hereby Granted to Elizabeth Adams to Lett Lett or Assign over to Robert Adams All That Messuage or Tenement and the Lands thereto belonging with the Appurtenances Lying and being in Longhoughton held of us by Lease for Twenty One yeares from Ladyday One thousand Seven hundred forty and Nine'.

4to, 1 p. On bifolium of wove paper, watermarked 'J LARKING | 1804'. Nicely printed. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The poem is thirty-four lines long, beginning 'Hold, hold! What's this? No prologue to our play? | Down with the curtain - let it down, I say; | Let me go forth - I must, I will have way!' It is preceded by title and 'Noise and disputing behind the Sccenes. - The Curtain begins to rise.

4to, 1 p. Eleven lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He thanks him for having 'appriz'd' him 'of the proposed enclosure of Tooting Common, to which I am equally hostile with the Rector, & the other principal Gentlemen who have express'd their determination to oppose the Measure'. Lady Coventry joins him in sending 'kind remembrances' to Mrs Harrison and her family. The franked envelope is a sheet of folded paper, bearing Coventry's red wax armorial seal in good condition, and postmark. It is addressed 'Pershore Octr. Seventeen | 1817 | Thomas Harrison Esqr.

4to, 1 p. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper. He is returning the score, and asks Hedgely to 'copy the three voice parts of the two canons Criste Eleison & Crucifixus & the Voice part of the Soprano Song, Gratias Agimus', and to send the whole back 'as soon as you can finish them'.

On piece of laid paper, 1 x 3.5 cm. Fair, on aged paper, with traces of previous mount on reverse, which is docketed in a nineteenth-century hand '1776'.

12mo, 1 p. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with remains of stub adhering to blank second leaf of bifolium. Ask for the Morning Post to be sent to Euston Square, and 'the Standard discontinued'. He will require the Morning Post the following day.

12mo, 1 p. In a bifolium. Docketed by Stratford Canning on the reverse of the second leaf. Very good, on lightly-aged paper, with thin strip of stub from mount adhering to one edge. He 'cannot resist' staying there the next day, 'as Lady C. & I hope to bring our Daughter up to London on Tuesday', a day on which, if convenient, he will be 'most happy' to see Stratford Canning at the Foreign Office.

12mo, 2 pp. With mourning border. 42 lines. Text clear and complete. On aged and worn paper, with slight chipping to extremities. Herbert has not yet received Wyatt's 'promised letter', but wants 'to say one word [...] about the lighting of the Wilton Chapel. The Gap must be brought to the centre of the Ceiling before the works are completed, as Mr. Olivier wishes to give Eveng. Lectures to the Servants on different occasions & I thought a Corona in the centre would light the whole [...] I can quite trust to yr. Taste to choose one.

8vo, 1 p. Eleven lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with a couple of spots from the leaf to which it was attached adhering to the blank reverse. Docketed at head in ink: 'Mem I know not to what application this refers.'; and at foot in pencil: 'Mem I was not the writer of the Letter referr'd to! | R T'. Eldon has received the recipient's letter, 'with a paper inserted from Mrs <?> Campbell or Clark. This paper is addressed to me under a very common Misapprehension of the Chancellors powers & duties'.

Part of a letter, cut away for an autograph collector, roughly 5.5 x 10.5 cm. The recto carries the franked address, trimmed close, reading 'London July twenty 1835. | Roundell Palmer Esq | Mixbury | Birmingham [corrected in another hand to 'Magdalen Colle | Oxford'], signed in bottom left-hand corner 'W E Gladstone'.

4to, 1 p. On piece of watermarked laid paper. Thirteen lines of text. Clear and complete. Good, on aged paper, with thin strip of stub adhering to blank reverse. Docketed at head, in a contemporary hand, '331 | Lord Camelford for fac simile'. Camelford was not at home when Buchan called, but he 'will take care that his Lordship's Letter shall be transmitted to Mr Pitt [his cousin William Pitt the younger?]'. Pitt 'will doubtless feel himself flatter'd with his Lordship's testimony in favour of his abilities and fortitude'.

4to (22.5 x 18.5 cm), 1 p. Eighteen lines in four paragraphs. Text clear and complete, crisply printed in italic. On aged and grubby paper. Begins 'The lamented death of Mr. SMYTH having occasioned a vacancy in the Representation of our University, I am induced to offer myself as a Candidate for the honour of succeeding him in that distinguished situation.' He is 'unfettered by political engagements', and must forever feel 'affection and gratitude' for 'a Body, amongst whom I have passed some of the happiest and most profitable years of my life'. Hervey was unsuccessful.

4to: 1 p. 7 lines of text. Docketed on the reverse. Good, on lightly aged paper. That day he went to the Admiralty 'in hopes of meeting Lord Sandwich in order to recommend Mr Paterson [later Admiral Charles William Paterson] to his good will', but he did not see him. When he does, he will 'certainly say everything in that young Gentlemans favor', and he will 'say the same to Lord Howe if I can catch sight of him'. 'Our last news from America are not unfavorable in some respects.'

All six letters in quarto; good, on aged paper; and with text neatly-written, clear and entire. Letter One: 3 May 1759. 2 pp. 40 lines of text. Giving advice regarding a will to be drawn up by a Mrs Robertson. 'As to the place where Mrs. Robertson makes the Disposition it is absolutely immaterial, [...] and then her will wrote in her own hand writing without witnesses will be as good as with twenty witnesses [...]'. Valediction from 'your affectionate friend & Cousin'. Letter Two: 30 June 1759. 1 pp. 24 lines.