JOHN

Each letter 1p., 4to, Bickerstaffe-Drew's on reverse of Wood's. In fair condition, on aged leaf of paper with strip torn from head. The two letters cast an interesting light on English publishing practice in the late nineteenth century. Wood's letter, signed 'J. S. Wood', is written by a secretary, and addressed to 'The Right Rev Mgr Bickerstaff Drew'.

21pp., fourteen of them in 4to, and the other seven pages cut down. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Stapled together, with the first leaf detached. The article is complete but untitled. It is unattributed, but comes from the J. R. Gordon papers. A well-written and incisive piece, written from an insider's point of view. Gordon lays out his stall at the very start: 'Few people of our generation have influenced the life of it so profoundly as Lord Northcliffe. He was the incomparable journalist of our age.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition. Casting interesting light on the workings of the British parliament in the Regency period. Headed by Abbot 'Private'. Docketed on reverse of second leaf, presumably by Sidmouth: 'The Speaker, | Novr. ye. 19th: 1806. | Lord Harris's Proposal | Meeting of Parliament | &c -'. He has received Sidmouth's note, and reports that 'Lord Harrowby wrote me a full account of your Meetings on Lord Harris's proposals'.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with a 2.5 cm closed tear and slight loss at one edge causing damage to one word of text. The text is neatly written out in another hand over 14 lines. Allen's signature and other details in his hand are at the end: 'Wm. Allen | Stoke Newington near London | the 11th. of the 4th month (April) 1843'. Headed 'To my dear Friends on the Continent of Europe to whom these lines may come'.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged high-acidity paper. Headed: 'N.B. PLEASE use this leaflet to get a new member. On page 3 are particulars of the very important new "C" membership. | LEFT BOOK CLUB'. In double-column and small print. Headings: 'What Membership means', 'No subscription whatever' ('The Books are selected by Laski, Strachey, and Gollancz.'), 'But Membership is a Key . . .', 'Probable coming "Books of the Month"' ['Justice in England' by 'A Barrister', 'The Battle for Peace' by F. Elwyn Jones, 'A.R.P.' by Professor J. B. S.

1p., 8vo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Headed 'Private'. He has 'sincere admiration for Mr. Chesterton as a writer, but he is avowedly a "Mediaevalist" & an opponent of Liberalism & the Liberal party, which he believes to be corrupt & hypocritical'. In consequence it 'puzzles' him that Chesterton 'should be nominated as a Liberal candidate, & with every respect for his zeal, honesty & ability, I really don't know what I could say about him from that point of view.'

2pp., 4to. On leaf with mourning border. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with traces of paper stub adhering to one edge. Regarding Neale's 'Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland', which was published in parts, with a total of 732 plates) in two series totalling 11 vols between 1819 and 1829. Gardiner writes that he has been 'commanded by The Prince Leopold to ascertain the number of volumes in which it is proposed to compleat Mr.

On one side of a small rectangle of laid paper, with one corner snipped off. In fair condition, aged and worn, with spike hole not affecting text. Reads: 'Mr Lawless | Deliver Mr Nichols Ninety Popes omer 4 Vol. | S. Cadell'. Although clearly a member of the firm, the identity of the writer is unclear, the descriptions of Cadell & Davies material at the Huntingdon and Yale not yielding any information.

16 x 20 cm booklet, consisting of a bifolium stitched with black green thread into covers of thicker paper. In fair condition, aged and worn, with remains of clear plastic front covering. On the front cover is a heavily-inked art photograph superimposing an image of a musical score over the edges of an fanned-out signature. On the inside of the back cover is a facsimile of a calligraphic inscription in Latin, in Renaissance style. The inner contents consists of two facsimiles.

[2] + 170pp., 8vo. On 172 leaves, held together by a steel stud. In good condition, lightly aged, with discoloring to first leaf and the last seven leaves dogeared. The names of the crew are given on the first covering page, and the cast of characters (but not the names of the actors playing them) on the second. An interesting artefact, indicative of the continuing reassessment and reinterpretation of the works of one of Britain's great writers.

1p., 4to. In fair condtion, lightly aged and creased. With a few autograph corrections by Roberts. Having been unsuccessful in placing an individual with Wilson, Roberts writes: 'Of course forty years ago the advent of a bookshop like yours was a tremendous event, and we all flocked to it as something new and wonderful, as indeed it was.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The menu is written out in faint pencil on one side, beneath the letterhead. On the other side, and headed with the date 4 June 1919 is the following playful address: 'Dear Jerrold, | "Carry on"! | This has no reference to the food we have just eaten. | You Walter [pun on 'ought to'] be here because you're a Jerrold [pun on 'dear old'] fellow. | And so say all of us.' Beneath this are nine signatures, two of which are undeciphered.

The Patent Office - now the Intellectual Property Office - was established by the Patent Law Amendment Act of 1852, which simplified the procedure for obtaining patents of invention and reduced costs. In 1883 another Act of Parliament brought into being the office of Comptroller General of Patents, with, according to the National Archives, 'a staff of patent examiners to carry out a limited form of examination; mainly to ensure that the specification described the invention properly, but without any investigation into novelty'.

Both items in good condition, lightly aged and worn. ONE: 22 September 1856. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Docketted: 'Revd J. E. Kempe about Annie's XG. & Tait, new Bp of London | Sep 1856'. After discussing arrangements for meeting he turns to Tait, about to be consecrated Bishop of London. 'You ask about our new Bishop. I have reason to think it an excellent appointment.

