DIPLOMACY

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.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with Bath postmark, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Colonel Campbell | Gatcomb House | Isle of Wight | Southampton'. Continuing a communication of the previous day, he begins with reference to 'Mr. Courtenay' (until 1807 one of the Lords of the Treasury), stating that 'there is not the least chance of his ever pushing or even simply asking Lord Howick [ Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, Foreign Secretary, 1806-1807, and future prime minister ] to follow-up Mr.

14pp., 8vo, paginated 225-238. Stitched pamphlet in grey printed wraps. Somewhat worn and aged, with pin hole passing through the pamphlet at head. Siegried's aim is to 'study as frankly as possible the spirit of Franco-American relations. Then - and this might look bold, as I am speaking to a British audience - I will try to analyse what I think is the spirit of Anglo-American relations.

The six items are all in good condition, with light age and wear. Each letter is docketted. Items One to Five below are by John Baptist Cashel Hoey, and Item Six is by his wife. An intimate, affectionate and entertaining correspondence, the background to which is given at the end of this entry. ONE: Signed 'Cashel'. From Campden Hill Road, on cancelled letterhead of 8 Victoria Chambers; 9 April 1887. 2pp., 8vo. The letter is on the first page, and begins: 'I told you last night I knew you had stolen that line, of course unconsciously.

Part of a page, 20 x 12cm, foxed, mainly good condition. Surviving text as follows: "I have the honor to be | Sir, | Your most obedient Servant | Palmerston". Subscription probably secretarial.

2pp., foolscap. In fair condition, on aged paper. The letter, no doubt sent to all the diplomatic missions, begins: 'I have the honour to acquaint you that The Queen has been pleased to accept of the Earl of Aberdeen's resignation of the Office of Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and to confide to me the Seals of that Department.' He names a day and time when he wil be 'happy to receive' him, 'in order to confide with you on any business upon which you may have received Instructions from your Court'.

[2] + 4 + [1] pp., folio. Unstitched and unbound. Originally two bifoliums one inside the other, but the two leaves of the outer bifolium have become detached from one another. On aged and toned high-acidity paper, chipping at edges. Five documents, four of them in the original French with English translations, and the fifth ('Declaration made by the Earl of Derby before the signature of the Protocol') in English. The English titles of the four French originals are: 'Protocol' (by Münster, Beust, L. D'Harcourt, Derby, L. F.

2pp., 12mo. 49 lines of text. Bifolium. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, on reverse of second leaf (which also carries his seal): 'For Sr Richard Bulstrode | Envoy from his Matie of greate Brittaine Att ye Court | Att Bruxells | these'.

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'.

1p., landscape 8vo (34 x 22 cm). In fair condition, on aged paper with wear to extremities. An attractive notice, in large type, reading: 'THE VICE CONSUL hereby notifies to the British residents in Boulogne that Divine Service will be performed in his House on Christmas day. | Vice Consular Office | 23rd December 1817.' With faint circular stamp of the 'VICE CONSULAR SERVICE'. Manuscript note on reverse, in a contemporary hand: 'Duplicate of the <?> affiche in the town of Boulogne | on Saturday 24th Decr 1817'.

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Warre repeats what he has already told Gye, that 'nothing has given me greater pleasure than the news of your recent appointment, though we will miss you in London'.

2pp., 12mo. Aged and creased, on Seymour's monogrammed letterhead. The letter, on the recto of the first leaf, is addressed to 'Gentlemen' (possibly Stamfords, the London firm of map-sellers). It reads: 'I shall be much obliged to you to send me the three Maps marked overleaf, mounted on <?> in a small parcel to be left at the Foreign Office to the care of F. B. Alston Th Esqre who will have the kindness to pay for the same. / The parcel to be directed to Sir Hamilton Seymour G.C.B. H.M. Minster, St Petersburg'.

8 pp, 12mo. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'Dear Ernest'. He begins by congratulating Gye on his promotion and 'on going to Tangier - a delightful spot'. It is however 'very sad' that Gye's 'guiding hand over our destinies will no longer be there in the Office'. He thanks Gye for his 'kindness' and 'sympathy': 'My path has lain along uneventful ways and it has been an untold solace to feel you did not despise those who had mearly [sic] to 'stand & wait''.

10 pp, 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'My dear Ernest'. The Wellesleys have been back from India a couple of months. The journey out was a 'delightful trip', despite a mishap with a 'steel hawser' which 'wound itself round the screw' in the middle of the Mediterranean. After a brief reference to Ceylon he describes the Indian visit. His wife tripped up on a step in front of the Maharaja of Mysore: 'I feel sure he thought she was tight. Mysore is too modern & up to date to suit me, but Seringapatam only nine miles away is fascinating.

