VICTORIAN

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with central vertical fold. The letter reads: 'Dear Miss Alice, | I am flattered to learn that you desire to have a Specimen of my Writing, - inartistic & illegible as it is, and I am truly glad to learn that you do not contemplate going from your native country next winter.'

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, aged and spotted. Reads: 'Dear Mrs. Epps, | I shall be very glad to see you and your party this afternoon; or, if I am not able to be with you, an assistant shall meet you in the hall at 3.'

On both sides of a 17.5 x 20.5 cm piece of wove paper cut from the first leaf of a letter, with 14 lines of text on the recto, and 20 lines of text on the verso. In fair condition, lightly aged, with two small labels used as mounts still adhering. Annotated at the head of the first page, in a small light hand, dating the letter by reference to Arnold's 'Memoirs', and explaining that the letter is written 'To Mrs. Arnold who gave me this | [?] from Her dear hand | Autumn 1860'. For the context of the letter see the Memoirs, 'Appendix C. | VIII. Tour in the South of France'.

3pp., foolscap 8vo. On a bifolium of laid paper. In fair condition, aged and worn. The first poem, 'Balooning [sic]', covers both sides of the first leaf. No evidence has been discovered that this poem was ever published, but it is inspired by the exploits of 'Mr. Green' in a humorous essay titled 'Ballooning', which appeared in Charles Dickens's 'Household Words' on 25 October 1851. The choice of two phrases ('pipes & backy' and 'Mounted Meershaums') is given in the present manuscript, these variants perhaps suggesting that this item is authorial rather than a transcription.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. With Cruikshank's splendid sprawling signature. Addressed to 'C. Le Motte Esq' and beginning: 'Sir, | Professor Wheatstone did not lay the wire across the Thames as he proposed to do, on account of the “Trawling” in that River and also finding some trouble in obtaining permission from the Lord Mayor – as “Conservator of the Thames” - In 1840 he had all the plans and apparatus ready – and in 1844 he in company with the Member for Swansea [i.e.

In very good condition, on 12mo leaf, with light horizontal folds above and below the signature. Clearly written in response to a request for an autograph. Excellent underlined signature, firm and bold, centred on the page, and reading: 'Matthew Arnold. | February 1st, 1868.' Arnold is one of the great Victorian poets, author of 'Dover Beach' and 'The Scholar Gypsy'.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged, with short closed tears at edges of some folds. An excellent letter, indignantly countering what must be the most serious accusation one historian can level against another, that of making 'false quotations'. The recipient is not named, but from the context is undoubtedly the Headmaster of Rugby School, Thomas Arnold, who since the previous year had held the Regius Professorship of History at Oxford, and would die four months later, on 12 June 1842.

1p., foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. On bifolium, docketed on reverse of second leaf: 'Dated the 9th. August 1870. | The Right Honorable Edward Gordon Lord Penrhyn | to | Lieutenant D: G: Griffith | Commission promoting him to be Captain of and in the Royal Carnarvon Rifle Militia.' Added in another hand at foot: 'Gazetted 16th. Augt 1870.' . The twenty-four line commission (appointing Griffith 'vice Kneeshaw resigned) is in a secretarial hand, signed at the foot by Penrhyn.

60pp., 8vo. In green printed wraps, the front cover carrying a dense illustration of scenes from various songs ('Kitty of Coleraine', 'Angel's Whisper', 'The Irish Wedding', 'Donnybrooke Fair', 'Low-Back'd Car' and 'The Wake'), with Tom Moore at the head, printed by Richard Born from a drawing by W. E. Earl. Title on cover differs slightly: '100 Songs of Ireland | Music & Words | The Popular Edition'. Eight-page publishers' catalogue bound in at rear. In fair condition, on aged paper, in aged and worn wraps.

The two letters in good condition, both laid down on pieces of card cut from an album.`ONE: ALS from 'Muley Ali Cherif H. de Wazan' to Lady Green. 1p., 12mo. Reads: 'Dear Lady Green | Thank you for the dog you were so kind as to send me. I find he is very good for hunting rabbits, a sport I am devoted to, It is most kind of you to promise to take care of him while I am away.' TWO: ANS from 'Muley Ahmed de Wazan'. 1p., 12mo. In purple ink. 'Dear Lady Green | I will arrange the affair you mentioned in your letter of yesterday. With compliments | Your's sincerely'.

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.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'Leicester Buckingham Esq'. Bentley writes that the matter of Buckingham's life of Mary Queen of Scots is 'just now brought to [his] attention'. 'If you are passing this way any day between 12 and 2 o'C you will be sure to find me, or my son, who will be able to discuss the subject with you'. He finds that he 'paid to Mr Wageman for a copy of the Miniature of the Queen executed for yuou at your desire, £3 . 3. 0', and asks to be sent this.

The previous year Green had succeeded Prestwich in the Chair of Geology at Oxford. In the same year the second volume of Prestwich's 'Geology' was published for the University by the Clarendon Press, the first volume having appeared in 1886. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged. The subject of the letter is 'the plates of “Geology”', with Prestwich writing that his 'only object is to make the book useful in as many ways as possible.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Presumably written to the governess of a child he had arranged to paint. Reads: 'Madam | I have Mrs. Horsfall's permission to ask if you could make it convenient that I should see her little daughter tomorrow at ¼ past 2 oC – for the purposes of arranging sittings for her portrait.'

