AMBASSADOR

Despite the fair amount of attention bestowed on the 'Anglo-Japanese Conversation' - the secret negotiations between the British government and the Japanese ambassador at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War - it is only with the discovery of these two documents that it can be established that the two countries continued with informal negotiations until the fall of Nanking.

Total two pages, 12mo, one corner of each damaged (removal from an album leaf), but text complete, good condition. [1883] "I have forwarded your letter to Mr Hoppin who has charge of the Legation during my absence on leave. He will I am sure do whatever is possible"; [1884] "I pray you to accept my very sincere thanks for your interesting volume & for the very kind note that accompanied it. | I do npot know whether I am to leave England or not, but whenever I do your book & notes will be two of the pleasantest memorials I shall take with me." Two items,

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged and creased paper. The letter begins: 'I beg a thousand time pardon, dear Mr Cartwright for my coming too late yesterday at your house.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on lighty-aged and creased paper, with a few short closed tears. Printed in blue and black. The circular reads: 'Argentine Centenary 1910. | British Memorial. | It has been decided by the British Community to celebrate the Argentine Centenary in 1910, and that the form should take the presentation of a Memorial Clock Tower, to be erected in a suitable place. | Subscriptions towards the above object are solicited andn may be forwarded to Mr. A. C. Allen, London Manager of the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway, River Plate House, Finsbury Circus, London.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. Bottom corner of first leaf torn away (carrying with it the latter part of Grantham's signature) otherwise in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight traces of mount on reverse of second leaf. Neatly written out the bill reads: 'His Excellency Lord Grantham, His Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Court of Spain, humbly craves Allowance of the following Bill of His Extra-Ordinary Disbursements. | For removing myself & Family to Aranjuez, House Rent, and other Expenses. - £300. 0. 0. | Madrid June 21st. 1772. | [signed] Granth'.

Both cards 7 x 11 cm, printed in copperplate on one side only. Both in fair condition, on aged paper with a slight bloom. The Ambassador's card reads: 'Mr. Washburne, | Envoyé Extraordinaire et Ministre Plénipotentiaire | des Etats-Unis d'Amérique | [in bottom right-hand corner] 75, Avenue de l'Impératice, (Entrée 2, rue Spontini)'. The Ambassador's wife's card reads: 'Mrs. Washburne. | [in bottom left-hand corner] Mondays | from 3 to 6 P.M.' Washburne had served as Secretary of State for eleven days before being made Ambassador. His Illinois house is now a museum.

2pp., landscape 12mo. In good condition, with minor water stain. He begs Driberg's pardon for having to 'break my engagement to play Bridge with you on Saturday evening - though it seems very impolite when I accepted so long ago': 'The fact is that the Master of Trinity has announced his intention of bringing the Belgian Ambassador to dine with me in Hall at Magdalene on that evening, and I regard this as so near to a Royal Command that I dare not evade it!' He hopes that '[w]ith this amount of notice' Driberg will be able to find a replacement, and asks for 'another chance later on'.

Both items 4pp., 12mo, and bifoliums. Both in fair condition, on aged paper; the first with slight wear to one corner. In the first letter Pauncefote informs Aberdeen that Justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911), who has just visited him, is planning a summer holiday 'at Murray Bay in your Dominion'.

ONE: Typed Letter Signed ('Henry') from Moore to Juda ('Dear Hans'). On letterhead of Hoglands, Perry Green, Much Hadham, Herts. 29 March 1973. 1p., 12mo.

The nine items are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Items One, Three and Four, from 1962, and stapled together, as are the other six items, dating from 1964-5. ONE: Autograph Letter Signed ('Benjamin Britten') from Britten to Juda. On letterhead of The Red House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. 25 July 1962. Responding to Item Three below, Britten thanks Juda for 'sending the magnificent book on Graham Sutherland', which Britten is 'very glad indeed to have'.

1p., 12mo. On letterhead of the New York Tribune. Very good. Addressed to 'J. R. Howard | No. 39 Park Row'. Reid writes that he 'came down' after 'our first side had been stereotyped', and so was 'unable to insert in the Financial column the items of news you were good enough to send'. He hopes 'it will not be too late to use them on Monday'. The photographic portrait of Reid ('Copyright, 1902, by Rockwood') is taken from a magazine, and is captioned 'Hon. Whitelaw Reid, next Ambassador to the Court of St. James'.

In three columns of small type, on one side of a piece of paper 41.5 x 26.5 cm. Fair, on aged and lightly-worn laid paper, with a little offsetting from the ink of the inscription. Reproduces the text of Bryan's speech without editorial interpolation. A report on the banquet (held by the American Society in London and with 'over 400 covers') in the New York Times, titled 'Bryan and Choate in a duel of repartee. Former Guest of Honor at Thanksgiving Day Banquet in London.

Hope had returned to the Foreign Office from Tehran in May 1907, but had moved to the Washington Embassy, as second secretary, that October. The recipient is presumably one of the ten children of the Tory politician A. J. B. Beresford Hope (1820-1887). Letter One: 12mo, 8 pp. Very good on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'My dear Beresford Hope'. A teasing, friendly letter, intresting for the information it provides on the situation of a minor attaché in Edwardian Washington.

