LITERATURE

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: 'With Mary Maxwell's love & best wishes, & many thanks for the charmingly illustrated Xmas book of The Children in the Wood | M. E Braddon | January 1. 1878.'

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with postmark, to 'John P. Aston, Esqre | Messrs. Ainsworth & Co | Solrs | Essex Street | Manchester'. Aston was Ainsworth's father's law clerk. The year after this letter was written the novel 'Sir John Chiverton', on which Ainsworth and Aston collaborated, was published to great success (and endorsement by Sir Walter Scott).

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper. He thanks him for sending 'Idylls of Spain' (by Rowland Thirlmere, 1897), which 'Mr. Milner' will settle with him for, and states that he is 'interested in the subject and would be glad of a note of any books you happen to come across on this subject'. In 1903 Crockett would publish 'The Adventurer in Spain'.

The envelope is 7 x 12 cm, with penny stamp printed on. In fair condition, lightly-aged, with back flap intact (i.e ungummed rather than cut open). The address - certainly in Swinburne's hand - simply reads: 'The Hon. J. Leicester Warren | 67 Onslow Square | S.W.'

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He begins by noting that they have not corresponded for a while, and that he has 'been abroad most of my time for several years'. He is sending him 'a set of advance sheets of a little book I am to publish with Cassells at the end of September' ('Recollections of Rossetti'), 'because I have a very grateful memory of all the kind, appreciative and very able articles which you have written about other books of mine'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged. Written in a difficult hand, but with an accompanying contemporary manuscript transcription on a separate leaf. Addressed to 'Dear Friend'. He begins by saying that he is sending autographs, but explains that, so great is his 'horror', that it is his practice to 'destroy all that come into my hands. | Without reference to you in particular, I regard the Autograph and Album mania as the great pestilence of the day'.

On one side of an 8 x 13 cm piece of paper. In good condition, with light signs of age, and central horizontal fold. Firm, bold signature, 8 cm long, with underlining flourish. Beneath the signature, in a small hand, is the message: 'M Guinot | M: Vigny vous adresse son nom pour vous remercier il ne connait pas votre adresse'. Addressed on reverse, 'à M. Eug. Guinot'.

1p., landscape 8Vo. In fair condition, aged and with a number of vertical crease lines. Reads: 'Dear Mr Clarkson, | Will you please give instructions that any wigs that are being made for Sir Arthur Pinero's new play should be here not later than 11 o'clock on Monday morning next. Our Dress Parade is at 12 o'clock.' The play Boucicault refers to is 'The Widow of Wasdale Head'.

118pp., of which the first 102pp. are in 4to, and the last 16pp. in folio. Stapled into red card wraps. Ownership inscription on inside front cover: 'Padraic Fallon, | Prospect, | Wexford'. Internally in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in heavily-worn wraps. The story is set among race-horse trainers in Ballinasloe in 1936. There is a curious example of typewriter slippage in the last line but three on the last page: '[...] and the woods and 5h3 5o2nw in 2hifh h3 hqe wp3n5 hiw lir3. Qne [...]'.

R.P. Lister (Richard Percival Lister) (1914-2014), was an English author, poet, artist and metallurgist. See Wikipedia.The archive summarised below mainly represents his literary achievement, poetry and fiction. His travel writings (from notebooks to typescripts) will be listed separately although much of the correspondence listed below would relate to the non-literary aspects of his life.His unpublished history of the Bohemian group of poets called "The Saturdays" (the day they met), with other related material by him (lists of members etc) is offered separately.

An interesting letter regarding a celebrated Victorian scandal. In 1884 Frederic had come to England with his wife and five children as the London correspondent of the New York TImes. He set up a second household with Kate Lyon, with whom he had a further three children. Lyons was a Christian Scientist, and when Frederic suffered a stroke in 1898, she tried to cure him by faith healing. At the instigation of Mrs Frederic, Lyon was tried for manslaughter, but was acquitted. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged.

144pp., 4to. Stapled into red card wraps, with typed label on cover. A carbon copy with label of the London typing bureau Curtis and Page. The play was published in London by Victor Gollancz in 1941, with a second edition from the same publisher in 1954.