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Addressed to 'Dear Dr.' and written in a neat and close hand. He gives a 22-line transcription of 'the extract [] from my vol[um]e. on Lead, p.177, published in 1870', headed 'Refining or Cupellation'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Charles W. Dilke. | Emilia F. S. Dilke | Newnham | 10 June | 1891'. Written after the celebrated Crawford Scandal of 1886, which resulted in Dilke losing his seat in parliament, and becoming a music-hall figure of fun as a result of the revelations of his adulterous behaviour.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition. He has 'from week to week been purposing a visit to you to express my gratitude & sincere thanks for your kindness to me & the cure you accomplished'. He can only write his thanks, having been overwhelmed by 'the arrears of work that followed my illness', and leaving for Paris the following day.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged. He begins by thanking him for his 'kind note and ticket for the Private View at the Academy'. He explains that he 'must pay a visit to the Home Office at noon to report myself', and from there he will find his way to Burlington House. He hopes 'to learn from Mr Childers or one of the Under-secretaries when there is a likelihood of a day being fixed by the Queen for dubbing knights, and am in hopes that it may not be far distant, as I don't wish to be kept here for any lengthened time.' He explains that he came up to London 'on Genl.

In 1899 Mrs Mills published a biography of her husband, titled 'From Tinder Box to Larger Light'. See the references to her in Crawford, 'Women's Suffrage Movement' (2003), and Daley and Nolan, 'Suffrage and Beyond' (1994), the latter work containing a reference to a meeting with Frederick Douglass. Her father, as she states in this letter, was 'John Petrie of South St Rochdale' (Petrie (1792-1883) was a Belfast-born engineer). 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged.

The influential potter Herbert Minton (1793-1858), of the Staffordshire firm Thomas Minton and Sons, had died on 1 April 1858. A couple of months later, on 26 May 1858, Wyatt read before the Society of Arts his paper 'On the Influence exercised on Ceramic Manufactures by the late Mr. Herbert Minton'. The first four letters carry the stamp of the Society of Arts. All five items in good condition, lightly aged. The first two 1p., 12mo; the third 2pp., 12mo. The fourt 3pp., 12mo. The fifth 1p, landscape 12mo. ONE ('Saty'): Reads: 'I have selected at Phillip's (Chamberlaine's) in Bond St.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Begins: 'Prof. Corfield presents his compliments to Miss Armstrong and begs to inform her that his Course of Lectures on Hygiene to Ladies will commence on Thursday Octr. 2nd at University College, London, and will be illustrated by specimens &c from the Parkes Museum.' He would forward a syllabus if he had one, and suggests that she apply to the college secretary 'for a copy of the Prospectus of the Faculties of Science'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, somewhat aged and worn. The recipient is not named, but is presumably George Frederick Armstrong (1842-1900), Professor of Engineering, Ediinburgh, from whose family papers the item derives. Geinitz writes: 'With many thanks for your kind letter to introduce Mr. Pilkington. I only regret, that snow and other effects of Winter-time did not allow any trip in the neighborhood [sic] for Geological purposes: we could only spend some days for studies in our Geological Museum, which Mr.

Denman was noted for his eccentricities. From 1884 he sat as a crossbencher, and introduced a number of bills on women's suffrage, none of which gained a second reading. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. The first page heavily-spotted, and with the cross-written signature over-written, probably by a child; otherwise lightly-aged and worn.

In addition to his achievements, Young is remembered for holding a dinner party in 1877, at which the Prince of Wales arranged to sit next to Lillie Langtry while her husband was discreetly seated elsewhere, thus beginning their affair. 2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and ruckled, with two small pinholes at head of first leaf, and traced of mount on blank reverse of second leaf. The letter begins: 'I have just got note from Mrs Langtry saying that she will have to go out of Town tomorrow morning and asking me to write to you to tell you'.

On 5 x 10 cm slip of paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Yours faithfully | George du Maurier'. The first line lightly inked, the signature itself bold and strong. Nothing else on the card, except for the number '92' in a contemporary hand at top left above the signature.

4.5 x 18.5 cm slip of paper. In fair condition, aged and laid down on piece of card. Four lines from the conclusion of a letter. Reads: '[…] Things here are going on as usual, – and all our Friends are well. – Tucker will write to you soon himself about your Visit to Malling, - which I yet hope will be accomplished. I hope your next Letter will contain some Account of the State of the Inhabitants of Fled:, and when you expect your Uncle Home – Adieu & believe me ever your | very sincerely attached & affectionate Friend. | T. Arnold.'

1p., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed by Clater on verso of second leaf to 'T. W. Winstanley | Royal Manchester | Institution'. Opens: 'Dear Sir | I beg leave to forward to your Exhibition two pictures'. 'No 1', which Winstanley has given the catalogue number 294 is 'May day', priced at 100 guineas, for which Clater provides a six-line poetic quotation. 'No 2' (catalogue number 135) is 'The Village Post Office', priced at 30 guineas.

In 1882 Guille and Allès, childhood friends who had worked in New York as carpenters, bought the Assembly Rooms in Market Street, opening the building in 1888 as an extensive subscription library, with reading and meeting rooms. The library is still in operation, and is a much-loved local institution. The present items dates from two years later, both 1p., 16mo. On bifolium. In good condition, with remains of stub adhering to one edge. Written in a small, neat and dainty hand, the first letter reads: 'Guille-Allès Library, | April 23, 1890.

Both letters are in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. 'Mrs. Chepmell' was the wife of Edward Charles Chepmell (1820-1885), society homeopathist. Mrs. Borrer' was the wife of Cary Hampton Borrer (1838-1918) of Hurstpierpoint. ONE: To 'Dear Mrs. Chepmell', 7 February 1904. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Begins: 'I find that Mr. Cranage the Cambridge secretary [Rev. David Herbert Somerset Cranage (1866-1957)] is coming down to Hurstpierpoint on Thursday & is going to lunch with Mrs.