JAMES

2pp., 12mo. 40 lines. Bifolium. Good, on aged paper. The reverse of the second leaf carries half of a red wax seal, as well as the address to 'James Loch Esqr | Bloomsbury Square'. The letter begins: 'My dear Loch | Some friends of mine from the Country are desirous of seeing Lord Stafford's & Lord Grosvenor's pictures some time next week; & they understand that the obtaining of Tickets is not a matter of course but that some little interest is necessary.' He asks for assistance 'with regard to Cleveland House [...] for Mrs Johnston & party (about 5 or 6 persons)'.

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, on lightly-ruckled paper. The note reads: 'Dear Mr. Odgers, | You were quite right, and I thank you for correcting my correction. I do not know what possessed me to make it.'

2pp., 4to. Fair, on aged paper, with a thin strip from a stub adhering to one edge on the reverse. Previously folded into a packet, and docketed in a contemporary hand 'by Agar Ellis'. 24 lines in heroic couplets. Agar-Ellis's sister Caroline-Anne would die at Roehampton on 12 May 1814, a month after the writing of this poem, which links her demise with that of their mother, Caroline, daughter of the 4th Duke of Marlborough, a few months before (23 November 1813).

Both Sylvester's letter and the copy of the letter by Starmer to which it is replying are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, each with punch holes to one margin. Starmer, who at the time of writiing was proprietor of a large group of newspapers, had begun his career on the 'Northern Echo'; he had for many years been a Liberal member of parliament, standing down in 1931 due to ill health. Cober Hill Guest House was at that time an early experiment in what would become the children's home or retreat. For clarity's sake this description begins with the copy of Starmer's letter: 1p., 4to.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. On wove paper watermarked 'R TASSELL | 1831'. 56 lines, arranged in seven eight-line stanzas. Presentable, despite wear and age, closed tears along crease lines, and traces of yellow-paper mount on blank reverse of second leaf. There is no sign that this item was ever published, which is surprising, as it is a superior effort, written with some conviction, the subject being one on which Hollings was regarded as an authority.

1p., 4to. In poor condition, on aged, stained paper, with wear and loss to corners. Boldly signed 'James Bennett'. According to his entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Bennett lived in Rotherham, 'where he was tutor in the college and pastor of the church at Masborough', between 1813 and 1828. He is delighted that the recipient is 'devising means for the revival of religion' in his town: 'It is, however, not in my power to be with you.' Nevertheless he hopes he will 'persevere & obtain effectual help'.

12pp., 8vo. Stapled and unbound. Fair, printed on browned high-acidity paper, with some creasing and wear at foot. No copy of this offprint in the British Library or on COPAC.

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged grey paper. The words 'Admiralty, S.W.' and 'I HAVE received and laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your letter of the' are printed, with the rest written by a secretary, apart from Romaine's bold, firm signature. According to the letter Maude's letter of 5 May was 'addressed to Lord Panmure', and suggested 'the expediency of towing to their destination the Gun Boats, with high-pressure Engines, about to be employed on service in China'. Maude is addressed as 'E. J. Maude Esqre. | The Old Hall | Knostrop | Leeds'.

2pp., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'Mons. Marc Julien [sic] | Redacteur de la Revue Encyclopedique &c &c'.Jullien's address has been added in another hand: 'Rue d'Enfer St. Michel No. 18'. The first paragraph reads: 'Dear Sir | I have the pleasure to introduce to you Captn. Bromley, who is a zealous advocate of the cause of general Education, & who is visiting Paris for a short time. He will deliver you a Copy of the 21st. Report of the B. & F.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In original envelope, with stamp, three postmarks and red wax seal, addressed by Southesk to 'John J. Baron Esq. | 48 Griffin Street | Wilton | Blackburn | England.' Unaware that Baron is a barefaced autograph hunter, he expresses regret that, having no copies of his own works to hand, he is 'unable to accede to the very gratifying request of the lady referred to by you, as desirous to have two verses of my poems, in my own handwriting'.

