Autograph Letters

12mo: 1 p. Very good. Reads '8 April 1867 | Sir | I am happy to oblige you in signing myself | Yours &c | [signed] Charles Francis Adams'. Adams was Abraham Lincoln's Minister to the Court of St James's [i.e. English ambassador] from 1861 to 1868.

12mo: 1 p. On recto of first leaf of bifolium. Good. Reads 'Sir | Mr. Gladstone having resigned the Rectorship of the Edinburgh University the Students have today elected Mr. Carlyle as his successor in opposition to Mr. D'Israeli [sic] -'.

12mo: 1 p. On first leaf of a bifolium. Very good. Clearly responding to a request for an autograph. Reads 'faithfully yours | [signed] James Glaisher'.

On piece of paper, 11 x 17.5 cm. Lightly creased, and with a little spotting at head. Reads 'Autograph | of | Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe | given to Mr J. H. Hall | at his request.' It is curious that Canning should have thought it necessary to emphasize that the autograph was not unsolicited.

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 recto of first leaf of bifolium. Very good, with pin hole at head. Reads 'Faithfully yours | [signed] J. R. Lowell. | 22nd. Decr., 1883.' Written during Lowell's time as minister to the Court of St James (i.e. English ambassador), 1880-1885.

4to: 3 pp. Bifolium. On neatly-repaired aged paper, with archival paper covering the two inner pages. Fifty-four lines of text, all clear and entire. Remains of black wax seal, with crest, on verso of second leaf, which carries the address and is docketed 'Maragna Mohammed'. A long letter in two parts, the second part beginning on the verso of the first leaf, which is headed 'now Febry: 13'.

8vo: 1 p. Very good. He has 'pleasure in complying' with his correspondent's request. 'You may have seen a book I have recently published - "Retrospect of a Long Life" - and have learned that I am in the 84th year of my age - born on the 9th May 1800. | I am thankful to God for good health and for many other blessings.'

On piece of laid paper, dimensions 6 x 11 cm. Good. Clearly complying with a request for an autograph. Reads 'With much pleasure | [signed] Napier of Magdala | March 1884'.

English economist and novelist. The letterhead engraving of 'The Knoll Ambleside' by W. Banks of Edinburgh is circular, around two inches in diameter,with printed signature. The fragment of text - comprising ten lines - is on the reverse. Creased, grubby and stained.

8vo: 1 p. Good, with creasing towards right-hand margin. 'Very many thanks, my dear Williams, for your most kind congratulations. I feel that my honour is some recognition of the publishing trade & I take it as such'. Murray was created KCVO in 1932, following his publication of the ninth and final volume of the letters of Queen Victoria.

12mo: 1 p. Very good. 14 closely-written lines. 'A friend of mine was asked by our dear old kind friend Chorley to assist in procuring for a Protege of his a musical education. I think the young person was originally introduced to him by Lady Devonshire. A sum was promised for two years, and the time is approaching for the payment to be made.' Asks if she can tell her 'anything about this'. 'You will be glad to hear I know that my husband is still well - His birthday the 21st. Novr. found him 84.'

8vo: 3 pp. Bifolium. Very good. Written in French. After an 'etude attentive de rapport de M.M. de Lacretelle et Millas et des autres documents en ma possession' on the Exposition's foreign returns he finds 'certaines lacunes et certains points douteux' concerning which he hopes Berger can enlighten him. He gives a list of seventeen officially-participating countries, each with the subsidy it has received in francs, complaining that 'huit de ces chiffres sont douteux'. This is followed by a similar list of six countries which did not participate officially.

12mo: 4 pp. 78 lines. Very good. A highly interesting letter, addressed by Depping to his collaborator on an edition of the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (8 vols, 1817) praised by Brunet as the most complete that had yet appeared. Written in French. Such is the strength of Depping's feeling that he cannot bring himself to address Villenave directly. He begins by stating that he hopes that evening to end an arrangement with Villenave which fills him with disgust (qui m'accable de degout).

12mo: 2 pp. Very good. Relates to the photographic series 'English Artists of the present day', published by Seeley with accompanying essays 'by J. B. Atkinson, S. Colvin, F. G. Stephens, T. Taylor, and J. L. Tupper'. He is sending 'a copy of No. 3. The other we count as a presentation copy.' 'The Woolner photo. will I hope not be thought so bad by those who have not seen Elliott & Fry's. I was glad to find this morning that it had not struck Mr.

