NINETEENTH

2pp., on both sides of the lower half of a 4to leaf. The recto is numbered by Reade '2', indicating that the two pages constitute the second leaf of a letter. The text reads: '[...] therefore you will consent to do me a bare act of justice viz not to let that gentleman be my public critic in "the World." Of course I should be still more pleased if you would do me the honor to see the play yourself and pronounce upon it. However half a loaf is better than no bread.

Both items in fair condition, on lightly-aged and worn paper, each with pin holes in one corner. Both items in a hurried, difficult hand. ONE: To 'Dear Madam', dated 19 March 1893. Docketed 'Mr. B. Joy | 29/3/93'. 2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. He begins by apologising that 'your letter should not have been replied to you [sic]', as he has been 'laid up'. He asks her to inform him when 'the busts' will be needed, '& I will see whether I can send anything'. TWO: Incomplete letter, signed 'A. Bruce Joy'. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Numbered by Bruce-Joy '2'.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The letter reads: 'My Dear Sir, | I ought to have thanked you sooner for your kind note of the 21st., but I have been much occupied. It would be pleasant for me to try my hand on Byron or Browining, but I could not dare do so without more chance of continuous work than I can hope for at present.'

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.

2pp., 4to. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. In envelope, with postmark and stamp, addressed to 'John Bacon Esqr.

Mary Frances Stevens was the daughter of Silas O. Smith of Rochester, and the mother of the novelist Augusta de Grasse Stevens (1852-1894) and of Marie de Grasse, Lady Evans (d.1920), wife of the English Liberal politician Sir Francis Henry Evans (1840-1907). After her husband's death in 1854 she married John Fowler Butterworth. The seven letters in this collection are closely and neatly written; those to her father in brown ink and those to her mother in blue. All seven in good condition, on lightly-aged paper.

Stevens married Mary Frances Smith (d.1890; second husband John Fowler Butterworth), daughter of Silas O. Smith of Rochester, and two of their children were the novelist Augusta de Grasse Stevens (1852-1894), and Marie de Grasse, Lady Evans (d.1920), wife of the English Liberal politician Sir Francis Henry Evans (1840-1907). 2pp., 4to. 35 lines of text. In good condition on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with postmark, to 'Mr L Ward Smith | Rochester | N.Y-'. The letter begins: 'My dear Ward | How affectionate & familiar a man is, when he is about to ask a favor.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Mr Silas O Smith | Rochester'. The letter begins: 'Dear Sir | During my short sojourn at your city last October, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of your daughter. Since my return a correspondence has taken place between us in which she has given me permission to visit her & to entertain the hope that she may be persuaded to exchange the protection of the best of Parents for that of a husband.

2pp., 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. In worn envelope, with stamp and postmark, addressed by Martin to 'John T. Baron Esq | 48 Griffin Street | Witton | Blackburn'. He begins by explaining that he has 'had every minute so fully occupied of late', that he has not been able to comply with Baron's request. 'Lady Martin has done what she is now most reluctant to do - written the name she once bore with a few lines from Cymbeline. I have copied the verse you wish from the little Bon Gaultier Poem'.

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In worn envelope, with stamp and postmark, addressed by Manners to 'John Baron Esq | 48 Griffin Street | Witton | Blackburn.' Regarding his books 'England's Trust and Other Poems' (1841) and 'English Ballads and Other Poems (1850), Manners begins the letter by apologising for not being able to give 'very definite information respecting my two little volumes of poetry.

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper, with small hole through both leaves at top inner corner. Beneath the signature the faint stamp of the St. James's Budget, 15 Dorset Street, EC. Raven-Hill points out that the Pall Mall Budget had only the right to use his drawings 'in that paper', and that he holds 'the entire copyright of all my drawings that appeared' in that magazine. 'If you want any of mine you could of course get the blocks from them & we could come to some arrangement about using them'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Fair, on lightly-aged and ruckled paper. The letter begins: 'Sir. | I am glad to find you can oblige my friend Mr Curzon, although I am too late, which I regret, as I should have been able to oblige certain persons who have assisted me.' He asks for 'a few separate sets of the Plates of Seals of the Sussex Cinqueports & Lewes Priory', for which he would pay 'with pleasure'. 'I had written a Title page - & a short prefatory introduction ought to be given - a leaf will be ample'. He assumes that the recipient has given 'the Pevensey Plan'.

1p., 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. In worn envelope, with stamp and postmark, addressed by Hayward to 'J. T. Baron Esq. | Witton | Blackburn'. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir | Messrs Longman are the publishers of my Biographical & Critical Essays & my Translation of Faust. But any bookseller will get them for you, with the exception of the First Series of my Essays, which is out of print. | faithfully yours | A. Hayward'.

2pp., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on faded blue paper, with slight chipping and repair with archival tape.

14pp., 12mo. The first 11pp. are addressed to his mother and signed, and the last 3pp. to his father and not signed (possibly indicating that a continuation is lacking). In fair condition, on aged paper, with the last leaf worn and creased. He explains his situation at the beginning of the letter: 'First of all you may see from my address above that I am in Santos, & secondly from the more cleanly appearance of the letter that I am not in the woods. - Would that I were back again for ever since I have been here I have been ill [...] On the 11th.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper. The heading reads (with manuscript additions in square brackets): 'No. [358] | LUTTERWORTH | New Book Society, | 1839-40. | To be kept [7] Days. | Ordered by [Mr G. Bottrill] | Price [6/-].' Three columns follow, headed 'When sent', 'To whom sent' and 'When returned'. The middle column contains the printed names of 31 male individuals, from 'Mr. C. Burdett' to 'Mr. Stiles', with the addition of one manuscript name. Dates are written in manuscript in the first and third column. At foot of leaf: 'N.B.

