TENNYSON

An apparent forgery of a letter the text of which is quoted in Hallam Tennyson’s 1897 memoir of his father. 1p, 12mo. On discoloured wove paper. Aged, and with repair with archival tape at extremities on reverse. Folded twice for postage. Reads: ‘Aldworth / Oct 25 - 76 / My dear Mrs Gladstone / On Monday then - if all be well. As you are good enough to say that you will manage everything rather than lose my visit - you must manage that I may have my pipe in my own room whenever I like? / Yours ever / A Tennyson/’.

See his entry by E. V. Knox in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with dog-eared corner. Folded once. Reads: ‘Dear Mr. Denselow, / If my erratic and unenviable handwriting has any interest for anyone - except my tailor (who seldom sees it!) you are very welcome to a fragmentary example of it, at its word’. The signature is no doubt deliberately emphatic, with colons to the initials, and a period on each side of the end of the final flourish. In a postscript Reed expresses gratification to hear ‘that my work “touches the spot” occasionally, that’s what it’s “for!”’

On one side of square of paper cut from a 12mo leaf. In fair condition, aged and lightly creased. Folded twice. Reads: 'For Coals and the School | With Lord Tennyson's | Compliments and best Wishes | May 1 / 85'. Presumably 'the School' is the Blue Coat School at Aldworth, and it seems that Tennyson was sending a cheque for the purchase of 'Coals', possibly as part of a tradition.

2pp, 4to. On first leaf of bifolium, the second leaf carrying the address to 'Lady Palgrave | Hampstead Green', with four postmarks, one dated 29 July 1837. In fair condition, on aged, worn and creased paper. Lady Elizabeth Palgrave was the wife of the archivist and historian Sir Francis Palgrave (1788-1861, né Cohen), and daughter of the banker, naturalist and bibliophile Dawson Turner (1775-1858) of Yarmouth.

The four letters are in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. Written in Payne's neat and mannered hand, and all four signed 'J Bertrand Payne'. For the background to the correspondence see Jim Cheshire's article 'The Fall of the House of Moxon', Victorian Poetry, Spring 2012. Payne was manager of the London publishing house Edward Moxon & Co., celebrated for their association with poets.

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.

Alan Bell, in his entry on Wise in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, characterizes him as 'both a careless and a dishonest bibliographer' (see also Simon Nowell-Smith, 'T. J. Wise as Bibliographer' in the Library, 1969). One of Wise's aims was clearly to legitimize his forgeries, and as John Collins states in 'The Two Forgers' (1992), his bibliographies are all 'more or less tarred with Wise's own publications'.

60 + 1pp., 8vo. The last page carries an 'Appendix'. In brown printed wraps, with cover headed 'Luxury and the Fine Arts, - In some of their Moral and Historical Relations.' Inscribed at head of cover to 'B. Moran Esqe | with the Author's kind regards'. In fair condition, with signs of age and wear. Disbound, and with library stitching at spine. Front cover with stamp of the Free Public Library, Wigan, and shelfmarks. Note by the librarian Henry Tennyson Folkard on inside front cover: 'Cat. Bought May 1916. | H. T.

On one side of a 9 x 11.5 cm piece of card. In good condition, lightly-aged and with a couple of minor spots. Reads: 'New York, Novr. 14th. 1890 | Dear Mrs. Ferris, | In 1850, [date underlined] Alfred Tennyson married Miss Emily Sellwood, daughter of Henry Sellwood, of Horncastle, & took up his residence at Twickenham. He was made Poet Laureate the same year, & was then 41 years old. | Sincerely yrs., | Edmund C. Stedman.'

3pp., 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. In original envelope, with stamp and postmark, addressed by Bennett to 'John T Baron Esq. | 48 Griffin Street | Blackburn | [signed] W C Bennett'. He begins by informing Baron that four numbers of 'The Lark' have already been published.

Original cutting, 53 cm long, from The Times, of an article titled 'Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington. By Alfred Tennyson.' This poem, one of Tennyson's finest and best-known, was published on 16 November 1852 (two days before Wellington's funeral) by the London publisher Edward Moxon, who had offered Tennyson £200 for 10,000 copies. As Edgar F. Shannon, Jr.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. On the first leaf of a bifolium, with the second blank leaf carrying traces of glue from mount. The note reads: 'May /85 | Lord Tennyson begs to thank the Lord Chamberlain for the honour of the invitation on June 6th. He regrets that he is unable to avail himself of it.'

