COUNT

Letter: 1p., 8vo. In fair condition, lightly creased and aged. With a few autograph emendations. In a characteristically eccentric letter he writes that their common friend Jimmy Linton has told Bowman that Duncan 'may be able to give me some particulars and perhaps a photo of Edith LORAINE who played Godiva in F. B. Woulfe's Company, presenting the famous historical play by Max Goldberg, (John F. Preston.) He refers to Mabelle F. Barlow, Lady Astor and his own play 'Divorce or Dishonour'. As a boy he was greatly impressed by Loraine's performance, and it 'started my interest in Coventry.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. A long letter, closely and neatly written, with a number of emendations suggesting that it is a draft. After a short reference to the Count's kindness to him and his friend Joseph Neave, he devotes the rest of the letter to 'the heavy trial thou has had to pass through', discussing the nature of loss with 'knowledge from my own experience, that the loss of a child is a grief into whose full depths no stranger can enter, and that words, even well-meant, when uttered at an unfit moment, pain instead of helping'.

1p., 8vo. In good condition, lightly-aged and worn. Addressed to 'My dearest Bellows'. He has received the pamphlet at the Hotel Bristol, and 'earnestly' believes that 'it will make the right impression upon the powerful of the world'. His party starts the following week for Russia, '& I will take in hands [sic] our plans of delivery as soon as I get on the spot'. He ends with a pious sentiment. Bellows paid two visits to Russia, and counted Tolstoy among his friends.

4pp., 8vo. Bifolium. In very good condition, lightly-aged. Neatly placed with a windowpane mount onto a leaf of cream paper. Writing within a year of his demise, D'Orsay begins by defending himself to his attorney: 'My Dear Du Pasquier | You received my letter yesterday about Mousley. I could not act otherwise, and even I have no right to complain when a man is losing more than 5000 by me, to find fault that he did not send me £1300. I am astonished that you are so severe. I am sorry that you will not give your assistance in this affair. Do as you like.

A Fellow of the Royal Society, Marlborough's main scientific interest was astronomy, a subject on which he corresponded with von Brühl. The four items in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. They are accompanied by a typewritten (1960s?) report (3pp., folio), whose purpose is to disprove any connection between them and 'the name of Henry Cavendish and his work on the barometer'.

On one side of an 8 x 21 cm slip of laid paper. Embossed with 3d tax receipt. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Nicely printed in gothic type. Reads, with the manuscript portion in square brackets: 'Received from [The Count de Flahault] the Sum of Five Guineas, being his Subscription to the Bannatyne Club for the Current Year, 1827. | [Thos. Kinnear.] Treasurer. | Edinburgh, 26th January, MDCCCXXVII.' Docketed on reverse: 'Count Flahault | 22 Septr. 1829. | Rec. Subscription | Bannatyne Club | For 1829. [sic] | £5. 5'.

5pp., 4to. On two bifoliums. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper, with slight wear and creasing at the foot of both bifoliums, and labels from previous mounting still adhering. Headed 'Private'.

The diary is 66pp., 4to. In red buckram binding with 'Diary Oct-Dec 1907 Plowden Wardlaw' in gilt on spine. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in good tight binding. Plowden Wardlaw's devoutness is apparent throughout. For example, on 17 October, he appears to be consecrating his own private chapel: 'At home to-day. Most of the day was spent in cleaning and preparing the Chapel for the dedication tomorrow. Father Maturin the former <?> father, who received Edith into the Church in 1898 came down by the 5.40. I met him in the motor. He is a gentleman, & a man of the world.

3pp., 12mo. With mourning border. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. The lower part of the second leaf has been cut away, not affecting the text. He begins by stating that he has received the recipient's 'last telegram announcing that you had postponed till to morrow your visit to London'. He has in turn telegraphed 'Mr. Benzon to propose to him to come to the Charing Cross Hotel at 11 or 12. In that case I would offer to yourself & Mr. Benson [sic] a breakfast at the Hotel'.

The engraving, which is not in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, is on a piece of 19 x 14 cm paper, with tissue guard. The image measures around 8 cm square, and shows Landor's head in profile, looking to the left, with 'A. D'Orsay' beneath to the left, and 'H. W. Smith' beneath to the right. In good condition, lightly-aged, with small stain to one edge of border. Attached to a piece of paper, along with the piece of Landor's autograph, which is on a 1 x 18.5 cm strip of grey paper cut from a letter, and is in fair condition, lightly-creased.

The card is 4.5 x 7.5 cm, with 'Le Comte Moltke | Grand Veneur du Roi.' engraved in copperplate. In fair condition, aged and with slight staining from previous mounting on the reverse. The Moltke family originated in Mecklenburg, and by the eighteenth century members were prominent figures in the Danish court. Friedrich Philip Victor von Moltke settled in Holstein in 1805, and was left impoverished when the French army plundered his town house in Lübeck, and burned his country house. On 2 January 1819 the Journal de Paris carried a report from Berlin that on 22 December 1818 'M.

2pp., 4to. Fair, on aged and creased paper. Facsimile of closely and neatly written manuscript. Begins by describing how Krasinski 'has resided in England about ten years', having come to the country 'on a diplomatic mission from the National Polish Government.