12mo: 1 p. Good, with four fold lines. Helps held the post of Clerk of the Privy Council from 1860 until his death. In large letters beneath the oval blue Privy Council crest reads 'Life of | Las Casas | 2 copies for | [signature] A Helps'. The handwriting is bold and the signature is underlined with a flourish.

12mo: 1 p. Good. Purple receipt stamp in top left-hand corner. 'Lord Salisbury requests Messrs. Williams & Norgate to send him Harnack's "Die Chronologie der Altchristlichen Literatur bis Eusebius". Also another volume he published 3 or 4 years ago on the same subject - the "Geschichte".' One presumes that the present British Prime Minister is equally cultured.

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.

Roughly 5.5 x 11.5 cm, with four lines (cropped at right) on recto, and four lines and signature on reverse. Ruckled and with stains from previous mounting on recto. Mentions his portrait by Gerand. He will thank her in person before leaving if he can.

8vo: 1 p. On grubby, creased, discoloured paper, with chipping and slight loss to extremities. In French. As a result of the bad state of his health he is forced to live far from Paris and will not be able to accept the invitiation of the British Medical Assocation. The writer will soon receive the replies of those of Lorain's colleagues who have also been invited.

4to: 2 pp. 26 lines. On lightly discoloured and spotted paper. She will be happy 'to send you word occasionally of any work or other matter concerning myself which might interest your readers'. Her 'new book', 'Enticement', 'has just been published by Leonard Parsons. At present I have not commenced another.' She has just returned from North Africa, 'where I motored over 3,000 miles in Algeria & Tunisia. On the strength of this I do not contemplate writing a "Sheik" story! We met no sheiks.

On piece of paper roughly 11 x 10 cm, ruckled and with stains from previous mounting on recto. Seven lines (cropped at right) on recto, and eight lines and signature on reverse. In French. He would have liked to have put 'un peu plus d'exactitude' in the matter he promised to send her, but 'l'xpedition du courrier d'Amerique' prevented it. For his part, he considers himself very happy to be able to please her.

4to: 2 pp. Eleven lines. Good, on lightly creased and discoloured paper. Column of printed advertisements in left-hand margin of first page, which is headed by a printed description of d'Olincourt's qualifications, enclosed in an engraving of a jumble of disparate items including a book-press, beehive, scientific instruments, laurel wreath and sailing mast. He has begun to publish an 'immense ouvrage d'architecture', and he hopes Bance will subscribe for a number of copies which he will be able to sell 'chez vos clients'.

12mo, 1 p, 17 lines. Very good. He has been 'from home visiting here & there', and has returned to 'a mass of correspondence which is perfectly appalling'. He is sorry she 'sent back the book', as he meant her 'to keep it in perpetuity'. 'The recent work which finds most favour with the public is Lord Cockburn's Memorials. It is entertaining but not in all respects accurate. It is however worth reading & will serve to beguile a winter's evening.

12mo: 2 pp. Good. He is 'just now occupied with a new edition of my "Extinct and Dormant Peerage". Asks to be favoured 'with any emendations or additions that you think will improve the original Work. My apology for thus trespassing on you is my knowledge of the interest you take in historical & genealogical matters.'

Paper dimensions roughly 2 x 5 cm. Good, although on discoloured paper, and mounted on piece of slightly larger discoloured paper docketed in pencil 'Sir Abm Hume'. Reads 'Free 274 | [signed] Abram: Hume'.

Dimensions of paper roughly 4 x 6.5 cm. Good, although with slight wear at left and small part of loop at beginning of signature crossing over a printed vertical line. Docketed in pencil 'Lord Treasurer'.

On piece of card roughly 3.5 x 7 cm. Good, though slightly discoloured. Reads '[signed] Admiral | Lord Ams. Beauclerk', beneath which, in a contemporary hand, 'Port Admiral | of Plymouth'.

Paper dimensions 5 x 11 cm. Good. The foot of the last page of a letter with a mourning border. Reads '<...> consideration. | I am, Gentn. | Your obedt. St. | [signed] Thos Webster | To the President | & Council of the Royal Academy'.

12mo: 2 pp. Very good. Addressed to 'Mr. W. Phillips' on otherwise-blank second leaf of bifolium, which carries traces of previous mount. Acknowledges 'the obliging present' of Phillips's 'valuable work on mineralogy' (the influential 'Outline of the Geology of England and Wales', 1822, written with William Conybeare).