ISAAC

See his entry in the Oxford DNB (‘He had the reputation of being the most learned man in England’). 1p, 16mo. On aged, worn and discoloured paper, with minor damage to the four corners (at bottom-left affecting the date) from previous mounting. Reads: ‘Notice / Any Scholar, elected for classics, who does not obtain at least a Second Class in classical Moderations, will forfeit his Scholarship. / by order of / a College meeting / Mark Pattison / Rector’. Date ‘4 June 1874.’ at bottom left.

Also signed on the reverse by [A.C. Cuddon?] AND the Earl of Rochford [William Henry Nassau de Zuylestein, 4th Earl of Rochford (1717 O.S. -1781) courtier, diplomat and statesman.]. TWO PAGES, sm. fol., fold marks, edges stained, discreet repairs, text clear and complete, commencing To the Kings most Excellent Majesty | The Humble Petition of Thomas Short […] That your Petitioner hath invented a method of making Reflecting Telescopes with more than two Speculums to be used by the same person at the same time […] or enabling two Persons to view the same object at the same time […].

An interesting collection of material relating to a significant school, including thirteen items of correspondence from a notable headmaster, and four printed items, two of them scarce. Founded by Benjamin Franklin’s friend Dr John Fothergill in 1779 (see his entry in the Oxford DNB), Ackworth is the second-oldest of the seven English Quaker schools. (See Fothergill’s entry in the Oxford DNB. Franklin could ‘hardly conceive that a better man ever existed’.) Originally a co-educational boarding school, it is now a Girls’ boarding and day school.

Four copies on JISC (only one in a deposit library, NLS); now scarce. 12pp, 12mo. Disbound. Worn and discoloured. After the end of the prose work are two poems (pp.11-12): ‘Hymn. / Frail Life and Succeeding Eternity’ and ‘The Danger of Delay.’ In addition to being the ‘Godfather of English Hymnody’, Watts was a noted logician, producing a successful work on the subject, and despite the repetition of the phrase ‘Time shall end!’ throughout, the present extract treats the subject of ‘The End of Time’ in an unusually thoughtful way for a work of theology.

1p, 12mo. On aged and creased leaf, folded once and with traces of mount on the blank reverse. Reads: 'Presented to Prof. Alexr. H. Green M.A. F.R.S. With the compliments of the author | Isaac Roberts | June 1894'. The work presented was presumably the first (1893) volume of Roberts' pioneering 'Selection of Photographs of Stars, Star-Clusters and Nebulae', the second appearing in 1899. The two volumes contained 125 reproductions of photographs which he had exhibited at the Royal Astronomical Society. See both men's entries in the Oxford DNB.

Two Welsh street ballads, indicative of the desire for emigration during a period of hardship. Both 4pp, 16mo (15 x 9 cm). Both bifoliums, and both paginated [1]-4. Frail survivals, heavily aged and worn. ONE: 'Morgan Bach a'i fam yn ymddiddan ynghylch myned i Australia'. Vignette of a sailing ship beneath the title, which translates as 'Young Morgan and his mother talking about going to Australia'. Poem of eleven eight-line stanzas, in the form of a dialogue between the 'Y FAM' and 'MORGAN'. Signed in type at end: 'ISAAC THOMAS.

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.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. He is 'greatly obliged [...] for the purpose' with which he has been 'favour'd [...] with intimation', but it 'never was in my thoughts to be an Annual Subscriber to the Pension Fund'. He will pay any expense 'the Conductors of the Institution have incurred in expectation of his being a subscriber.

1p., 8vo. 23 lines of text. In fair condition, slightly aged and worn, with some repair with archival tape. Offering an interesting insight into everyday ecclesiastical management in Regency England. The letter begins: 'I cannot find, what I once sent to you as having been well educated, a printed paper. The purport of it was to shew the extreme Impropriety of laying a stress on the word "Us", in the sentence "Lord have mercy upon Us".

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with slight damage on removal from mount and traces of tape adhering. He has been referred to 'the Oldest Table of Fees' by 'Mr. Lane', and quotes information from the table given by Lane. He asks the recipient to 'search the Proper Office; send me a Copy of such Certificate; & of Any Proceedings had in consequence of it'.

