LONDON

The three letters are in good condition, lightly aged. All three signerd 'J Bertrand Payne'. The first has a letterhead in red, the other two have a different letterhead in blue. Both designs feature exuberant monograms and lettering in Victorian Gothic type, which, together with Payne's exuberant handwriting (the last letter also being written in purple ink), accurately reflect the character of the man Tennyson angrily dismissed as 'peacock Payne'. Three excellent letters, the background to which is of interest.

Hope calls (Item Four below) for 'a frank recognition of the fact that the faith of the nation is to be found under various, and in some cases discordant, forms, which each require cultivation in conformity with the conscientious beliefs of those who hold them', this being the only way that religion 'as a national institution' can be saved from 'eventual submergence under the floods of indifference and infidelity which are yearly making way in our own as in other European peoples'.The five items attached by a piece of string.

6pp., small 4to. Stitched into brown wraps with lithographed title on cover, in pastiche of Gothic design, including monogrammed initials 'IS' in shield, with the letters picked out in red. In fair condition, aged and worn. An extremely scarce item (no copies found on OCLC WorldCat or COPAC), whose text and illustrations cast light on the practices at the Royal Academy in the mid-Victorian period.

Both items in good condition, lightly aged. The autograph receipt is on a slip of paper attached to the invoice with sealing wax. The invoice is docketed: 'For Par Re: Richd Clarke | 1825 | Sepr. 13th. | Mr Lupton Rolfe Bill for Books | £2 13 6 | No 13 Cornhill London'. ONE: Invoice. 1p., 12mo. Handsome letterhead for items 'Bought of Lupton Relfe | (From J. Hatchard's Son's [sic]) | Bookseller, Publisher & Stationer. | No.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium on grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter would appear to concern both of the books which Shaw published with Routledge in 1913: 'The Encyclopaedia of the Poultry Yard' and 'The Encyclopaedia of the Kennel'. He begins by explaining that he is finally sending in 'title page, & dedication, which I should have sent in earlier had I not been awaiting Mr T[?]s permission to dedicate the book to him.

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. He acknowledges Wilson's 'kind letter regarding Dalglish', who 'suffered a good deal during the latter weeks of his life, but I am glad to say that even then he still retained that brightness of disposition of which you speak'.

1p., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The letter reads: 'Dear Madam, | As far as I am concerned I shall be very glad for you to copy Cromwell into Braille, but I think you ought to get the formal permission of my publishers, Messers Sidgwick and Jackson, which I am sure that they will give you.'

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. The brothers ask Gregory to 'please accept this special copy of RIDERS ACROSS THE BORDER, with our warmest regards, and with every good wish for Christmas and the New Year.' Gregory had published his book with the firm earlier in the year.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'My dear Richard'. In the first paragraph he explains that he will not be able to accept his inviation as he is 'obliged to go into the country'. In the second he writes: 'Arthur Locker will succeed me here after the first of May; and he will attend at the office, with me, for about a week before his engagement begins. If you don't know him and if you will look in I will introduce you.' The Graphic was first published on 4 December 1869 by William Luson Thomas's company Illustrated Newspapers Limited.

R. J. L. Kingsford, in his history of the Publishers Association, describes Young as 'a bookseller of outstanding character and ability, a friend of Arnold Bennett, and the discoverer of the literary distinction of George Sturt'. 1p., 12mo. Neatly and closely written. Headed 'private', and addressed to 'Dear John'. Young is apparently following a dinner (of the Publishers Association) at which George Bernard Shaw was present, and the subject of the letter would appear to be an exhibition Wilson's firm has mounted of books by the London publisher John Murray.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. Aged and with light discoloration and chipping along one edge. A somewhat barbed missive, reading: 'Sir, | I thank you for your offer, but I have so many subjects on hand just now that I fear I could not find room for your article even if I approved of it.' The Graphic was first published on 4 December 1869 by William Luson Thomas's company Illustrated Newspapers Limited, with Henry Sutherland Edwards (1828-1906) as editor. Locker had taken over the editorship only a few days before the writing of this note, on 1 May 1870.

2pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with the two leaves pinned together. Referring to his wife Emilie, Harmsworth has written in red pencil at the head of the letter 'Em to see'. Physick begins by thanking Harmsworth and his wife for their 'most generous appreciation of our efforts'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with small circle of ink placed by Hake at bottom right. Regarding his 'Parables and Tales', illustrated by Arthur Hughes and published by Chapman & Hall in 1872, he writes: 'Dear Sir [sic] | Please to give me a line to say when Mr Hughes drawings will be ready for press and when you will require my proofs - | Yours truly | T. G. Hake'.

Printed and in manuscript on both sides of a ragged 19 x 19.5 cm piece of paper, extracted from an Exchequer document (the first page is headed in manuscript 'Bk | (608)'. Aged and ragged. The recto, printed and completed in manuscript explains that the document relates to the 'Repayment of Loan on the Duties on Salt, granted for the Service of the year 1741, and further continued for Seven Years from the 25th Day of March 1746'.

1p., 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. Closely written in red ink. He begins by thanking him for being 'awfully sweet & kind' in writing, before going on to deal with the state of his health, it having been 'a difficult time, especially as I became so ill – but at the moment things aren't too bad'. The results of 'all the horrible tests' in hospital have 'come out first class', and the 'weird symtoms [sic] have now been proved to have been caused by yet another of those unknown viruses which first of all attacked my guts & then my brain'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Strip of glue from tape at head of page. Written in response to a request for an autograph. Centred in the page, and reading: 'Yours truly | James Payn | March 28th 1887.'

