LIBRARY

One of the great figures in world history. See his entries in Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Oxford DNB. On one side of piece of laid paper rougly 11 cm squarer, with partial watermark ‘J G’. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with traces of mount on blank reverse. Folded twice. Reads: ‘London March 7 1842 / F M The Duke of Wellington presents his Compliments to Miss Busby / Not being resident at Oxford he has no Controul [sic] over any matter relating to the Bodleian Library. / Miss Busby should apply to the Vice Chancellor.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, with slight wear at top left-hand corner of second leaf (not affecting text). Biographical details added in small type at head of first page. Addressed to ‘The Honbl Spencer Ponsonby’ and signed ‘Alaric A. Watts.’ Begins: ‘Dear Sir / May I trespass so far upon your kindness as to ask you to place the enclosed letter [not present] to Lord Clarendon. It is on the subject of the London Library of which his Lordship is the President’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Now viewed in a favourable light, Panizzi was a controversial figure in his own time, being dubbed a ‘fat pedant’ by Thomas Carlyle, who was moved to press for the creation of the London Library as a result of the Italian’s high-handed behaviour. On 7 x 4 cm piece of grey paper, presumably cut from an album. No othe writing on the slip other than Panizzi's compact and disciplined signature 'A Panizzi.' In good condition, lightly aged, Strips of sunning at top and right edge, but nowhere near the signature. See scan.

These five items are part of a collection of correspondence (the rest is offered separately) relating to a supposed portrait of a young Percy Bysshe Shelley by George Romney, which was in a group of paintings donated to the Shakespeare Memorial Association by the appropriately-named anatomist Evan Marlett Boddy. (The Shelley portrait is reproduced in ‘The Magazine of Art’, 1901, with the caption ‘Reputed portrait of Shelley as a boy, by Romney. In the Shakespeare memorial, Stratford-on-Avon.’, in an article on ‘Portraits of Shelley at the National Portrait Gallery’, p.

Mason was, according to E. V. Lucas, ‘famous in both hemispheres’. His entry in the Oxford DNB ends with this assessment: ‘His books were best-sellers for fifty years, and the films made from them, notably The Drum (1938), for which he wrote his own scenario, and The Four Feathers (1939), were among the most popular in their time.’ 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice for postage. The valediction is in Mason's autograph: 'Yours sincerely / A. E. W. Mason'.

See the two men's entries in the Oxford DNB. Each of the two letters is 1p, 4to, with the Prince’s letter on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium, and the Earl’s signed autograph copy of his reply on the recto of the second leaf of the same bifolium. Both leaves are discoloured and damaged, with wear and loss from infestation, but the two signatures and the area around them are good and clear. The document has been folded twice for postage. Strip of white tape along gutter of blank reverse of second leaf from mount. ONE (Frederick’s ALS): Fifteen lines.

See his entry, and that of Lewis, in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. Eighteen lines of closely-written text. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. He was absent when Lewis’s letter came, but is now able to answer his query by reference to the ‘Biographie Universelle’. Addressed to ‘G. C. Lewis Esq. / Grove Mill / Watford’ and signed ‘J. G. Cochrane’. He reproduces over seven lines a statement which ‘seems distinct enough’, regarding the reburial of the body of Louis XVI. Should he come across a ‘more particular account’ he will let him know.

See his entry, and those of Clarendon and Lister, in the Oxford DNB. From the papers of the Earl’s sister Lady Theresa Lewis (1803-1865), who was married to Lister. (See their entries in the Oxford DNB.) 1p, 12mo. Cochrane’s note is on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium, with the list of books on the recto of the second. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to ‘Rt Hon The Earl of Clarendon’. Adopting a diplomatic approach, Cochrane writes: ‘My Lord, / Annexed is a list of the books had from the Library by Mr Lister, which have not been returned.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, with that of the recipient Lady [Maria] Theresa Lewis (1803-1865), who lived in Kent House in Knightsbridge with her second husband Sir George Cornewall Lewis (1806-1863), Bart, Liberal Chancellor of the Exchequer, her first husband having been the novelist Thomas Henry Lister (1800-1842). 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. ‘Sir Henry Ellis presents his Compliments to Lady Theresa Lewis he has at last found the Letter, from the incumbent of Foxford, which gives the date of the Burial there of Lady Catherine Gray.