All four stories 16mo, and each with a frontispiece included in the pagination. ONE. 'Tommy and Mary. A Book for the Very Little Ones.' 17pp. TWO. 'The Rector's Brook: A Story for Little People.' 32pp. THREE. 'Dobbin; or, The Discontented Donkey.' 30 + [1]pp. FOUR. 'The Little Missionary. A Tract for Children.' 11pp. Stitched into printed wraps, with the front cover coloured blue and the rear pink. Aged and worn, but complete and tight. Handwritten in a contemporary hand on the reverse of two frontispieces: 'Kilndown Lending Library'.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Neither is signed by Langham. ONE: Agreement with Coward, 1892. 1p., foolscap 8vo. On vellum paper with red embossed tax stamp. 'I Walter Hastings Coward hereby bind myself to disclose to Herbert Hay Langham all Chrome Ore or Chromium Mine that I may discover or otherwise acquire any right or share to or that I may have at present discovered or otherwise have acquired any right or share in the Island of Madeira'.

8pp., 12mo. On two bifoliums. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. With envelope, with Penny Red stamp and circular postmark in black ink ('B | LERWICK | 5 NO | 80'), addressed to 'The Revd. | C. W. Shepherd | Trosley Rectory | N Maidstone | Kent | England'. Balston and his companion on the trip Edward Bartlett would go on to collaborate with Shepherd on the 1907 publication 'Notes on the Birds of Kent'. The letter begins: 'Dear Shepherd | Here we are in the Arctic Regions, & it being Sunday & snowing fast, are not able to get out, so I sit down to spin you a yarn.

2pp., 12mo. Fair, on aged grey paper, with slight chipping at one corner. The letter accompanies a copy of an unnamed play, which Phillips hopes will interest Greenwood. 'I will stand or fall by it. I have learnt so much from your criticism (more indeed than from any one) that I should hope that you might continue possibly that line of such sane and helpful criticism which I have learned to look for from "the onlooker".' He concludes by declaring that there is no one to whom he is sending the book 'with greater pleasure'.

2pp., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. 43 closely-written lines. An interesting letter, in which Foster closes 'a long and amicable communication' with the bookseller, the reason being given in the following passage: 'I am sorry for what you intimated, that your more recent undertakings have not been so advantageous as you had expected. From your hint of the possibility of a continued residence at Hastings I may conclude that you withdraw from business (that of books at least) altogether.

19pp., 32mo. Stitched. In pink printed wraps. Lightly-aged, in worn wraps. The front cover duplicates the only different element being the central vignette. On the rear wrap is a list of twelve children's books, 'Just published, uniform in size with the present', 'The Series to be continued.' Stock engraving at head of first page, showing old man with stick at cottage door, admonishing three children, one of them crying. Final engraving shows man with hat and stick on tired horse, with accompanying dog in foreground and foliage in background.

2pp., 12mo. With stamped and postmarked envelope, addressed by Tinker to 'Chas. Mc.Carnie, Esqr., | Natl. Bank of W. V. Bldg, | Wheeling, W. V.' Tinker considers that 'The MSS.

1p., 12mo. Fair, on aged paper and worn paper. He is 'exceedingly obliged' to Barnett for 'procuring for me the freedom of Her Majesty's Theatre'. He asks if he will 'receive an official commemoration from Mr. Lumley', or whether he should write and thank Lumley on the strength of Barnett's note.

1p., foolscap 8vo. On laid paper, with red embossed tax stamp in top left-hand corner. In fair condition, lightly-aged. The memorandum is seventeen lines long, and begins: 'Memorandum of an Agreement made this twenty second day of October One thousand eight hundred and seventy four. Between Mr J. Hain Friswell of Fair House, Bexley Heath, Kent, of the one part and Messrs. Henry S. King & Co. of 65 Cornhill London publishers of the other part. | The said Mr J. Hain Friswell has written a Work entitled "The better self" which he herby assigns to Messrs. Henry S.

3pp., 12mo. On bifolium. 50 lines. On aged and creased paper, with glue from mounting in album on reverse of second leaf, which carries the address. The letter begins: 'What think you of the Bazaar for a title for your new work.