1p., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Salutation ('Dear Lord Portal') and valediction ('I hope you are well. | Kindest regards | Yours sincerely | Bernard C. Westall') in autograph, the rest typed. Addressed to 'Marshal of the Royal Air Force, | the Rt. Hon.

On the back of a printed 'Ceylon | Post Card | For use to British countries'. With Galle postmark of 18 May 1939. Pannasara signs 'D. Pannasara' and gives his details as: 'Bhikku [sic], D. Pannasara Thero | Jayawardhanarama | Dangedara, Galle | Ceylon'. An enquiry in English regarding the 'Milinda Panha – translated from Pali by J. W. Rhys Davids Vol. I-ii'. Annotations in pencil and ink by the recipients.

2pp., 8vo. In good condition. Clausen is writing to Lucas in the latter's capacity as chairman of the London publishers Methuen & Co., and the letter is a 'note of introduction' for Clausen's 'friend Mr Curnow Vosper, who has written and illustrated a children's book, which he wishes to submit to you. | Mr. Vosper is a painter, a member of the old Water-colour Society, and I have no doubt his work is known to you. I hope that you may find this his latest work, of interest.' Vosper does not appear to have published any book during this period, either with Methuen or anybody else.

The two volumes constitute the first and last volumes (the middle volume is missing) of a three-volume work described by its author as 'a more or less humorous account of a ramble round the Kentish Coast by two men'. This unpublished work constitutes a topographical and social narrative, written by the well-known artist and illustrator when in his eighties. Stylistically indebted to Jerome K.

A marvellous slice of Victorian social history. The entry for 'Matrimonial News' in 'Frederick May's London Press Dictionary and Advertiser's Handbook, 1871' runs as follows: 'MATRIMONIAL NEWS AND SPECIAL ADVERTISER – 2d. F. Farrah, 282, Strand, W.C.

Printed in black ink on a 9 x 16.5 cm. piece of paper. A scarce piece of ephemera. Grubby, aged and worn. Laid down on part of a page from an album. A pastiche of a Georgian banknote, the main body of the text reading: 'No. 24 . . . . | Promise to pay to Ignorance, Hypocrisy & Fanaticism, Methodist Preachers, or Bearer FIVE Farthings, when Methodism shall have been done away with by the Pious exertions of the established Clergy, and when Iohn Bull's Family shall be no longer scared by the tale of the Devil let loose. | London the 1st. day of Septr 1810.

vi + 268pp., 12mo. In sturdy red morocco half-binding, with brownish-black boards in ribbed patterned cloth, and gilt tooling, marbled endpapers. Binders' ticket at rear: 'Bound by Blackie and Son'. On browned high-acidity paper, with slight damage to title-leaf. On the front free endpaper is the ownership inscription of 'Chas Sarolea', i.e. Professor Charles Sarolea [ Charles Louis-Camille Sarolea ] (1870-1953), noted Belgian philologist and author who settled in Scotland. Facing this, on a flyleaf, is the ownership inscription of 'J.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. He is enclosing 'the Extract from "Men and Women of the Time"' that the editor sent him, with corrections and additions, and would like to see a proof.

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tear and tape stain at head. Reads: 'British Museum | Sept. 12. 1842 | My dear Sir | I was not at home when Mr Justice Norton presented your Note of recommendation to our Reading Room. I lose no time in enclosing a Card for him, with our Regulations. | Yours very truly | Henry Ellis'.

Both cards around 9 x 12 cm. The first written on one side and the second on both sides. In fair condition, lightly aged. ONE: Begins: 'My dear Plarr, | We were delighted – for your sake – to see the announcement in the Times of your election to the <?> district, which we hope is well worth your acceptance'. He sure that 'we shall all be very sorry to lose you at King's. However I trust we shall sometimes see you.' Postscript: 'We are off to the Borders & the Roman Wall next week.

On both sides of a piece of thin laid paper, roughly 10 x 12.5 cm, torn from a letter. Aged and worn, with chipping to extremities. The recto reads: '[…] work is to be published? I sh also be much obliged to you i you will give me any informat about America. Is anything done with that distracted countr in the way of early copies? I dare say it is time to sen Baron Tauchnitz the proofs through Williams & Norgate. I trust you will kindly see to that for m We shall be g to the coun […]'.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dear Sir, | Will you please give me an appointment on Thursday next when I am in town? | Faithfully yours, | Lewis Melville'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, with central spike-hole and a few burn marks at foot. Reads: 'Lord Harris has just recd the Illustrations to Deserted Village, but retyrns Retsch's Othello by this night's Coach, having received a copy of it about a week since.'

All three items are in good condition, lightly aged. Both letters are signed 'Richard Bentley'. ONE (ALS, 4 May 1927): 2pp., landscape 12mo. Annotated by Heal at head of first page: 're Writing Masters'. Begins: 'My dear Sir | I thought you MUST have the mezzo of Tomkins! The private schools being adjacent to that of St. Pauls is hardly accidental? It would seem to imply a connection of duties (though not of schools.) and in former times people lived close to their work. No railways – no omnibuses even then. Stage Coaches, pre-Palmer, also slow'.