CENTURY

ONE: Invoice headed 'To Account delivered 1839.40'. 1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly aged paper. Addressed to 'Rutherford Alcock Esqre. | (for W Williamson)' and listing four titles including 'Wilsons Anatomy' (12s 6d) and 'Alison's Physiology' (12s), totalling £10 15s 0d. Beneath the four entries the bookseller has writen 'Settled | J. Churchill | 24th. April 1841', and beneath this Williamson has added 'The above is quite correct | J Williamson | 9July 4th 1842'. TWO: Receipt on one side of 8 x 18.5 cm slip of paper, with embossed 6d stamp. Reads: 'London 24th April 1841.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with strip from mount adhering to the blank reverse. Reads: 'Dear Sir | I start off for Italy tomorrow morning - I hear that in the excavations at Pompeii they have come upon a fresh Bath. | Many thanks for your Books which I now return by Book Post.' Annotated at foot in pencil: 'introducer of the Turkish bath'.

These three log books, covering a period of nearly eighty years, constitute an attractive piece of social history, charting the growth of a rural school from precarious beginnings to a secure state on the eve of the Second World War, and providing a vivid example of the change in the British educational system from the nineteenth to the twentieth century.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He begins by stating that his book 'contains the details' his correspondent requires, and continues: 'I am sorry to say that I made a little mistake when I was talking to you over the telephone about "Pulcinella". I think I said there was a long description of that ballet in my "Diaghilev Ballet in London", but of course it is the "Complete Book of Ballets".

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In something of a hard sell he begins by stating that 'the "Sir Philip Sidney" letter, of which I showed you a facsimile the other day, [...] seems to me peculiarly suitable for your collection'. In support of the letter's 'exceptional rarity' he cites 'a letter of Thorpe's (the expert of autographs of his day) dated 1839 accompanying the autograph & giving its pedigree, in which he says "I never saw a letter of Sidney's for sale except the present"', adding that 'no other autograph of his has occurred since'.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with traces of mount on blank reverse, and short closed tear in one corner. He apologises for having to 'hesitate' regarding her 'slight request', but he 'cannot aid the circulation of a book without knowing its principles'. He continues: 'I rejoice to hear that your daughter & yourself, are still seeking to secure your highest interests'.

In good condition, on aged card. Addressed to 'Erich Alport Esqe. | 195 Woodstock Rd. | Oxford'. The card reads: 'By dint of putting them up to their necks in water every night, all the peonies came out & are only just scattering their petals. I have been flower viewing all the week - two magnificent gardens & the Chelsea show. It was very nice to see you. I hope you will propose yourself again - after I get back from abroad.'

Note that Varenne's Christian name is spelled with one 't' on the bookplate, and generally with two 't's by later sources. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, tipped in onto a grey paper mount. Engraved on a 12 x 8 cm piece of wove paper, with no margin.

In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, tipped in onto a grey paper mount. Engraved on 13 x 8 cm piece of wove paper, with no margin. The firm's shop was at the sign of Horace's head in the Strand, and the engraving depicts a lapidary carving off the head and shoulders of the poet, with laurel leaf above, in an oval frame, around which are 'carved' decorations (including lyre and grapes).

HMS Arethusa, the fourth of nine Royal Navy ships to bear the name, was a 46-gun fifth rate launched in 1817. (Fifth-rate ships served as fast scouts or independent cruisers. Owing to their combination of manoeuvrability and firepower, they were often assigned to interdict enemy shipping.) She was was renamed HMS Bacchus in 1844 on conversion into a hulk, and was broken up in 1883. The present item is 21pp., 8vo. Stitched. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn grey paper. With loose heavily worn remains of brown marbled wraps (front and back cover detached from one another).

For more about O'Neill (son of the Victorian artist George Bernard O'Neill) see his obituary in The Times, 15 June 1946. LETTER: 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper.

The last eight leaves only of a printed catalogue (no. 260 in M. V. de Chantilly's 'Robert Harding Evans of Pall Mall | auction catalogues 1812-1846 | a provisional list' (2002)). Stitched and unbound. On aged and worn paper, with slight damp staining to margins. Paginated 23-37 + [1], with the final page (i.e. the verso of the last leaf) carrying the advertisement: 'Preparing for Sale by MR. EVANS. | THE VALUABLE LIBRARY of an | EMINENT COLLECTOR.' (in manuscript: 'Mr Rennie'). Slug at foot of p.37: 'London: Printed by W. Nicol, | Cleveland-row, St.

15pp., 8vo. On twelve leaves torn from an album. With minor emendations, and an essay in another hand on some reverses. Unpublished. The piece begins: 'My collection of catalogues has grown much in the same way as other collections of books. At times I have got rid of many I missed later on and it was only by long experience I found that some things are desirable. First it is better to have each sale bound by itself and this I have carried out except where some association in an existing bound volume would have been destroyed.

1p., 12mo. On aged and worn paper. Cameron writes: 'Dear Sir, | I regret that the enclosed verses would occupy too much room for our space, but I return them with our thanks to you for bringing them under our notice'. The recipient is not the London publisher, who died in 1890.

