NOVEL

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Giving the details of three titles from Thorp's 'large catalogue' which he hopes are still available (one is ticked in pencil and the other two marked as sold). 'Also can you let me have a cheap copy of John Masefield's "Sea Life in The Time of Nelson" and J. R. Hutchinson's "The Press Gang Afloat & Ashore." Publishers and prices of both items are noted in pencil, with 'Cheque Noted' in margin.

12mo, 1 p. Six lines. Mourning border. Text clear and complete. Aged, creased and a little grubby. Asking to be sent '4 copies of "The Butterfly", if ready', and if not to be told 'when it will be'. Lawrence published his 'Breaking a Butterfly; Or Blanche Ellerslie's Ending' anonymously by Tinsley in 1869.

16mo (leaf dimensions 13 x 10 cm), 3 pp. Bifolium. Twenty-eight lines. Text clear and complete. On aged and lightly creased paper with small closed tear in margin (not affecting text). He has been asked by 'Miss Caulfield' to 'perform the ceremony of "introduction" with a view to your publishing (if you approved of it) a work she has lately written [...] <"Janet de Rinzy?">'.

4to, 1 p. Four lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with slight staining from paperclip in top left-hand corner. He thanks him for his 'very interesting letter': 'The photograph shows an agreeable, and perhaps distinguished building. I return the picture thereof, and wish you every success therein.'

One page, 12mo, asking her friend to dinner "to meet a friend from the country", fearing that "there is small chance of finding you disengaged" with such late notice.

On a piece of thin card roughly 8.5 x 11.5 cm. Very good. Good signature, 7.5 cm long, neatly centred.

On a piece of paper roughly 5.5 x 13 cm. Good firm signature (8 cm long) on lightly aged and creased paper. Reads 'Faithfully yours | [signed] Marie Corelli'. Fragment on reverse reads '<...> education nowadays <...> hope you <...> induced to <...> estimable'.

On one side of a piece of paper, dimensions 19.5 x 21 cm. Lightly creased. Presumably in response to a request for an autograph. Reads 'Is there a life before Death? | (slogan chalked on wall in Northern Ireland, 1975) | Yours sincerely | [signed] Beryl Bainbridge.' Firm sprawling signature.

Irregularly shaped piece of paper, consisting of the front and sides of an envelope. Roughly 14 x 18 cm. Good, but with long vertical closed tear to right of signature, neatly repaired on reverse with archival tape. Reads 'London June Twelve 1832. - | Lady Frederick Bentinck | Bedford Hotel | Brighton | [signed] G. Bentinck.' Red ink postmark, circular and topped with crown, reading 'FREE | 12 JU 12 | 1832 | +'. Remains of red wax seal at foot. Docketed 'Bentinck' along right-hand edge.

12mo, 1 p. Very good. He hopes she will bring her paper out soon, 'as there is room' for it, 'especially if you are careful to steer clear of mere nonsense'. Asks her to ask her 'paper' to send the cheque to him, 'and not to Peters, as he had no hand in the transaction'. He 'travelled 2,500 miles doing those articles on our war-time effort', and is 'now very glad to be back home, picking up the threads of my own work again'. He has just finished 'a comedy', and hopes 'to start another soon'.

8vo, 2 pp. Very good. She has been recovering from influenza at Brighton. 'I think your Paper is going on Splendidly [last word underlined] & I am so glad! [last two words underlined]'. 'Yes, isnt Margaret Ettinger a charming Creature! She told me you had talked together of me'. Asks for Ettinger's address. 'How's the home? - how's the charming wife? - & when shall we discuss the affairs of the world, the flesh, & the devil?!' She is well, 'all but my knee, which has been behaving like an ungrateful child'.

On strip of paper roughly two inches by eight wide. Good. Two bold signature reads 'Yours sincerely | Richard Adams'. Presumably the collector was expected to cut the autographs off individually - for wgatever purpose.

Both items one page, 12mo. Both on creased, aged paper, with some paperclip spotting. In the typed letter (which is in slightly worse condition than the other item) she explains that she is enclosing her autograph on a separate sheet. '[I]n case you care to have it My Mother, Mrs. Graham, (I write under my maiden name) thought you might like to have Sir Philip Gibbs' autograph, [^the celebrated author,] so she has asked me to send you a card she received from him the other day. [not present] You certainly have a wonderful collection!' The autograph reads 'Jan: 7th.

One page, 16mo. Good, on lightly aged grey paper, with previous paper mount adhering to reverse. Reads 'I have pleasure in sending you the Autograph you desire'.

The letter: one page, 12mo. Good, but with removal from mount having thinned the paper in places, and with traces of brown paper mount still adhering. He is sending the autographs of 'Henry Seton Merriman (Hugh Scott); Gertrude Atherton; Miss Fowler; and Douglas Sladen. Also a photo from Ted (not a good one, but the only one I have left).' He enjoyed himself 'so much' at Langford. 'It was a week of real enjoyment to me.' The fragment: one page, four inches by four and a half wide.

Printed Post Card, dimensions three and a half inches by five and a half. Good, on aged paper, but with the reverse (showing the remains of a photograph of Brighton) damaged by its removal from an autograph album. Unobtrusive vertical crease. Reads (apparently in Egerton Castle's hand) 'Dear Miss Gray | Your letter has been forwarded to us here. We have much pleasure in sending you the autographs you desire'.

