NOVEL

In blue ink, on 3.5 x 10 cm piece of thick paper, cut from a letter. In good condition, with traces of glue from mount on reverse. Reads: 'Yours faithfully | Walter Greenwood'.

Each letter 1p., 4to, Bickerstaffe-Drew's on reverse of Wood's. In fair condition, on aged leaf of paper with strip torn from head. The two letters cast an interesting light on English publishing practice in the late nineteenth century. Wood's letter, signed 'J. S. Wood', is written by a secretary, and addressed to 'The Right Rev Mgr Bickerstaff Drew'.

One page, 12mo, minor marking, good condition. "I hope that this will be as useful for your purpose as 'Sally Bishop' [his novel- see note below]. The motive of Sally has been so misunderstood that I should be glad if I could stop the sale of it altogether - for which reason I preferred to give you 'Mirage'. Note: it appears that the Englsih edition of 'Sally Bishop' was published in 1910, the American in 1908 (the year of this letter). 'Mirage' was published in 1908.

2pp., 12mo. 25 lines of text. In fair conditon, on aged and worn paper. Her sister Frances is 'overjoyed at your benevolent efforts for me', and 'Mr Arthur Hall is very glad indeed to hear what you are trying to do, and is quite ready if you and I approve to send a set of my books, with a notification to Mr Gladstone, and also of privately interesting the Archbishop, who will, he has no doubt send an autograph letter privately to the Prirme Minister'. The letter ends with a prayer for her 'kind friends', concluding 'The Lord will provide'.

Lascelles bought Lichfield House in 1729, and committed suicide there in 1753. The enormous success of Braddon's novels 'Lady Audley's Secret' (1862) and 'Aurora Floyd' (1863) allowed her to buy Lichfield House, where she too died. It was demolished in the 1930s. ONE: Manuscript indenture on vellum. 'Mrs. M. E. Maxwell to G. M. Maxwell Esq | Conveyance of freehold property known as "The Homestead" Sheen Road Richmond Surrey'. 10 June 1914. 4pp., 8vo, with covering page. Laid out in usual fashion, bound with green ribbon with tax stamps, Land Registry stamp, and two seals in red wax.

In poor condition, on aged and brittle paper, with significant chipping to edges involving loss of text, including the end of Philpott's signature. Undated, but written in 1916, the year of publication of Phillpotts' 'The Green Alleys'. Headed in blue pencil 'Mr Lynd' (i.e for the attention of Daily News columnist Robert Lynd).

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Written in purple ink. The letter reads: 'My dear Sir, | Here it is, for what it is worth. To-morrow, Jan 16, a new novel of mine, "Some Fell Among Thorns", should be published. I shall send you a copy & ask your acceptance of it. | Yours Sincerely | Andrew Soutar'. Soutar received a brief obituary in The Times, 25 November 1941.

4pp., 12mo. Paginated to 4. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. On laid paper watermarked 'A PIRIE & SONS | 1883'. Tastefully printed.

TLS: 2pp., 12mo. In good condition. The letter begins: 'Dear Al: | Last Thursday morning, while sitting in a barbar chair, I asked myself a question which a number of people have been asking me recently, namely, What are you doing at Harvard? I couldn't come up with a very satisfactory answer, so I went to a friend's house on Cape Cod for the weekend. Monday I saw the head of the English Department at Harvard, H. C. Baker. He said, "Follow your star," which seemed to me a little romantic, but all the same good advice.

2pp., 8vo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He asks him to accept a copy of the Tauchnitz edition of his 'Iron Mask', 'the only one I happen to have by me'. He continues: 'As you are kind enough to express an interest in work of mine, I may say that I expect to be in the West of Ireland next month in the interests of the Daily Chronicle - if you ever happen to see that paper - for which I am to write a special series of letters describing the present condition of that district.' For more on Hopkins see his obituary in The Times, 17 February 1919.

[1] + 111pp., 16mo. Unbound or lacking wraps (?). Aged and worn, with slight ink staining to title-page. The text is preceded by a full-page 'Prologo' from the publishers. No other copy traced on either Worldcat, COPAC, or PORBASE, and does not feature in the list of 'Later Editions' of the novel on pp.66-67 of A. T. Hazen's 1948 Walpole bibliography.

In good condition, lightly-aged. Addressed to 'Miss Paget, | 28, Campden Hill Square | W.' Reads: 'I will look in this morning at the hour of coffee.'

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Written with the essence of Victorian tact. 'We shall be extremely glad if you can give us the evening of the 7th. instead of the 5th. and I trust you will permit us to consider you engaged to us for that night - 8 oClock - | I am grieved to think that my note should have reached you at a time of grief. Thank you for kindly consenting to come.'

2pp., 12mo. 36 lines. She begins by accepting an invitation to give a talk to Wiener's 'Society', about which she has 'hears so much'. She is 'honoured to add my name to such a distinguished roll of speakers'. She next explains why she believes radio to be 'infinitely superior to TV'. She next turns to 'Mr. Sieveking's adaptation', which she considers 'very clever, as he had to leave out the descriptions which formed such an important part of the book. He allowed me to see and criticise all his scripts, too. I'm so glad you are liking the result. Isn't the signature-tune pleasing?

[1] + 28pp., 4to. New title-leaf and text pp.215-242. In printed brown paper wraps, inscribed at head of front cover 'to Mr Richard Bentley | from Michael Sadleir | Dec 1924'. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The paper was read before the Bibliographical Society on 17 November 1924. NOte: Sadleir describes the wonderful moment when he first saw the Bentley file copy collection in "Nineteenth-Century Fiction". He inevitably became very friendly. Richard Bentley was the grandson of the founder of the firm, selling up to MACMILLAN'S IN 1898.

