BARNES

The sepia photographic print is 15.5 x 11.5 cm, and shows a sumptuous domestic interior, showing paintings around an ornately carved wooden doorframe, into another room, with hangings draped footstool, piano, and other accoutrements of high Victorian interior decoration. In pencil on reverse: 'The Lyric Club'. The cutting is 12 cm and forty-five lines long. It begins 'The new Lyric Club is starting on its career with every propsect of a brilliant success.

44pp., 8vo. In brown printed wraps. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn wraps, with ownership inscriptions and shelfmarks on the front cover. Scarce: no copies listed on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight damage to one corner. The letter reads: 'Gentlemen | As I must not now consider myself an Inhabitant of Liverpool, I request your permission to resign the Office of Vice President and to withdraw myself from the Committee of the Liverpool Botanic Garden and hope a more efficient Member will be elected to fill my place in each of these Departments. I am With great respect for you and every good wish for the prosperity of the Institution | Your Obliged Servant | Theophilus Houlbrooke'.

A fine piece of cricket memorabilia: the signatures of all the players in one of the greatest cricket teams of all time, famous for being the first Test match side to play an entire tour of England without losing a match, a feat which earned them the nickname of 'The Invincibles'. On a 16 x 11 cm leaf, removed from an autograph album. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Presented portrait-style, with 'AUSTRALIANS 1948' neatly written at the head.

The four items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Letter to 'Mr. Bourne': 1p., 8vo. Replying to a letter from Bourne, he states that he will be 'very pleased to serve on the proposed "advisory board", provided that no financial liabiltiy is thereby incurred by me, & that no great amount of travelling is involved.' He concludes with the news that he is 'still busy on a hypersonic transport aircraft especially designed to take "containers".' The two photographs are both in black and white.

1p., 4to. Neatly written-out within a red ruled decorative border. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. The poem is twelve lines long, and begins: 'Oh Sir! Words are, but inadequate to reveal, | Humble and penetent [sic] as I, admittedly, feel | To own my hapless grevious folly | In venturing to accost you unceremoniously; | And it grives me all the more to state | That in my guileless efforts to propitiate | I have only given you an offence so grave | That on my knees, your pardon, I humbly crave'.

An attractive item, with the poem neatly written out on one side of a piece of 19 x 14cm paper, and placed within a 17.5 x 11.5cm windowpane in a 32.5 x 24.5cm leaf. The poem, consisting of twenty lines arranged in five four-line stanzas, begins: 'We loved you Colonel Peacock | And will always cherish you; | It's a truth; no idle talk, | Though told in words so few.' The last stanza reads: 'Fare you well kind master!

Initialled "[?]P 10/12" (10 December"2pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. A number of minor autograph corrections suggest that the author of the letter may not be a native English speaker.

35 + [1] pp., 8vo. Stitched and unbound. Well printed, on good laid paper, watermarked 'IPING | 1813'. In fair condition, on aged paper and lightly-discoloured paper, and folded into a packet, showing the title on the reverse of the last leaf as quoted above. The drophead title reads: Sess. 1818 - 58 Geo. III. | An Act for Inclosing Lands in the Parish of South Moreton, in the County of Berks.

1p., landscape 12mo. With circular purple stamp of the Magistrate of the District, Belgaum. The magistrates name is faded and difficult to decipher (''). Completed in manuscript (in square brackets in the following transcription): '[Lieut. Peacock, Officer in charge Disinfection and Central Segregation Camps,] Supervisor of Circle No. [last four words crossed through] is hereby appointed a plague authority under the Moffussil Plague Rules in the town and suburbs of Belgaum.'
With related newspaper article.

1p., 4to. Bifolium, with address ('Mr. Faden. Charing Cross. London'.) on reverse of second leaf, from which the seal has been cut away. He begins by informing Faden that his servant will call to pay his bill. 'I wish you would desire Mr. Wyld [James Wyld the elder (1790-1836)] your successor to send me the largest & best maps extant of Sweden, Norway & Lapland - maps I want in my otherwise beautiful collection very much'. He also enquires after 'Walker's new Map of India 16s', and a 'new map of Ceylon - where my eldest daughter is gone - as the Governor Sr. Edward Barnes' wife -'.

12mo, 1 p. Bifolium. On aged and foxed grey paper. Reads 'June 20th | Dear Barnes | Selection Committee will be pleased if you will play for England v The Rest at Lords 29th. | Yours faithfull | [signed] Hawke'. Hawke was an England selector between 1899 and 1909, and Barnes, one of the finest bowlers in English history, made his international debut in 1901. I'm sure someone will tell me if this was Barnes's first game for England.

4to, 2 pp. Text clear and complete. On aged and lightly-creased paper. 'The nature of my business is a desire to become a tenant of the Prince of Wales Theatre, for a long or short time, and entirely subject to existing arrangements in order to produce a play which good judges (as well as myself) regard as one (if not the) play of the present generation'. The name of the play is not given. Barnes states that 'if Mr Harvey is your permanent tenant it would quite suit me to do the play at any time <?> another provincial Town'. He offers 'a short or long lease [...] with unimpeachable security'.

On piece of paper 6 x 9.5 cm. Lightly-aged, and tipped-in onto front free endpaper removed from book. A simple design, within a restrained decorative border, consisting of 'William Barnes.' in gothic letters in an arch, centred above a wavy rule beneath which are the words (adapted from the Dream of the Rood) 'BEARNAS AER BEORNAS.' A contemporary note on the endpaper beneath the bookplate (transcribed in a modern hand above it) states that the item came from Barnes's Rectory Sale, 25 November 1886. Uncommon.

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 a leaf (roughly 15.5 x 18 cm) removed from an autograph album. Aged and a little grubby. Both hands bolder than usual. Recto reads '"Courage Mounteth with occasion" - | Yours sincerely | [signed] Violet Vanbrugh'. Verso reads 'Yours sincerely | Dora Labebette.'