One page, 12mo. Grubby, and with traces of previous mount adhering to reverse. Small circle containing '170' in red in top left-hand corner. He is sending his autograph, 'which I could not do while at . I am glad you have read some of my stories; I presume those now in book form as "1001 Indian Nights." '

One page, 12mo, on mourning paper. Aged and cropped at foot. Dusty, and with minor paperclip stains to edges, and traces of previous mount on reverse. Reads 'Dear Sir, | I have much pleasure in sending you my Autograph. | Yours truly | "Allen Raine" '. Four-line cutting giving printed biography neatly laid down in bottom right-hand corner.

One page, 12mo. On blue paper discoloured from glue by previous mounting. Seven-line printed biographical cutting in top right-hand corner. 'I am very happy to comply with your request [for an autograph].'

One page, 12mo. On aged and spotted paper, with traces of previous mount on reverse. Craigie's 'PMTC' monogram in top left-hand corner, and a red '45' in a red circle in top right-hand. Fourteen-line biographical cutting laid down along one edge. Reads 'Dear Sir | I have much pleasure in sending you my autograph. | Yours faithfully | Pearl Mary-Teresa Craigie.'

12mo: 3 pp. 26 lines of text. Good, on lightly creased and aged paper. Chatty, apologetic letter. She thanks her for her invitation for the following day but she is already engaged. Unclear reference to 'Sir Boyle Roche's bird'. She would like to see her again, but 'I dare not make any engagements now, The weather is now my jailer'. She has to go to Malvern one day the following week. Suggests other possibilities. She may have to 'take my chance of finding you at home'. She was 'sorry to miss you when you were away & I called'.

On one side of a piece of laid paper, dimensions 11.5 x 17.5 cm. Good, lightly creased with one small spot at head and a light thumbprint (Warren's?) in top right-hand corner. Clearly responding to a request for an autograph. Reads 'The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Firmament sheweth His handy work. Ps. XX, I. | [signed] Samuel Warren | 16 Manchester Square | W. | 23d January 1866.'

The front of a wove-paper envelope, 8 x 12.5 cm. Good. Reads 'London December | Ninth 1833 | Honble. Cecil Lawless | The Wick | Brighton | [signed in bottom left-hand corner] William P. Lennox'. The postmark, in red ink in the top right-hand corner, is circular, topped with a crown, and reads '9 DE 9 | 1833'.

12mo: 1 p. On discoloured paper with wear at head and traces of previous mount adhering to blank reverse. He sent the publishers Chatto & Windus her novel the previous Monday, 'begging them to write to you on the matter, and giving your work my best recommendation'. He has not heard anything from them himself, but expects it will 'take a week or two, before they can give an opinion'. The recipient may be Edith Nesbit, although this is unlikely as Nesbit was her maiden name. She became Edith Bland in 1880. None of her works appear to have been published by Chatto & Windus.

Both items quarto. On worn, discoloured paper, with a couple of closed tears to the folds. Pertwee was the author of numerous anthologies for recitation, and these letters presumably relate to his 'Reciter's treasury of prose and drama: serious and humorous' (Routledge, 1904). TLS: 'Provided, of course, that Messrs. Routledge have actually agreed with you to publish the book of humorous prose recitations, I shall be very willing to allow you to reprint any one of the stories the titles of which I give below.

12mo: 2 pp. Good, with thin strip of glue and grey paper from previous mounting adhering at foot of reverse (not affecting text). While it is possible that Howell may have given 'Mr. Gill' [tMichael Henry Gill, later of McLashan & Gill?] 'letters [of introduction]' when he 'went to New York ten or fifteen years ago', it is unlikely.

On piece of lightly discoloured paper roughly 4 x 10 cms, with horizontal fold on left. Reads '[typed] Yours sincerely, | [signed] Mary A. Ward.' Docketed in pencil at foot 'Mrs Humphry Ward 1914'.

Two pages, 16mo. Very good. Twenty-two lines, attractively written in purple ink beneath a letterhead printed in bright red. With postmarked envelope, addressed in autograph and carrying a penny stamp. He thanks her for sending him a copy of her book 'The Luck of John Seaton'. 'It reached me down in the country where, strange to say, I was already half way through it. I bought it at the railway station & had not arrived at the name of the author, when I received your letter. They ought to always put the name on the cover.' He enjoyed the story 'from beginning to end'.

On one side of the card. Dimensions, 8.5 x 11 cms. Very good. Neat inscription reading 'For Charles Wilson | with Alec Waugh's best wishes | July. 31. 1948 /.'

The Memorandum is a four-page folio (leaf size roughly fourteen inches by nine and a half) bifolium. In very good condition, lightly creased and folded. It details Mrs Wright's royalties (as 'proprietor'), advance and percentages. The paperback rights agreement consists of four typewritten pages, on four leaves, each roughly thirteen inches by eight, stapled together at the head beneath green tape. Very good, though lightly creased and with some fraying to tape. It is signed by the Hamilton & Co. chairman Joseph and witnessed by his secretary E. M. Holloway.