4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper with damp staining causing the fading of ink in some parts, and a little chipping to bottom edge. Since writing there has been no packet from Falmouth, and the news from the continent are reported with sufficient detail in the gazettes, so 'il est inutile de vous en parler. Les procedes du Duc de Brunswick [he led an invading German army into France], et le systeme du Roi de Prusse sont egalement mysterieux [...] Les Emigrants [...] sont reduits a la derniere necessite'.

Printed on one side of a piece of cream paper, roughly 33 x 20.5 cm. Good, on lightly aged paper. The address is contained within a decorative border, 27.5 x 16.5 cm, and consists of forty lines of text arranged in seven paragraphs. Ahmad touches on the importance of the 'Mercantile Community', on relations between China and India, and on the 'various causes which have considerably reduced the Import and Export trade in general' ('It is quite apparent that the local economic conditions have deteriorated to an alarming extent, [...]'). He thanks 'our consul general Mr.

The handbill is printed on one side of a piece of cream paper, roughly 33 x 20.5 cm. Good: lightly aged and creased. The address is contained within a decorative border, 27.5 x 16.5 cm, and consists of forty lines of text arranged in seven paragraphs. Ahmad touches on the importance of the 'Mercantile Community', on relations between China and India, and on the 'various causes which have considerably reduced the Import and Export trade in general' ('It is quite apparent that the local economic conditions have deteriorated to an alarming extent, [...]'). He thanks 'our consul general Mr.

On the recto of the first leaf of a 12mo bifolium, with the letterhead in blue above it. The signature is bold, clear, and undamaged, and reads 'Phya Prasiddhi, | Salakar.' On discoloured, ruckled paper, with offsetting from another letter. The words 'Siamese Minister' at the head of the page, written in red ink, have bled slightly, and there are patches of brown discoloration, and damage to the foot of the leaf, apparently caused by removal from an autograph album.

On one side of a piece of laid paper, 11 x 18 cm. Laid down on a slightly larger piece of paper. Good: lightly aged with three neat vertical folds. Reads 'Oh! land of beauty - sun-lit Italy! How often do I fondly think of thee, | And of the days gone by . . . . . ! | [signature] A. Maffei | April 14th | 1866.'

4to: 3 pp. A bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Thin strip of brown paper mount still adhering in inner margin of reverse of second leaf. Forty-six lines of text, clear and complete. A small square of paper, bearing Von Bulow's red wax seal (with clear impression) has been cut away from the second leaf and neatly placed beneath the signature. Address, with circular Hull postmark in black ink, on reverse of second leaf.

4to, 2 pp. Text clear and entire. On aged paper with a few closed tears to extremities and a thin strip of discoloration along one margin on reverse. 'The Royal Netherland Navy have made use of Coaltar for preserving certain parts of vessels of war from decay', but 'the Medical Department in the Netherlands' have confirmed that the use of Coaltar for that purpose has a prejudicial effect on the health of the Ships crews'. Asks to be informed 'of the results of any enquiries instituted on this Subject by order of the British Admiralty'. Docketed 'Netherland's under Secretary'.

12mo, 2 pp, 10 lines. Good, on lightly aged paper, with scrap of brown paper mount adhering in top right-hand corner on the reverse (not affecting text). Concerns a volume which 'has been duly forwarded to Count Seckendorff, Comptroller of the Household of Her Majesty the Emperess Frederick'. The Ambassador Sir Edward Malet has asked Rodd to express to the correspondent 'his personal thanks for the second copy you were good enough to forward to him'.

Diplomat (1844-1915) and scion of the banking house. 4 pages, 8vo. Paper discoloured and grubby, but in good condition generally. He says he 'was on the other side of the Bosphorous' the day before, and so 'was unable to answer your letter by Austrian mail as I should otherwise have done'. He is sorry that Scott 'should have had any trouble about the cheque': he omitted to go through his account. He presents another cheque (not enclosed) for £4 18s 6d as he is going to ask Scott to make another payment.

Diplomat (1844-1915), Secretary of the British Legation at Athens, and scion of the noted banking house. 2 pages, 8vo. In good condition. Presumably written on Scott's appointment as chaplain to the Legation. As Mr Stuart was absent from Athens, Scott's letter of 28 September was opened by Baring. 'It was the first intimation received here of your appointment, though I had heard from Mr Stuart that there was a possibility of your coming out, & the letter which I forward strengthened this opinion.

The recipient, George William Erving (1769-1850), was U.S. Minister to Spain, 1814-19. 2 pages. 16 lines of Spanish text. In good condition despite slight discoloration. Neatly attached down one edge to blank sheet of paper. Docketed (by Erving?) 'From the Duke of Osuna (his family name Francisco Giron)'. One of the subjects is "La Guerra a los Ingleses".

For Hamilton (1777-1859), Treasurer of the Royal Institution and one of the Trustees of the British Museum, see Boase's 'Modern English Biography'. He was secretary to Lord Elgin in Constantinople, recovered the Rosetta Stone from the French and aided in collecting and removing the Elgin Marbles from Athens. 3 pages, 16mo. Creased but in good condition. Begins by saying that a few years ago Stuart introduced Charles Rothschild to him, 'but it was probably at the request of his brother, as he has now asked me to introduce him to you'.