4pp., 12mo. Worn and stained on four leaves with wear to extremities resulting in slight loss of text, and with at least one leaf lacking. Parsons begins by informing Caswell that he is sending him a copy of the Examiner containing his article on 'Tennyson's Literary Career': 'It was sent to the Editor only a few days after the poet's death when I knew nothing about the title or contents of the new book of poems.' He discusses his plans to insert the article when he republishes his pamphlet (Parsons' 'Tennyson's Life and Poetry' appeared in 1892, with a revised edition the following year).

1p., 12mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. In envelope addressed by De Tabley to 'Mrs. Kate. A. Wright. | Monona House | Small Heath | Birmingham.' In reply to her letter of 18 June, he states that he will have pleasure in permitting her to 'insert the five pieces' which she enumerates in her 'forthcoming Collection of Poems and Ballads of the Nineteenth Century'. Kate A. Wright's 'Dainty Poems of the Nineteenth Century' was published in Birmingham in 1895. The titles of the five poems are given in another contemporary hand [Mrs Wright's?] on the reverse of the second leaf.

16mo, 4 pp. 64 lines. Text clear and complete. Hutton was a friend of both de Vere and his correspondent, and 'this will always remain a link between us; for no one who ever knew him can forget him; & no one who remembers him can ever cease to honour him'.

Two pages, 12mo, bifoliate, section (presumed postal history or blank) from second leaf. Addressed to General Post Office, countersigned D'Eyncourt. Text of note: Mr. d'Eyncourt will be obliged to the officers of the G.P.O. to send his Letters to | No.1 John Street St James's Sqre | 6 June 1844. From 48 Dover Street in different hand at top of page. Verso of note is stamped No. [8527] Regd. June 7 1844 with notes by various employees of the GPO who were putting the request into effect.

Three pages, 8vo, some damage, but text clear and complete, tear at fold of bifolium despite attempt to repair with sellotape., He has been asked by a friend to get an answer about the diseases of camels, quoting his enquiry in which one, Photoshootui (if I read the word right), is described, and referring to ancient sources and Native opinion. His correspondent is engaged in a popular treatise, or history, of vaccination. Hallam hopes for references to Western books that might give information.

12mo, 3 pp, on separate loose leaves. Forty lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on browned paper. Laid out for printing, and with the page numbering 21 to 23 (from 12 to 14). Loosely inserted in a folder with 'Original Manuscript of Elbert Hubbard' printed on the front, which also carries two accession marks.

12mo (17.5 x 11 cm): 5 pp. On two bifolium letterheads and half of a third. The text of each page is clear and complete on aged and lightly-spotted paper, but gaps between the various sections indicate that the draft is incomplete. Begins 'Sir | I see that in your obituary notice of Sir James Knowles inn today's paper you say that he was the Editor of the Contemporary Review from 1870 to 1877. | This is news to me. I was the Editor and proprietor of the Contemporary Review all these years, and I think I ought to know the facts of the matter.

First edition. 8vo: xii + 200 + [iv] pp. (the last four pages an unpaginated publisher's catalogue). In original blue cloth, gilt. Fair, tight copy, on lightly-aged paper, with some spotting to endpapers. Binding with dulled spine and minor spotting. Bookplate of the Rev. English Crooks. Binders ticket ('BOUND BY BURN & CO.') to rear pastedown. Half-title reads 'RURAL POEMS'. The 'translation' of the three collections beginning with 'Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect' (1844).

On piece of grey wove paper cut into a rough rectangle, 5 x 8 cm. Good, but with light traces of glue from previous mounting on reverse. Reads '<...> | I have honour to remain | Dear Sir | Yr obt. & hble. Servt | F. Palgrave', with the flourish to the 't' of 'Servt' forming the top horizontal stroke to the 'F.' in Palgrave's signature. Reverse reads '<...> | In conformity <...> | my letter to you <...> | July last, I requir<...> | my name may be <...>'.

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'.

One page, 12mo. Good, if a little aged and lightly creased. He apologises for the delay in 'sending the drawing that now I ask you to please me by accepting' (not present). He asks her to accept it as a present for 'that almost superannuated festivity' of Christmas. 'I send you a coat-of-arms as that includes a certain amount of letterpress which you will I think prefer to a simple drawing'. He has delivered all the drawings bought by Mrs Samuel's friend and has received his thanks.' Signed 'E. T. Rees'.

English historian (1777-1859). One page, 8vo. Folded twice. In good condition although slightly grubby and with one small closed tear at foot from clumsy cutting. Verso attached to remains of previous mount. Reads 'Mr Hallam will be glad to see Mr G. S. Allen tomorrow morning at ten, if he has ceased to attend Mrs Marcets [the author Jane Haldimand Marcet, 1769-1858] or at 1/2 past nine if he still does so.'