On one side of a piece of 27 x 19.5 cm. paper. In fair condition, on aged paper with wear to margins. Printed in red, green, yellow, brown and black. The text is crisply printed in red and black, with an engraving of the London skyline around St Paul's beneath the magazine's title. The text begins: 'This journal contains engravings of all the leading events of public interest, from original sketches and photographs.' Subscription details are followed by a short section on 'The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News'.

8pp., 12mo. Two bifoliums, one loosely inserted in the other. Printed in red. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-stained paper. A tasteful Italianate design, with thick decorative borders containing flowers, birds, a cherub and a monkey. The last page ends with commendatory quotations from the Spectator and Times.

On 11 x 6.5 cm rectangle of paper, laid down on the pastedown of a 12mo calf front board. Beneath the title: 'This Library is enriched with every work of merit, as soon as published; and comprises such a variety of Travels, Histories, Biography, Novels, Plays, and Literature in general, as cannot fail to graify every Class of Readers. | The Daily Papers taken in.' Following this are the yearly, half-yearly, quarterly and monthly terms for borrowing two and four books. Further text follows, beginning: 'Books read by Non-subscribers charged according to the Size.' and ending 'T. M.

20pp., 12mo. Stapled pamphlet. In fair condition, on aged paper with slight rust from staple. 617 numbered and priced entries, the first 245 with short descriptive notes. On front page, beneath the title: 'This list is sent out in advance to facilitate selection, and all orders will be dealt with in rotation as received. Completed orders will be despatched AFTER February 28th. | Remittances should accompany orders, and an allowance be made to cover postage, otherwise goods will be forwarded by rail, carriage forward.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Printed in brown on cream paper. In fair condition, on lightly-aged and spotted paper, with a couple of short closed tears along fold lines. The front page reads: '"The Largest & Best Circulating Library." | Mudie's | Terms and Particulars of Subscription. | Including Arrangements for: | Town and Country Residents. | Carriage Free Subscriptions. | Delivery by Horse Vans in London and the Suburbs, and by New Motor Service within a radius of 20 miles from London. | Mudie's Select Library, Ltd., | 30-34, New Oxford Street, W.C.

16pp., 12mo. Pamphlet of four bifoliums, with remains of the thread with which they were bound. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Listing works in alphabetical order, from 'ANNUAL REGISTER, or a View of the History, politics, and Literature, from 1758 to 1800 inclusive, by Dr. Campbell, Mr. Burke, and others, 42 vols. boards, 18l. 1s. | Any Volume sold separately to complete sets.' to 'Zimmerman's Aphorisms and Reflections on men, Morals, and Things, with Notes, Critical and Explanatory, 12mo, boards, 3s. 6d.' According to the BBTI the firm traded as Cuthell and Martin between 1802 and 1810.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. 77 lines of text. In good condition, on aged paper, with a little wear and a few closed tears along folds. He begins by describing his 'prospects': 'My first year in Canada I stayed with Mr. Bridges, during which time I got a pretty fair knowledge of the country. I then decided to speculate on a woodland Lot of Fifty Acres, price Five Hundred Dollars.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Barrett writes: 'Dear Hall Caine/ | The scheme promises well. I have made an arrangement for eight weeks at the Princess's. I thought it better to fight for the play there. Will certainly have a fair chance, although there can be no <?>.' According to Barrett's entry in the Oxford DNB, he returned from the Globe Theatre 'to the Princess's, where he began work with Hall Caine on adapting The Deemster, renamed Ben-my-chree (17 May 1888).

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with traces of mount adhering to the blank reverse of the second leaf. He thinks that Rickards 'could answer the question in the enclosed letter with much more authority, exactness, and detail, than I could.' If Rickards has 'anything to say on the subject', Mozley asks him to 'send it at once to my brother at Oxford, as he is in the last crisis of an article on the Manuscript Commission'. He continues with news of 'Grace' ('now home for the holidays') and of his health.

1p., landscape 12mo. Good, on aged paper, laid down on fly-leaf of book. Bold signature, written in response to a request for an autograph: 'To/ | Miss Micheline Keating | With affectionate good wishes. | David Belasco. | 1924.'

1p., 12mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with unobtrusive closed tear and evidence of previous mounting on reverse. The letter reads: 'The Speaker presents his Compts to Mr Sherwood, and begs to return his best thanks for the work he has just received - The Speaker feels assured that Mr Sherwoods experience in and attention to the Private business of the House will have enabled him to collect much useful information on this subject so important to the Public at large | Palace Yard | Feby. 6 | 1828'.

On slip of paper, 2 x 9 cm, cut from a letter for an autograph hunter. In good condition, on lightly-creased paper.

2pp., 16mo. 22 lines of text, closely and neatly written. In fair condition, on aged paper, with small pinholes and a spot of glued paper from previous mounting. The letter begins: 'My dear Draper, | I sail early tomorrow morning. | Enclosed is a ten pound note, and the summons referred to. - I cannot help thinking that a compromise might be effected it it were shown to the summoner by a "lawyer" that I have left England, have no house or furniture of my own, and that the most valuable of my books are gone with me. You will deeply oblige me if you will see whether this can be done'.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The facsimile Paas letter: 1p., 12mo. Begins: 'Among our many regular Shipments from Cadiz few wines have attracted more general attention than our C.W.C. a magnificent Dry Sherry, very pale an delicate quite the Amontillado Character, perfectly free from Spirit and harshness'. Printed advertisement: 1p., 12mo. Headed: 'SPARKLING CHABLIS, 40s. doz. - This light, elegant and exhilarating Wine will be found superior to cheap Champagne, and is particularly recommended to Invalids for its purity, at so moderate a price.