Letter: 1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He begins by suggesting that Baron write to 'Mr Payn' (the novelist and editor James Payn) via the Reform Club, Pall Mall. (Baron's method involved asking one celebrity how to contact another.) He next discusses two of his works: '"The Memorial Windows" appeared in the Gentleman's & was published in Pippins & Cheese (Bradbury & Evans) - "The Valley" you will see in enclosed list'. He concludes by thanking Baron for his 'complimentary note'. With envelope addressed to 'J. T.

The first three letters each 1p., 4to; and the fourth 2pp., 4to. In good condition, on aged and creased paper, with three of the four letters stapled together. Letter One: 13 October 1967. She writes 'for information about my position concerning my late husband's books, and my Biography of him which Heinemann's published in London in 1962'. The closing of the firm's Cape Town office has been a shock to her. Letter Two: 4 November 1967.

Postcards, c.11 x 9cm, some smudging but mainly good condition, text clear and complete. Postcard One: "Dear Mr Wynne, | Very best thanks for your valued gift: a fine & distinguished poem."; Postcard 2: "[...] | The books can be got separately & there are cheap editions of those two books any bookseller can secure for you for 2/- & 2/6 each. | I'm afraid London has had enough of my plays. My daughter's paly is not about [?] folk." Two items,

4to, 1 p. Ten lines, edges a little damaged but text clear and complete, on flimsy paper. "You are welcome to the quotation from my school-boy story - if it is worth while. I could have wished, however, that in an anthology of serious prose you had given me credit as a serious writer & chosen something more interesting. With compliments [...]"

4pp., 16mo. On bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly-aged and worn paper. He begins: 'No - I am not going to write the sequel to The City [his 1909 book 'The City of Beautiful Nonsense'] - but I am now hard at work on a book that is going to give me more pleasure to do than anything I have done yet. It is all laid in Ireland - which I have not written of for some years - & I believe will be as interesting to read as it is engrossing to me to write.' He asks him to 'go & see my play "Driven" when Johnson does it - some time this month in New York - & let me know - in

4pp., 4to. Fair, on lightly aged and creased paper, with a few closed tears. The letter begins: 'Dear Lynd: I have been very ill and after two months in bed and an introduction to what Marley called "the thick, sweet smell of chloroform" I have been sent down here to get better - with the word of specialist and doctor that when I am well again I shall be better than I have been for a long time. This I write because I have often thought of writing to tell you how much I relish your papers.

In good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Galsworthy writes: 'Dear Evans | Here is the MS. Price £300 [amended from 315] less half your Commission £30. = £285. nett. | Sincerely yours | John Galsworthy'. For such a short message, the manuscript shows signs of indecision: the latter part, from the word 'less', has clearly an addition, and the word 'half' has been inserted with a caret. While the manuscript referred to may well be the second collection of Forsyte Novels, 'A Modern Romance', published by Heinemann's in 1929, Galsworthy's price does seem rather cheap.

One page, 17.5 x 12cm, 8 lines, heavy grey paper, corner smudged, good condition. Title "Thought". "Give me thought - glorious thought [...] | To the sight of a flower; | Though it trembles and shrinks | From the touch of its thorn." Note: She was not known for her verse.

One page, 8vo, good condition, commences [title] NOTICE | The Managers of the ..............School consider it necessary, in consequence of the existence of Scarlet Fever in the neighbourhood [...] People are warned not to send children to school if there is illness inthe house of any sort, giving the circumstances for penalties (usually £5 fine), and outlining symptoms. Any householder swith illness in the hosue shouldcontact William Bishop Harmer, the Sanitary Inspector of the District.

1p., 12mo. On thick deckled-edge paper. He apologises for the delay in sending a copy of his 'Iron Pirate', due to a delay in receiving it from the publishers.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Ainsworth begins: 'My dear Mr. Fullom, I am happy to tell you that you are under a great mistake. Your manner, on the occasion you refer to, produced the most favourable impression upon me.' Fullom 'exhibited great delicacy and modesty', and Ainsworth 'stated as much to Mr. Hurst'. The omission was in fact on Ainsworth's own part, in neglecting to thank Fullom for his 'flattering proposal to dedicate your romance to me'.

2pp., 4to. 53 lines. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with minor traces of previous mounting at head, and a light and unobtrusive water stain. The letter is headed by Rose 'Y.M.C.A. B.A.P.O.2 B.E.F. France'. Regarding Sheppard's recently-published 'Quest of Ledgar Dunstan', Rose writes: 'You have a wonderfully keen mental eye which sees everything with extraordinary sharpness, & you have a literary hand which etches with just & delicate touch. The book is also one of singular intensity of feeling which carries the reader along fascinated & thrilled.

On piece of paper 19 x 12 cm. Addressed by Pech on one side, with franks and black wax seal: 'London February twenty eight 1830 | J Richardson Esq | Heydon | Aylsham | N W Peach Norfolk'. The reverse carries the conclusion of Lytton's letter, in his handwriting: '<...> remember. - | Begging again to thank you my dear Sir, for your attention & to assure you of my Consideration & Esteem | I am, very sincerely yours | [signed] E. Lytton Bulwer.'

On 12 x 21 cm rectangle, cut from the base of a 4to leaf. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with part of the card mount adhering to the reverse. A firm flowing signature which reads: 'Yours sincerely | Gilbert Frankau'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium, with leaf dimensions 18 x 11cm. The letter appears complete, in good condition on lightly-aged paper, but a rectangle of about 5.5 x 11cm. (perhaps carrying the recipient's name) has been torn from the bottom of the second leaf.