KINGSLEY

The item advertised in the present prospectus (no other copy of which has been traced) is unaccountably absent from the bibliography of the Victorian author Charles Kingsley. Information regarding the Universal Group of Intuitives was provided to ‘Light’, the journal of the Spiritualist Alliance, by its General Secretary Mrs Frances Boltwood (‘Angela’), and appeared in its number of 10 September 1936.

Two pieces of uncommon Edwardian bibliographical ephemera. Both items worn and aged, and the catalogue somewhat dogeared. Both with some pencil marking. ONE (1909 catalogue): 32pp, 12mo. Drophead title on first page: ‘Macmillan’s Three-and-Sixpenny Library of Books by Popular Authors / Crown 8vo.’ The first two pages carry a description of the series, which ‘comprises over four hundred volumes in various departments of Literature. Prominent among them is a new and attractive edition of The Works of Thackeray, issued under the editorship of Mr. Lewis Melville.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Having found among her correspondence an unanswered letter from her cousin she apologises for the apparent rudeness, before accepting her 'kind invitation to luncheon when next we are in your neighbourhood'. She hopes that they 'may be in the Forest some time in the summer'. She ends by stating that she is enclosing an autograph for her cousin's friend.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Having found among her correspondence an unanswered letter from her cousin she apologises for the apparent rudeness, before accepting her 'kind invitation to luncheon when next we are in your neighbourhood'. She hopes that they 'may be in the Forest some time in the summer'. She ends by stating that she is enclosing an autograph for her cousin's friend.

34pp., 8vo. Drophead title. Disbound, with front leaf loose, otherwise in good condition, lightly-aged, without wraps. Including a seven-page speech by John Stuart Mill (pp.7-13); a speech of three and a half pages by the Rev. Charles Kingsley (pp.14-17); and others by Mrs Taylor; Thomas Hare; Boyd Kinnear; Lord Houghton; John Morley; Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, P. A. Taylor; Professor Masson; Mr Stansfield. Three copies on COPAC, and none (other than surrogates) on OCLC WorldCat. No other copy curently on the market.

Each of the three coloured plates is 19 x 14 cm, and each is laid down on a piece of 31.5 x 20.5 cm cream textured paper, each mount with caption and vignette printed in green. The three are placed in a portfolio, made of the same textured paper as the mount, with the front carrying the title, publishers' details, and an illustration (of underwater baby balancing on a fish). In fair condition, aged and with wear to extremities.

16mo, 2 pp. On first leaf of bifolium. Mourning border. She has just received his letter, 'forwarded through Mr Fisher Unwin'. 'I am not "Lucas Malet" - but I am forwarding the letter to her. She is my sister - | Mrs. William Harrison | Clovelly Rectory | Bideford | North Devon'.

One page, octavo. Good, on lightly creased and aged paper, with a little wear at foot. Purple ink. He thanks him 'for Cheque safely to hand for the Autograph Album. There is no question abot the Collection being a genuine one.' Details the provenance from the artist H. W. Pickersgill, to Charles Kingsley, to Kingsley's brother. 'I bought the Vol at the latters sale -'. He will send the two letters 'and the Kingslake in the morning'. He has been 'laid up ill for some days'.

12mo: 1 p. Good, with four fold lines. Helps held the post of Clerk of the Privy Council from 1860 until his death. In large letters beneath the oval blue Privy Council crest reads 'Life of | Las Casas | 2 copies for | [signature] A Helps'. The handwriting is bold and the signature is underlined with a flourish.

8vo: 4 pp. Good. Difficult handwriting. He wants him to keep the cheque, which he considers 'only a compromise between our different expectations'. 'I know that you deserve the larger sum that you spoke of - but it is a tight squeeze to make the & expenses for the year of the New Englander come out even, and I do the best I can.' With seven-line postscript.

Novelist, Daughter of Charles Kingsley (see DNB). Two surviving pages from a letter, 8vo, attached to card (ultimately from album leaf), tear at fold but complete and clear. Text: " He is a very clever little boy - He used to possess - and probably possess still - a power of committing small sins & contriving that other persons should bear the punishment of them, which almost amounted to genius. We used to call him Jacob - for there was an element of saintliness in his character too. / I hope you and Mrs Hunt may still cxome to Clovelly.