1p., 8vo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight creasing along one edge. The letter concludes in autograph: 'It now seems like decades since we last met! | Kindest regards | from sincerely | I Muende'.

31pp., 64mo., i.e. 10 x 6.5 cm. Stitched, in green printed wraps. Heavily aged and worn. Penny pamphlet with three illustrations. Contemporary inscription on p.30: 'Thomas Richard Woollard his Book | Given him by Ann Wright 1840'. The signature of Sarah Wollard is also present. BBTI has Frederick Lankester active in Bury St. Edmunds between 1821 and 1864, but this may reflect a confusion between Frederick and Francis Lankester. COPAC holds items by published by Frederick Lankester between 1824 and 1837. No other copy of this particular edition traced, either on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC.

On both sides of a 33 x 12.5 cm strip of paper. In fair condition, lightly-aged, with tiny part of mount adhering to one corner, and the merest loss to another. 'Egerton Bry' is written in another small hand in light pencil at the head. The Osborn Collection at Yale possesses what its catalogue entry describes as a 'probably incomplete' section of the manuscript, ' purporting to be the memoirs of a certain John Fitznigel Clavering, whose career and interests bear a strong likeness to those of Brydges himself'. The Yale cataloguer is unaware that 'Clavering's Auto-Biography.

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, on aged paper. An unpublished jeux d'esprit on the well-known poem by Isaac Watts (also parodied by Lewis Carroll), the poem consists of twenty-four lines arranged in six four-line stanzas, followed by: 'written in the shortest minute of the longest day by | Thomas Haynes Bayly | June 22nd. 1835.' The first two stanzas read: 'As "doth the little busy Bee | "Improve each shining hour, | "And gather honey all the day | "From every opening flower." | So doth the busy T. H. B.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Stamp and label of the Education Department Reference Library, London. ONE: Pamphlet titled 'A Reformed Alphabet'. 10pp., 12mo. Stapled in grey printed wraps. The first four pages carry 'Phonetic Notation. The Reformed Alphabet. For teaching purposes only. Devised by R. W. Leftwich, M.D.' The last six pages carry an essay by Leftwich, beginning: 'The art of learning to read English, instead of being so easy as to form a stepping-stone to higher accomplishments, is really a very difficult task.

xii.[460].[48]pp, 8vo, hinge strain, cover showing signs of wear and tear, marking throughout, fair condition only. The [48] page section at the back is an Appendix containing a Catalogue of relevant Books and MSS. exhibited. Luminaries like Gurney-Salter and Isaac Pitman participated. Inscribed on title "W.B. Gurney & Sons | 26 Abingdon St Westminster" (" W B Gurney & Sons LLP (Gurney's) was established in 1735 by Thomas Gurney. It is one of the country's longest surviving businesses.

Both items in good condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. Both written in a close and somewhat shaky hand, and addressed to 'Respected Sir'. Letter One: 8 July 1874. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Bicknell explains that the 'widow of a bookseller, (R. G. Ibbett, who, for many years, dealt in original and rare works, in the City of London,) has in her possession the Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Isaac Watts, in his own handwriting (bound). This MS. was shown (together with a well-executed oil-painting of the Doctor,) to the late Dr.

Two pages, 18 x 26cm, trimmed roughly with small loss of text, some damage, small closed tears. One side the Order as partly quoted above. This is followed by the note "Ld Wm Powlet [one of the 4 Tellers] I pray pay this Order Out of Addl. Tonnage for the Civil List 27 May 1718", plus a few more words. Overleaf, 5 clerks/tally-writers acknowledge receipt of sums amounting to £356.16s, signing their autograph statement of receipt. They include: Tho Sadler, Dudley Downes, John Lawton, Hopton Haynes, Jo. Taylour.