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo, on first leaf of a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice for postage. Signed ‘Henry Ellis’ and addressed to ‘G. Cornewall Lewis Esq’. Begins: ‘My dear Sir / Mr Henry Christian will have a Card for our Reading Room sent to him this morning, and I will speak to Sir Frederic Madden to afford Mr. Christian the accommodation which he wishes to have in the MS.

See Cary's entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On the first leaf of a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and folded for postage. The recipient is not named, but the item is from the papers of Lady Maria Theresa Lewis, and the letter is written to her first husband, the novelist Thomas Henry Lister (1800-1842), whose father Thomas Lister of Armitage Park was a childhood friend of Cary's (see his 1847 biography by his son).

Now viewed in a favourable light, Panizzi was a controversial figure in his own time, being dubbed a ‘fat pedant’ by Thomas Carlyle, who was moved to press for the creation of the London Library as a result of the Italian’s high-handed behaviour. From the Piffard papers. 1p, 4o. On recto of the first leaf of a bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with short closed tears to both leaves on fold. Folded four times.

On a rectangular label, gummed on the reverse. In fair condition, on aged paper, with traces of paper adhering to the gummed side. The notice reads: 'The Librarian regrets that he has to inform you that owing to your breach of Stat. Cap. XLI 9a (Consumption of Edibles) he must forbid you the use of the Bodleian and Camera until the matter can be dealt with by the Curators. | Dr. H. Koeppler, | Magdalen College.'

The present item differs from the version published on pp.248-254 of the ‘Notices of the Proceedings’, vol.2 (1854-1858), and no other copy has been traced. Drophead title: ‘Royal Institution of Great Britain. / Weekly Evening Meeting, / Friday, April 25, 1856. / Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, Bart. D.C.L. F.R.S. Vice-President, in the Chair. / W. B. Donne, Esq. / On the Works of Chaucer, considered as Historical Illustrations of England in the 14th Century.’ 10pp, 16mo, paginated [1]-10. In very good condition, lightly aged. Stabbed as issued, with no wraps, and unopened. Begins: ‘MR.

A scarce item; the only copy on COPAC at the V & A Library, and its presence is explained below. A duplicated stapled typescript, but quite attractive nevertheless. [2] + 14pp, 4to, on eight leaves. The front cover is printed in red and black, the rest in black. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. At the centre of the cover is a monogram printed in red, appearing to be made up of the letters H, P and L. The number ‘2245’ is written in ink on the front cover. A well-written overview.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The obituary of the recipient Andrew Block (1892-1987) in ‘The Private Library’ was subtitled ‘the doyen of booksellers’; his business was established in 1911. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Signed ‘A N L Munby’ and addressed to ‘Dear Block’. Folded twice. He is sending ‘the volume of playbills, all Lyceum ballad-operas’, which he estimates comprises fifty-eight in total. ‘Send me along whatever they are worth to you.’

The obituary of the recipient Andrew Block (1892-1987) in ‘The Private Library’ was subtitled ‘the doyen of booksellers’; his business was established in 1911. Both addressed to ‘Dear Mr. Block’. LETTER: 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Signed ‘Helen D. Willard’. She is hoping to be able to see him in London the following month. ‘I called in you [sic] briefly last year, then got swept up into many activities that kept me from returning to browse.’ She has a very pleasant memory of their conversation.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Begins: ‘Dear Curzon, / I have sent, with great pleasure, a fiver to the Literary Fund in honour of your chairmanship; but not [last word underlined] as a successful man of letters.’ He explains that had he been dependant on his books for a livelihood, he would ‘long ago have starved, and, by the Grace of the present Government, I may yet be a burden to the Royal Literary Fund.’ Curzon has minuted the letter at the head of the first page: ‘Hon J Fortescue £5’.

See Oman’s entry in the Oxford DNB. Each letter 1p, 12mo. Each folded once. All three in good condition, lightly aged. The correspondence concerns Harlow’s proposal, according to the letter of 2 June 1937, ‘that All Souls College should present to the Rhodes House Library the comparatively few yearly numbers of the Cape Parliamentary proceedings 1875-1910 which are not already in either the Bodleian or the Rhodes House shelves - keeping for the College the residuence, a broken set of about 200 volumes’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. At the time of writing he was Professor of English Language and Literature at Leeds. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Reads: ‘Mr Lascelles Abercrombie regrets his inability to attend the Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Bodleian in the Divinity School on June 22nd. / June 10th. 1926’.