1p., 4to and 12pp., 12mo. The 4to leaf, in which the others (in three bifoliums) were wrapped, carries a black wax seal (damaged on opening) and the address 'His Excellency Major Genl Sir James Carmichael Smyth Bt. Bahama Islands.' Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'My dear Sir James'. He begins by reporting that his family is 'no longer living at the Priory, [...] but we are established, at least our home is established at leamington, where we have built & completed a pretty hunting Box.

Eight tall and thin 8vo diaries of unusual shape: the first six 34.5 x 13.5 cm, the last two slightly smaller. The first diary has 120pp., the others of similar length. With between two and four daily entries to a page, depending on the volume. The diaries are elegantly printed by a number of different Paris publishers (Dechamp; Pirmet; 'E. J.'; 'M. et H.'; 'F. G.'; 'B. L.'). Five are bound in light-brown cloth, with coloured paper labels stamped in gilt; the other three have printed paper boards.

1p., foolscap 8vo. On wove paper watermarked 'G R | 1806'. Aged, and with fraying to extremities, with closed tears through three of the signatures, unobtrusively repaired on the reverse with archival tape. Presumably a draft or second copy, as the original must be among the papers of the Society of Antiquaries. The document reads: 'To the Right Hon. George Earl of Leicester, | President of the Society of Antiquaries. | My Lord, | We whose names are hereunto subscribed request leave to signify to your lordship that Edward-Wedlake [sic] Brayley, Esq.

All four items in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. All written in Murray's distinctive wavy hand. Letter One: 15 December 1898. 3pp., 12mo. He begins by asking Mann to 'send the proceeds for the enclosed cheque into the proper hands to discharge my debt for the pencils'. He 'had to run down by night mail on Sunday night & back on Monday night, to attend the funeral of my dear old friend James Muir who died after a very short illness'. He expresses sympathy for 'Poor Brough'.

54pp., 12mo. Neatly written out on pages of a book of leaves of paper for correspondence, comprising numbered letterheads with blank underleaves for carbon copies. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with the cover and first few leaves of the volume missing. Terse, pithy entries, noting down facts concerning work, meetings, lunches, family matters, school activities, holidays. During the course of the diary Brett-James switches work from the publishers Harrap to their rivals Chatto & Windus, and the entries reflect his activities in both the military and cultural world.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged pink wove paper. Within fancy border. Beneath the title a four-line epigram by 'Cook', beginning 'The School-boy remembers his holiday ramble'. The poem proper, of twenty lines, is signed in type at the end 'J. H.' It begins: 'Oh! Wenlock Chimes, the dear old Chimes, | You carry us back to by-gone times,' and ends, 'And 'ere your notes their rest have found, | Cheer all our Friends the Wrekin round.' The word 'your' in the penultimate line is printed 'you', with the final 'r' added in manuscript.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with thin strip from mount adhering to blank reverse. Addressed to 'W. G. Herdman Esqr. | Liverpool'. If his brother's picture ('Mr J. E. Lauder') and his own 'are not by this time sent off'', he would like this done immediately, 'as they must be in Edinh. by the 1st of Feby.'

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 -'.

1p., 12mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, laid down on a grey paper backing. Addressed to 'My dear Macmillan. He begins by asking: 'Could you do anything in this matter?' He considers 'Mr. McMahon's Edition of Aristotle's Metaphysics a highly creditable & conscientious work'. In a postscript he gives his opinion that 'The Letters [...] will fill rather more space than the Sermon'. According to the Oxford DNB, Maurice was the firm's 'first truly prolific author', and was referred to by Alexander Macmillan as 'their prophet'.

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He regrets that 'too much time has elapsed' since her letter to 'our Mary': 'I wished to write sooner but I have missed doing so through great pressure of various urgent engagements'. He is enclosing (not present) 'an introduction to Prof. Carey Foster, which I hope may be useful unless you have already got the advice you wanted'. The recipient is probably a member of the family of Sir Otto Jaffe (1846-1929), Lord Mayor of Belfast.