WILLIAM

Octavo: 190 pp. In original red cloth binding. First edition. Lacks rear free endpaper. On aged paper and in heavily worn binding. INSCRIBED by author on creased front free endpaper 'Much that is contained in this book is founded on fact | [signed] William Le Queux | Oct 1916'.

On both sides of a piece of wove paper, roughly 23 x 18 cm. On lightly discoloured and creased paper, with central spike hole affecting two words. Two manuscript changes in ink on the recto: 'TAUNTON' amended to 'Wivelscombe' and the twenty-one names of the Society's officers cancelled. A handful of changes, in ink and pencil, on reverse. Mainly taken up with ten 'Principles and Regulations'. Seven-line footnote in small print on recto, concerning a 'FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE'. BBTI lists William Bragg as active in Taunton before 1830.

In light blue, light brown and black on one side of a piece of wove paper roughly 38 x 56 cm. Good: lightly creased and with a little wear at foot. Folded three times. 'Corrections 14th. June' in bottom left-hand corner, and 'Malby & Sons, Lith.' in bottom right-hand corner. Faintly stamped on border at foot 'CHARPENTIER | PORTSMOUTH'. COPAC lists one copy (National Library of Scotland).

The collection is in good condition, with items on lightly aged and creased paper. Letter One (12 September 1951, Onslow Gardens; 12mo, 1 p, in envelope): As Kyrle Fletcher 'may have seen', Speaight is engaged in a biography of William Poel, and is 'anxious to trace the letters he received from Shaw & which were sold about 1930'. Kyrle Fletcher has docketed the envelope with a precis of his reply. Card (postmarked 14 September 1951): Thanking Kyrle Fletcher for his 'letter & most useful suggestions'.

Quarto bifolium, 3 pp. Verso of second leaf blank. On greyish-blue paper. Good, though lightly creased and with a little spottting. Begins 'MR. D'ISRAELI [sic] presented a Petition from Finnemoor, a place forming part of Oxfordshire, but being wholly within the County of Buckingham. The Petiton complained of oppression on the part of the Bishop of Oxford.

4to: 4 pp. Unbound. Good. Half-page illustration on first page of 'The Emigrant's Farewell'. Small vignette on p.3 of 'Sancho Panza flogging himself, or the Landlords laying peculiar burthens on themselves!' Includes articles entitled 'Onward Still!', 'The Sugar Monopoly' and 'The Working Man his Own Capitalist'. Ends with 'A HINT. - Every newspaper containing debates on the corn laws, should be sent through the post from one hand to another while it will hold together.'

4to: 1 p. Facsimile of a handwritten letter. With small embossed circular letterhead, in red and gilt, with crest enclosed by the words 'Bibliotheca civitatis Londoniarum'. Somewhat grubby bifolium, but with text clear and entire, reading 'The Committee appointed by the Corporation of London to carry out the works in connexion with their new Library and Museum having fixed Thursday, the 27th. Instant for the ceremony of laying the Foundation Stone of the buildings, it will afford them much pleasure to be favored with your company on the occasion, at Guildhall at 2. o'clock. p.m.

8vo: 16 pp. Unbound and stitched. On brittle, discoloured paper chipping at extremities and with the first and last leaves detached from one another. All but the first four pages consisting of a 'list of Original Papers, published by resident members of the University during the years 1886 and 1887', compiled to indicate the 'extent to which the country is indebted to the endowments of the University'. Including works by J.J. Thomson, Francis Darwin, George Darwin. Scarce: no copy in the British Library and the only copy on COPAC at Cambridge University Library.

All three letters 12mo, and closely written. All three with rusted pinholes at head. A valuable correspondence, in which one of Victorian England's leading critics describes his response to the work of one of the age's foremost historians. LETTER ONE (1 page, 26 lines, good): He thanks Kinglake for sending his 'new volume' [of 'The Invasion of the Crimea']. 'I am reading it with great delight. The work to me is unique both in military & literary history.