The two translations, in the same original red leather notebook, totalling 226pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding. The first translation in the volume is a fair copy, without corrections, of a work published in French in 1823 as 'La Vérité sur l'Incendie de Moscou; par le Comte Rostopchine' (Paris: Ponthieu). Neither Curling's nor any other English translation appears to have been published. The second translation (the printed version of which is the first of the two pamphlets) is heavily corrected, with seven pages of additions loosely inserted.

Two pages, 4to, fold marks, some marking, good condition, text clear and complete, as follows: "Permit me to thank you for one of the most acceptable gifts I have ever received, the 'Histoire Morale des Femmes", and for the aimable [underlined] note that accompanied it. Let me thank you also in the name of my Sex for the great service you have rendered us by the admirable Exposé [underlined] of our wrongs, and generous advocacy of our Virtues.

Fraser's Magazine launched in London in February 1830, and to begin with its most popular feature was Maginn's 'Gallery of Illustrious Literary Characters', with illlustrations by Maclise (collected in book form in 1873). The four portraits, all busts, are somewhat reminiscent of those in that work, but must be earlier if the identification of John Nichol, who died in 1828, is correct. The four are on separate pieces of paper, laid down 2 X 2 (with the four sitters looking inwards towards the centre of the page) on a leaf torn from an album.

Two good pieces of jazz ephemera. Both items on shiny art paper and very lightly aged, but in excellent condition overall. The programme: 4to, 12 pp. Stapled pamphlet. Covers in orange and black. An attractive item, with a striking cover entirely consisting of Basie's head, printed in black, floating in a sea of orange colour. Full-page photographs of Basie (at the piano) and Joe Williams (singing at the microphone). Apart from the programme itself, covering a page, the text comprises: a two-page biography of Basie; a one-page feature on Williams; an full-page advertisement by E.M.I.

12mo: [iv] + 35 pp. In original green cloth printed wraps. Text clear and complete. On aged high-acidity paper, and with four staple holes throughout. Creasing to front wrap and slight loss at head of title (not affecting text). In the 'Editor's Preface' (p.iii, dated 'V. TCHERTKOFF.

4to: 1 p. Twenty-four lines of text. On a bifolium of laid paper, and docketed on the reverse of the second leaf. Good, in faded ink on lightly-aged paper. Begins 'La france republicainne [sic] me fait perdre des renttes [sic] viageres'. She complains of the attack on her 'legitimes droits a mes biens de Corses que le roy de france garrante par un Contract', and speaks of 'droits inalterables et inprescriptible'. She asks for a 'paquet' to be passed to 'Milord Hood'.

12mo, 1 p, 5 lines. Text and signature clear and entire, but on brittle, aged and creased paper, with loss and closed tears to extremities. Reads 'by order of his majesty the Emperor I beg to forward at your adress [sic] an exemplary "les forces militaires de la france en 1870". De la Chapelle is the named as author of this volume.

On a piece of card roughly 14.5 x 7.5 cm. The signatures, in purple pencil on a somewhat-grubby side of the card, read 'Colonel Koltinsky | Count | Prince Obolensky | Count Nirod | Count Kapnist | Prince Dolgorouky'. The other side of the card, headed 'Menu', is stained, perhaps from mounting in an autograph album. It reads 'Rizoto aux ecrevises a la Victoria | Noiselle de boeuf a la Bordolaise | Haricots d'Asperges a l' [sic] Taltaise | Moscovite aux fraises ecrasees | Welch-Rabit. [sic] | le 8/VI - 20.'

Quarto: ii + 234 pp. In original grey boards and cloth spine, with chipped white label. Unopened. Good, with slightly discoloured endpapers. Extensive transcriptions from the Countess of Blessington's correspondence, the writers ranging from Mrs Abell ('Napoleon's pet English child at St. Helena') to Nathaniel Parker Willis.

One page, octavo. Good, on aged paper with slight fraying and a few small closed tears at extremities. 'Received by me [Adelaide Dutchess Dowager of Shrewsbury Ass[ign]ee of Wm. Harvey] of the Honourable George Parker Esq; One of the Four Tellers of His Majesty's Receipt of Exchequer, the Sum of [Twenty five pounds] [...]'. Signed 'Adelaide Shrewsbury' and witnessed by 'Hen: Gardie'. Adelaide was (according to the eleventh edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica) married to Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury (1660-1718) in 1705.

Commissioner of Customs (circa 1775-1853), husband of Lady Anne Wellesley. The recipient is Emmanuel-Louis-Henri de Launay, Comte d'Antraigues (1753-1812). Two pages, 12mo. Folded twice. Somewhat grubby and discoloured with age, but in good condition overall. He was directed by the Marquess Wellesley to request that the Count call on him that day, in order to 'satisfy the object of your recent communications'.

Neapolitan Minister in London (died 1839). 2 pages, 16mo. In good condition, although creased and grubby. Crabbed handwriting. Formal letter, written in the third person. States that he received from Slade, in 1826, 'Two hundred and odd Pounds sterling as part of Prize money for the capture of in 1806, allowed to the Crews of Two Sicilian gallys the Vespa, the , and a gun Boat No. 12. who acted in conjunction with the British forces'. Complains that 'Mr. Slade did not send to C.