For further information see Bridges-Adams' entry in the Oxford DNB (which reminds us that 'On 6 March 1926 the Memorial Theatre was burnt down, greatly to the relief of G. B. Shaw.'). The five items of ephemera are in good condition, lightly aged; the Typed Note by Bridges-Adams (Item Six below) is in fair condition, aged and worn. ONE and TWO: Two versions of the same circular headed ?SHAKESPEARE MEMORIAL THEATRE / STRATFORD-UPON-AVON / ENDOWMENT FUND.?, both ?signed? by ?H C Lacey? (?Organising Secretary | H. C.

The two items of ephemera are in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Printed advertisement for ?National Shakespeare Day Appeal / for Tribute to Shakespeare / TO ENDOW THE MEMORIAL THEATRE, LIBRARY, / READING ROOM, ART GALLERY, AND LECTURE ROOM / Erected in the Poet?s Memory in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Town of his Birth.? Titled on front cover (with black and white illustration of rural scene) ?OUR ?COMMON HERITAGE.? / THE SHAKESPEARE MEMORIAL THEATRE, / STRATFORD-UPON-AVON.? 4pp, landscape 16mo. Bifolium.

The three items of ephemera are in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Circular headed ?SHAKESPEARE MEMORIAL THEATRE / STRATFORD-UPON-AVON / ENDOWMENT FUND.? Dated 1 November 1923, and with autograph signature (possibly by proxy) of ?H C Lacey? (?Organising Secretary | H. C. LACEY M.B.E.?). Shakespeare?s coat of arms printed in red ink at top right.

2pp, 4to. 34 lines of closely-written text. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Addressed to ‘Mr. Poole’. After expressing a hope that they will be meeting Poole now that they are both on the council of the Royal Historical Society, he explains that he is writing in relation to his redrafting of ‘the early part of Percy for the Complete Peerage’, noting that ‘the present draft is certainly alarming’. He is taking it ‘down to 1245’ and finds it ‘full of snags’. He has ‘just finished a draft of Jocelin, Agnes de Percy’s husband’, and L. C.

One page, 12mo, fold mark, good condition. I thank you for your kind invitation to the unveiling of a memorial to Tho. Hearne at White Waltham on Saturday which I have great pleasure accepting. He adds that his wife will 'drive him over' and adds a Postal Order for 7s because they'll be staying for tea.

Two page, 12mo, fold marks, good condition. Text: I thank you by post [underlined] for you invitation, in order you may get my answer sooned. | I am in town & not likely to go out of it any more than the monument. I have not been well & have been obliged to shut & live by rule. I suppose that owing to that I am better, but I must not presume too much, and, with great reluctance, I must beg to be excused from being with you on Monday next. With many thanks believe me [...].

1p, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly aged paper. Folded twice, resulting in offset ink smudging. Reads: 'Dear Rylands, | I am writing to you in case Noel is away. I have asked Mr Greene to show you my letter to Noel, if this is should [sic] be so. Anything you could do to help, would be kind and good, I think.

The subject of the letter is a sketch which Mrs Roosevelt wishes the recipient to make on a scroll, depicting the library which she and her son the future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt are endowing in the 'village' of Hyde Park, in memory of her husband James Roosevelt I (1828-1900). (The library opened in 1927, and is still in use.) 4pp, 8vo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once, with short closed to one edge of the fold. She begins: 'My dear Peggy | I received your parcel just before I came up here so have a few days of country air with my son [F. D.

A nice selection of ephemeral material connected with the foundation of one of Britain's six Legal Deposit libraries. The collection in good overall condition, lightly aged and worn (but see description of Item One). The first two items end with signatures in type of: John Williams, President; J. Herbert Lewis, Vice-President; Henry Owen, Treasurer; Evan Davies Jones, Chairman of Building Committee; John Ballinger, Librarian.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount unobtrusively adhering at head of reverse. Folded twice. The salutation is to 'My dear Barker', and the name of the recipient is given at the foot of the first page as 'W. B. Barker Esqe'. He thanks him for his 'kind, but too complimentary note'. He is afraid that Barker's friend, who has clearly requested Layard's autograph, 'sets too much value upon a specimen of such detestable handwriting', but in this matter, 'as in anything else', he will be happy to oblige Barker.