Landscape 8vo: 10 pp. On the first six leaves of a twenty leaf stitched account book, on blue ruled blue paper, in original buff wraps. Printed label on front cover reading 'SALE BOOK. | Sold by HUDSON SCOTT, | Stationer and Account Book Manufacturer, Carlisle.' Manuscript title on front cover reads 'Sale a/c of J. Sagar under Bill of Sale to Mr. Stubbs 1856.' and 'Effects of John Sagar, Ironmonger Botchergate under Bill of Sale to Mr. Stubbs. - Jany. 23. 1856.-' Internally clean, in grubby wraps. Description of sale, on first page, signed 'William Browne | Auctioneer'.

8vo: 13 pp. Stitched. In original cream printed wraps. On aged, spotted paper, in heavily worn wraps. Facsimile of handwriting at head of front wrap reads 'With the Author's Compliments'. Two diagrams in text.

An unusual, scarce and frail survival. Printed on one side of a piece of tissue paper, roughly 35 cm square. Surprisingly well preserved: heavily creased, with some wear to extremities, one small hole (not affecting text or image) and one closed tear of approximately 4 cm to coloured border.

8vo, [19 pp]. In original grey printed wraps. On lightly aged paper, with unevenly trimmed edges, and in slightly worn wraps. Short ink inscription at head of front wrap. INSCRIBED by the author's wife 'To my very dear Daughter Marian In happy memory of dear Pater the Author May 4th. and May 24th. 1936'. Full-page illustration of the 'Metropolitan Free Church Federation Eisteddfod, 1926. Grand Bardic Chair Presented by John Weir, Esq.' A curious mixture of pagan and Christian.

The collection is lightly aged and in good condition. Letter One (12mo, 3 pp), Oxford, 1 November 1827, signed 'W: M.': Begins by saying that he will be pleased to join Charles 'in the Lodging you propose or any other more to your mind - I had not fixed upon any plan, but thought once of being at Ellis's Hotel - (the Colonial Club House, St. James St.) Your proposal, however, I like much better.' He will 'much prefer being in the Regent Street on late Nights in the Ho. of Commons [Manning was also a Member of Parliament], as I found Wimpole St.

16mo (roughly 11 x 8 cm), 1 p. Creased and ruckled, and with slight discolouration from previous mounting, and with a piece of the mount adhering to the blank reverse. Reads 'My dear Sir | I thank you for your letter and the information it contained. I write to Paris to have PP' book as soon as it is out. | Yours truly | [signed] Elisabeth'. Signature stylized to the point of illegibility. Piece of mount docketed in contemporary hand 'Elizabeth late Queen of Prussia'.

Very good, on aged and lightly creased paper. Six long letters to family in England written during a turbulent period in South African history. Affectionate, chatty, and written from a lower-middle-class point of view (Florrie: 'we always have an h[ou]r., when I change my dress for the afternoon after dinner'). Mostly dealing with family matters. Letter One (from 'Florrie', 4 September 1898, 'P.O. East London, South Africa', 4to: 4 pp): tells an amusing story about Birt, a cart and a goat. Letter Two (from 'Florrie', 11 September 1898, address as Letter One, 4to: 2 pp).

Both items with text clear and entire. Item One: offprint, on one side of a piece of wove paper 25 x 18.5 cm. Good, on lightly-aged paper with some wear to extremities. Headed 'AQUAECULTURE, And the Artificial Propogation [sic] of the Danube Salmon in Bavaria, BY DR. WIMMER. | Re-printed from the Macclesfield Courier June 27, 1857.' The letter, dated 'Landshut, 11th June, 1857', is addressed to 'Thomas Ashworth, Esq.' and covers two columns of small print. Item Two: offprint, on one side of a piece of watermarked wove paper 33.5 x 20.5 cm.

12mo: [xii] + xxiv + 76 pp. In original red cloth boards, with 'FLORES POETARUM BRITANNICORUM.' stamped in gilt on front board. Lightly aged and foxed, in slightly grubby binding, but good and tight. A few marginal notes in a contemporary hand.

Landscape 12mo, 2 pp. 17 pages of text. Blue oval stamp at head. Good, on lightly creased paper, with small closed tear at head. Difficult hand. 'Bambridge is not a familiar name in Virginia. Very many of the early settlers died from malaria & other fevers soon after arriving.' Discusses the difficulty of genealogical research ('we have a hundred Counties in Virginia').