2pp., 12mo. 42 lines. Bifolium. Fair, on aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'I. P. Cory Esq'. The letter begins: 'A friend of mine Mr. Jackson having told Mr. Rowbotham [Ruskin's tutor John Rowbotham] that I had discovered a method of trisecting an angle that gentleman said he had done it himself, which I believe he has, upon the proposition you showed me - he says it was originally published by Professor Leslie'. Inglis considers that 'Mr. R. seems to have hit upon something he does not quite comprehend'.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with minor traces of mount to blank second leaf of bifolium. Good, firm signature, with flourish. The letter reads 'Dear Sir | I have recd your favour of April last & am glad so easily to oblige you. - | Truly yours | I. I. Hayes'. Gourtie contributed stock exchange reports to the New-York American.

Letter: Foolscap (32 x 20 cm), 1 p. Text clear and complete. 4 lines. In poor condition: on aged paper with chipping and closed tears. Male recipient not named. Heard finds 'no Objection to the Prayer of the annexed Petition of the Right Honble Lord Rawdon that he and his Issue may take and bear the Surname and Arms of Hastings.' Petition: Foolscap (32 x 20 cm), 1 p. Text clear and complete, the body of the petition consisting of twenty lines. On aged, brittle paper, with closed tears along fold lines, and chipping to extremities.

Both items concern John Littlejohn's 'British Watercolour Painting and Painters of Today' (Pitman, 1931). Note of 18 December 1930: 12mo, 1 p. Five lines. Good on lightly aged paper. Thanking the publishers for sending 'the prints of my drawings [...] they are really very well done!' Letter of 13 February 1931: 12mo,1 p. Eight lines. Good, on lightly creased paper. Thanking the publishers for four presentation copies of the book. 'It is a handsome book and the drawings are well reproduced: I am particularly pleased with those of my own drawings.' Two items,

All three items concern Littlejohns' 'British Watercolour Painting and Painters of Today' (London: Pitman, 1931)'. First Letter: 12mo, 3 pp. 43 lines. Text clear and entire. On two leaves attached to one another in a corner by a pin. Good, on lightly-creased paper. Interesting and informative letter concerning 'two watercolours' which Williams would 'like to be 'reproduced in [Littlejohn's] work on water colours'. Gives details of the titles of the works and the name and address of the owner, 'who has consented to send them'.

4to, 1 p. Good, though lightly aged and creased. He apologises for the liberty he takes in addressing Espinasse 'as one of the Benchers of Grays Inn', and hopes it is not 'wholly improper' for him 'to say a word in favor of Mr Nares, and [sic] old fellow Colegian [sic] of mine [Lockhart was educated at University College, Oxford], who is a candidate for the Chaplaincy of your Society'. Describes Nares as 'an honorable & learned man, a good divine, exceedingly well connected'. Considers that he 'will prove [...] an acquisition to the Society'.

Quarto: 50 + [2] pp. Fold-out frontispiece giving eighteen examples of handwriting from items in the catalogue. In original orange printed wraps. Good, though a tad dusty, and in worn and faded wraps with some glue staining to back and wear to spine. Well printed, with lengthy extracts from most items. A scrap of paper which acts as a bookmark has the words "Listed Walpole entries to W.S. Lewis || Nov 1953" in Winifeed Myers [?] hand (from her reference library). The first item is 'A Series of Pencil Sketches by George Cattermole, illustrating Dickens' Works' (£60).

4to. Pages: [4] + 30. Uncut and in large part unopened, in original plain grey wraps. Stabbed as issued, but with thread worn away and signatures loose within wraps. Grubby and with some offsetting, but overall a very good survival of a scarce and fragile item. A handsome production which does great credit to its place of origin. Half-title, with vignette of castellated building. Title-page with circular medal of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne (before whom the work was read). Engraving on page one by Isaac Nicholson ('I. NICHOLSON, DEL.

English civil servant (1864-1939). The recipient was an educationalist and authority on Edmund Burke. One page, quarto. Very good on slightly discoloured paper. Docketed and bearing the Society's stamp. 'On behalf of Sir Alfred Mond [Committee Chairman], I hasten to assure you and the Committee at the Royal Society of Arts that there is at present no intention on the part of H.M.