Green folder. [4] + iii + 89pp., 4to. Each page on a separate piece of paper, and the whole enclosed in a folder, on which Lister has written his name and address, and 'Prester John | R. P. Lister | 1st Carbon'. In very good condition, lightly aged, in aged and worn folder. With two-page 'Note to the Publisher' and page of 'Contents', the latter with dates pencilled alongside the 25 sections.

Printed on one side of a piece of wove paper, folded twice to make a card of 4pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly-aged and spotted. Low's 10 x 8.5 cm illustration is on the cover, and is rather uncharacteristic in its lightness of touch. Nor is the layout of the cover in the usual 'Sette' style, rather harking forwards to the 1940s. Cover states: 'His Oddshippe Sir Harry Trelawney Eve (Chaplain) in ye Chair'.

12pp., 8vo. Stapled. In green printed wraps. In good condition, on aged paper, with slight wear to one corner and a few light marks to cover.

Bound up on stubs in brown leather half-binding, grey cloth boards, with 'SOMERSET HERALD | S. TUCKER' on spine. Ownership inscription of Alex Thomson Grant, the Red House, Wemyss Castle, Fife, 1909. The contents in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, in heavily-worn binding. 81 items on stubs, mainly comprising 62 letters by Tucker, 16 as 'Rouge Croix', 1874-1880 (with additional receipt by him); and 46 as 'Somerset', 1880-1887. A few of Tucker's letters signed with his name (as 'Stephen Tucker | R. C.'), but most with his title only.

3pp., 12mo. He is pleased to find that Scharf is 'making progress with the catalogue and with identifying the pictures'. He thanks him for sending information 'on various points', and assures him that 'Ash [...] will be most ready to carry out anything for you'. Scharf's 'Catalogue Raisonné; or, A List of the Pictures in Blenheim Palace; with Occasional Remarks and Illustrative Notes' was published in London in 1862.

Letter: 2pp., 4to. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, tipped-in onto the front pastedown of the book. He is sending the book registered, 'as a precaution against confiscation', and is looking forward to her 'new book', and has 'told N. Testament scholars in the U.S.' to look out for it. 'Like Lloyd, I am sure I will disagree with parts of it!

Crisply printed on one side of piece of 39.5 x 58 cm laid paper, with the family crest pritned beneath the title, and facsimile signature of 'J. Eustace Grubbe' in the bottom right-hand corner. In very good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Extending to five generations, begining with John Grubb (1751-1812) of Horsendon House, Bucks, and his wife Mary. Entries contain biographical information, with the author's own entry reading: 'John Eustace Grubbe, M.A., Barrister-at-Law of the Inner Temple, J.P.

Totalling 10pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly aged paper. ONE: 14 September 1899. 4pp., 12mo. He was pleased to receive Hodson's letter from Southwold, and reports on the 'Abraham sale', and 'talk of a tram line being made to Mochras' ('all fudge & nonsense').

4pp., 8vo. Bifolium. Disbound. A frail survival, on aged paper, with chipping to gutter and extremities.

Taylor's collecting activities are described in his entry in the Oxford DNB. His collection was sold by his widow in 1912 for the massive sum of £358,500.3pp., folio. Bifolium. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Tastefully-printed billhead, as one might expect, in black and red, with royal crests, boasting that the firm are 'Printsellers by Appointment to her Majesty, | Their Royal Highnesses The Prince Consort, The Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Kent'. Also the text: 'Established 1760. | Half price allowed for packing cases if returned immediately'.

An attractive and unusual item, and extremely scarce: no copies recorded on either OCLC WorldCat or COPAC. Engraved print in shape 11 cm diameter circle, carrying text and numeration, attached to printed 8vo leaf and superimposed on matching circular print with months and further numeration, to make a calculation tool. At head of page, beneath title and above wheel: 'To find the SUNDAYS that depend on EASTER day.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Thanking him for 'the Photograph of Folkestone harbour, & the volumes you have sent on the subjects of Malta, & the Order of St. John. [by Major-General Whitworth Porter (1827-1892) of the Royal Engineers]'. Prince Albert had intended to buy the book, but will take pleasure in accepting the copy the recipient of the letter has 'had so handsomely bound'.

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.

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Johns's book 'Mind You, or, Lewys Lad and his Friend Shadrach' was published in 1922, and he writes to thank Cuming Walters for his 'appreciative review of "Mind-You" - of which you so kindly send me an advance proof'. Walters' praise has given him 'wonderful encouragement', and he hopes it is 'thoroughly deserved'. 'Robert Lynd was most kind in the "Daily News", giving me a full column - mostly praise.

1p., 12mo. In very good condition, lightly-aged, with parts of red wax wafer at each corner. Reads 'En route | Royal Hotel Cardiff | Sir | Here is my autograph according to your wish. | Yours faithfully | J. Sims Reeves | April 21st. 1876.' Good, strong signature, with a final flourish continuing in a circle, and enclosign the whole of it.

J. F. Austen was the son of John Austen VII. For his relation to the novelist see 'Jane Austen's Letters', ed. Le Faye (OUP, 2011). The present item is excessively scarce, with no copies traced on either COPAC or OCLC WorldCat. 4to, 18pp. on ten leaves, paginated [1-2], 17-24, 57-63, 79. In original brown printed wraps. Aged and worn, with rusted staples.