All five items are 12mo, 1 p, and in good condition, with the text entirely legible, but with slight discoloration to the extremities and to the blank second leaves of four of the letters. Letter One (17 May 1898): Concerns a letter by Sir William White, regarding which Knowles has not written as 'it seemed to me there was nothing to write about - & I am compelled to write so many letters!' Knowles 'did not at all think that Sir W. White intended any disparaging reflection in your competence by saying that you were <?> not a man "technically trained in naval architecture" '.

On printed postcard, with a postmarked postage stamp. Addressed by Crockett. Aged and creased, with paperclip markings. Asks to see a copy of 'The Maple Leaf', 'so that I may have an idea as to the sort of thing you want for the Xmas. no.'

12mo: 2 pp. Very good. 'The Association for establishing depots of cheap food for the poor' has been formed, 'under the auspices of Lord Brougham, the Earl of Shrewsbury, Sir John Villiers Shelley, and others,' and Jerrold asks whether Raikes would 'permit us to add your name to the list of patrons', a position which 'entails no pecuniary responsibility whatsoever.'

12mo: 1 p. Text clear and entire on creased and slightly grubby paper. Asks Hyde Clark to 'make the preliminary report you suggest, & speak with Mr Crompton'. He feels that 'the thing is to be accomplished; & that there will be honour & profit to all who may concern themselves in the undertaking'. Asks to hear from Hyde Clarke 'in a few days'. The subject of the letter is unclear.

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on aged paper. A formal letter in the third person. Windham 'is almost ashamed' of sending Sharpe 'anything so trifling as what accompanies this note'. His justification for doing so is the 'wish of having his opinions stated with tolerable correctness on a subject to which Mr Sharpe, as a matter of some interest at the moment, may happen in some degree to have turned his thoughts.' Sharp's name was often misspelt by contemporaries, and he is listed in the index to the online Oxford DNB as 'also known as Sharpe, Richard'.

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, 6 lines. Good. Inviting him 'to partake a family dinner on Monday next at 6 o'Clock'. He hopes his son Charles will dine there, '& Catherine proposes to come in the Evening'. Written on the verge of Manning's death.

12mo, 4 pp. Good, on lightly aged paper. Docketed in a contemporary hand (Brabazon's), beside Sligo's signature, 'second letter'. Sligo writes that the 'affair' to which Brabazon's letter alludes 'was purely of an official & Parliamentary nature', and that he 'must beg leave to decline receiving any communications respecting it', excepting in his 'place in the H of Lords'.

12mo, 4 pp, 40 lines. On slightly grubby and creased paper, with a couple of tiny closed tears. Paulet writes that he has been 'saying much in [Smith's] favor' to 'Sir W. Gage' [Admiral Sir William Hall Gage (1777-1864), a member of the Board of Admiralty]. Gage considers the certificate Paulet has given Smith 'of no use to you without your received from the Adm[ira]l. the appointment of Gunnery Officer and that you had better lose no time in applying to me for a certificate for the time that you were actually doing the duty of gunnery officer'. Paulet reckons this 'from the time of Mr.

12mo, 1 p. Slight damage and loss at head, affecting one line of text. The seal, with a clear impression of a crown above the letters 'A R'., in a rectangle roughly 1 x 1.5 cm, adheres to the reverse of the second leaf of the bifolium, which also carries the name of the recipient, and has been repaired with tape along one edge of the recto. The letter is of 15 lines, and consists of directions as to where to place guests. For example 'Miss Murden Maid of honours room. her maid next to her. Miss Mitchell Bedroom up Stairs, her maid in the Closet within her room.'

12mo, 3 pp. Very good. Nichols regrets not seeing the recipient 'again before I left the Institution on Tuesday, to thank you for your kind attention' [Upcott was sub-librarian at the London Institution]. He is sending him a proof (presumably of an article in the Gentleman's Magazine), 'that you may see what I have said about your Album, and also what about modern collectors, and make any emendation you think fit in either place'. Discussion of 'the earliest Album in the Museum', about the date of which the recipient has been misled by a misprint.