Totalling 68 pp, comprising 50 pp, 12mo; 18 pp, 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Two signed 'W. A. Smart' and the others 'WAS.' All addressed to 'My dear Ernest'. Written in a spirited, chatty, and (for a diplomat) surprisingly indiscreet style, of which the beginning of the second letter (Salonica; 19 August 1919), concerning the appointment of Victor Vincent Cusden (1893-1980), gives a good example: 'Were you not content with condemning me to physical and financial ruin in this death-trap? Why, to add to my afflictions, did you send me this pathetic shop-boy?

8vo, 14 pp (followed by blank leaf). Unbound and stitched. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Drophead title. With 'PRIVATE' in print in the top left-hand corner of the first page, and '[285]' in the bottom left-hand corner. Dated in type at end 'T. H. S. | October 1891.' Sanderson's inscription, at the head of the first page, reads 'From the Author | [signed] S | Sept. 1918'. From the collection of Sir Victor Wellesley, and with two marginal notes by him.

Folio, 3 pp. Fair, on lightly-creased and aged paper. The lengthy form is printed, and completed with typewritten additions and its own 'Registry No.'

4to, 1 p. Text clear and complete. In original envelope, addressed by Lawrence and with his red wax seal and frank ('Abbott Lawrence'), 'To | James Wyld Esqre M.P. | &c &c &c | Charing Cross East'. On aged and stained paper. He thanks him for his 'New Map of Central America', which he will 'transmit to Washington, where I believe it will be thought, that you have made ample provision for the "Mosquito Indians"'. The following year Wyld would erect his 'Great Globe' in Leicester Square, where it would remain until 1862.

4pp., [pp.1-4], disbound, twoo leaves almost detached from eachother, edges chipped and stained, some other marking, text clear and complete.

A total of 36 pp in 8vo. First section (12 June 1847 to 22 July 1852): 16 pp, at around 30 lines per page. Second section (1 January 1862 to 29 December 1864): 20 pp, at around 40 lines per page. All text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper, with minor unobtrusive repair to last two leaves of first section. Both sections unbound, in separate sewn gatherings. The diary is unsigned, but the context establishes the author beyond doubt as Lonsdale's wife Mary Jane, daughter of Mary Littledale (1779-1855), widow of Anthony Littledale of Bolton Hall, Yorkshire.

4to, 1 p. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper. He is returning the score, and asks Hedgely to 'copy the three voice parts of the two canons Criste Eleison & Crucifixus & the Voice part of the Soprano Song, Gratias Agimus', and to send the whole back 'as soon as you can finish them'.

On piece of laid paper, 1 x 3.5 cm. Fair, on aged paper, with traces of previous mount on reverse, which is docketed in a nineteenth-century hand '1776'.

12mo, 4 pp. In bifolium. 42 lines. Clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. He thanks him for the news of the 'progress of repairs &c at the Legation', and approves 'of your having ordered extra help to scrub the floors after all the mess which no doubt the workmen left behind them "more americano".' The former state of the 'kitchen flue [...] may account for the apparent inefficiency of the old Range'. He will return on the 'arrival of the next F.O. Bag on Monday'. Gives his travel plans.

12mo, 3 pp. In bifolium. 28 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. He is going to do Lanley 'a great favor' by assisting him 'to become acquainted with my friend Mrs. Bigelow Laurence [widow of Timothy Bigelow Laurence (1826-1869)] - who will be in England during the summer or autumn'. Reminisces about 'a book you and Casserly and I once planned at a breakfast table here', which was 'to consist of the best specimens of the skill and power of the Poets giving one chance to each'. To assist Lanley he is letting him know 'a woman who is a judge of poetry in its best sense.

Written in a neat, close hand (not Bernard's) on one page (the recto of the first leaf of a 12mo bifolium). Twenty-one lines. Text clear and complete. On aged, grubby and lightly-creased paper.

The author is obscure, but the letter is addressed to 'Sir Rennell' [Sir James Rennell Rodd (1858-1941), diplomat and author]. 2 pages, 16mo, creased but in good condition. A florid missive beginning 'In this tempest of egotism and hate which has plunged us all into Teutonic darkness, you will not have forgotten, my dear Sir Rennell, the lines of Coleridge: | [...]'.

All items clear and complete, and good, on lightly-aged paper. An interesting set of letters, from one scion of a leading British diplomatic family to another. Letter One (4 December 1906): 12mo, 4 pp. Written after his father Sir Edmund Monson's stroke. He finds it 'very hard to say whether my father is better or worse' as he never sees the doctor himself. 'I am never sure if my mother tells me everything, or if she keeps things back for fear of frightening me.

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.

Both letters good, on lightly aged paper. Both items concern Canning's article on 'International Relations' in the October 1877 issue of 'The Nineteenth Century'. Letter One (12mo, 4 pages, bifolium with mourning border). Knowles hopes Canning has received the proof of the article from the publishers Spottiswoodes. A judicious bit of sycophancy follows.

On piece of paper roughly 6.5 x 13 cm. Good, on creased and lightly aged paper. Reads '<...> | yours very sincerely | H. Bismark'. On reverse '<...> looking forward immensely to my visit to you. I have just been asked to lunch with a very old lady <...>'.