2pp., 12mo. He writes with aristocratic hauteur: 'Sir. | I shall return to London on or before the 20th & I shall be ready to meet the other members of the Site Committee any day after that date & It is quite indifferent to me whether we meet at the Society of Arts or in Pall Mall | Truly yrs | W Cowper'.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-worn paper. Written in a difficult hand. The letter begins: 'My dear Campbell. | You will find all I know about Axiologus, and Miss Maria Williams, in a prefatory note Vol I of my Edition of W[illiam]. W[ordsworth].s Poems (not Life).' He confirms that the poem is by Wordsworth, and expresses regret at 'letting it be known: for it led Tutin [John Ramsden Tutin (1855-1913)] of Hull to go & print the sonnet for private circulation some years ago.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly aged and worn paper, with traces of mount on blank reverse of second leaf. The letter begins: 'My dear Edward Draper | In the name of "The Trombone" I solicit your advice & aid in the following matter. | Twelve or thirteen years ago a London bootmaking firm, hight Noguez & Wasselin, did work for me or my wife (I disremember which) to the tune of three pounds odd shillings. | I have no doubt that I paid for what I had - and having been my unbroken custom ever sincce I became a legally responsible person.

Printed on both sides of a piece of wove paper, 30.5 x 22.5. Text clear and complete, on aged paper with slight wear and a few short closed tears to extremities. The reverse consists of a list of prices for seven types of wine ('Selected from W & A Gilbey's List of 183 varieties.') and six types of spirit ('Selected from W & A Gilbey's List of 72 varieties.'). On the front, beneath the firm's heading (with tiny illustration of the 'Pantheon A.D. 1722') and Mead's details, are the five 'views', ranging in size from 4.5 x 18 cm to 4.5 x 5.6 cm.

1p., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Dr '. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir | Having been requested by Mr Merry the Depy Secretary at War to propose him as a Member of the Geological Society, I shall esteem it a favor, if you will put your Name to the enclosed Paper, & return it to me by the Post.'?>

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Writing to an unnamed correspondent, he asks to be sent ('Raby Castle | Darlington') 'a copy of the D of Argyll's speech in Septr. last, & of his speech upon the Cretan insurrection in 1867'. He is enclosing '19s in stamps'.

Both letters 2pp., 12mo, and both in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The two items glued together along one edge. Letter One (3 February 1863): He is enclosing an account of her 'chiffres' from his colleague at the British Museum Vaux, and hopes they 'will be what you want'. He asks for more information regarding 'the drawings', and condoles with her on her husband's ill health: 'This has been a very unhealthy season.' Letter Two (19 December): Regarding his wife having the measles, which makes it impossible for them to accept her invitation.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter begins: 'Dear George, | The idea contained in your letter is very interesting, and I am honoured to be thought of in connection with it. I am now reading Stevenson's letters, (admirable they are,) and I know from his dealings with American magazines and publishers that the terms offered by the Review are extremely handsome. But I am very late in the day, - in my day, - to be a writing a history; [i.e.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. He has heard that King is 'to preside at the dinner tomorrow' and so is writing to him 'what I wrote to Smith that I am very sorry I can not "support the Chair", as I had a previous inviitation - our friends gave me this time only a few day's notice'. In any case, he has 'such a miserable cold' and is 'so incapable' that he will be 'no loss to your party'. It is with difficulty that he has 'got through my numerous mail duties'.

1p., 12mo. In poor condition, aged and worn, with rust marks to margin and corners. 'My dear Sir | If you could conveniently look in upon me tomorrow (Wednesday) about 2 OC'K I should be glad to have some talk with you'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. On aged and worn paper. Addressed to 'Walter F. Stocks Esq'. He begins by pointing out that his daughter is not to blame for the late reply: 'it is my own fault my correspondence being somewhat in arrears'.

[3] + [80] + [1]pp. The eighty pages of the article paginated 283-362, and with the last twenty-four pages (339-362) containing the illustrations. In brown printed wraps. Very good, on lightly-aged paper, in worn and creased wraps. An attractive production, with presentation inscription ('no 94') to the publisher George Bentley, signed 'RB' and dated 7 June 1886. This offprint is uncommon: no copy at the British Library, and only six copies listed on OCLC WorldCat, only two of which in the United States.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with traces of glue from mount on the blank reverse. Reads: 'The Secretary presents his compliments to Miss Kerr and begs leave to inform her the Composition fee of £35 has been duly paid to Drummond & Co'.

4pp., folio. In good condition, on lightly worn and aged high-acidity newspaper stock. Printed around the masthead are the names of the various locations: Biarritz, Saint-Jean-De-Luz. Guéthary, Hendaye, Cambo & Dax.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Confounding John Preston Neale, author of the ' Views of the seats, Mansions, Castles, etc. of Noblemen and Gentlemen in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland' (1819-1823) with the poet Henry Neale (1798-1828) he writes: 'Having seen and admired yr. work on the Seats of the Nobility &c. I feel gratified that Lord Foresters House has fallen under your notice.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'E. Draper Esq'. He asks him to send 'the page of Freeman's [altered from 'Freemason's'] Journal mentioned in your Note to the Editor', and undertakes to return it safely, 'after inspection of the contents'.