106pp., 4to. In good condition internally, on lightly-aged paper, in worn grey-cloth binding, with large and wordy French label on front cover. Rubens's score is not present. The text is preceded by twelve pages carrying: a 'List of Scenery and Properties', 'a 'Scene Plot', 'Light Plots', 'Property Plot', 'Hand Properties', 'Prompter's Cues' and 'Costumes and Wigs'. Possibly a prompt copy, with a number of passages deleted, and a few minor emendations made, in pencil, as well as call notes typed on the versos of some leaves, opposite the relevant text.

De Cordova was a voluminous author (see his entry in Who Was Who). Several of the couple's works were adapted for the cinema during the silent era. Of the four items present here, 'The Man in Mourning' was published in the Green Book Magazine, February 1916, and de Cordova's entry in Who's Who 1914 lists 'The Earthquake' among 'seven sensational dramas for the London Hippodrome'. No record has been found of the other two pieces. Four duplicated typescripts. In fair condition, with some wear and aging. ONE: '"The Earthquake" A Dramatic Sketch by Alicia Ramsey and Rudolph de Cordova'. A play.

39pp., 8vo. On good thick Whatman paper, dated 1874, in luxurious black embossed leather binding by J. Y. Knight & Co. of Leeds and London, with brass lock by Bramah (lacking key). In very good condition, in worn binding. Stamped in gilt on front cover is 'PRIVATE MEMA. | A. H. PAWSON'. On the first page Wedgwood has written: 'Cicely Veronica Wedgwood. | Her Book. | presented to me in March 1933 | by | A. H. P. | born 20th. July 1910 | educated | Norland Place School. 1915-1926. | Lady Margaret Hall. 1928-1931 | London School of Economics. 1932-5'.

1p. 8vo. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. With envelope addressed by Ambler to Pitt at Kennister in Somerset. Also present are copies of two letters to Ambler from Pitt, dated 2 January and 20 February 1980. In the first Pitt congratulates Ambler on the receipt of an OBE, reminds him of their previous correspondence through Peter Janson-Smith, and sends 'Part I of my trilogy on the North African campaign' ('If it gives you one tenth of the enjoyment I get from every one of your books, it will have been worth writing.').

3pp., 12mo. Writing in a difficult hand, he thanks him for his very curious & interesting letter respecting Chr. Smart, of whose birthplace I had been previously ignorant, tho' his name was not unknown to me in connection with Horace'.

2pp., 4to. Printed on the same side of one piece of shiny art paper, folded to make a bifolium. Aged and stained, with wear and slight loss to extremities. Photograph of Russell beneath title, alongside 'Sonnet | To W. Clark Russell', reprinted 'From "English Sea Pictures." By Julia D. Young, Author of "Barham Beach, the President's Poem." - New York.' The author laments that '[i]n this country, it is not the fashion to ennoble those who really do something for their time and generation', such as Russell, whose 'stupendous output' consists of 'fifty-seven books everyone [sic] of them good'.

1p., 12mo. On aged paper, with spike hole and damage to one margin, affecting five words of text, but not the signature. He asks for the item he orders, 'Natural Hist of England', to be addressed on the parcel to 'Very Rev. Dr. Husenbeth | Care of Mr. Spratchett | St. John's | Madder Market | Norwich'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly-aged, and laid down on a piece of card. Reads: 'July 26 | My dear Faed, | Would you mind seconding me at the Athenaeum? I believe Tom Hughes has put down my name. | Yours faithfully | William Black.' According to Black's entry in the Oxford DNB, he 'studied landscape painting for a short time in the Glasgow School of Art, but, becoming connected with the Glasgow Citizen, gradually exchanged art for journalism'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged. He writes that he has had 'a very fine p' sent to him, and asks if Pearson might accept it. 'If you dont care about it yourself you may have friends here to whom you might like to give it. Only, unluckily, I must have back the top'. He ends with a complaint regarding a 'Bronchial cough'.?>

On one side of 7 x 11 cm piece of paper, cut from the end of a letter. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'It would be very good of you to append this short notice of a deserving measure. | Please forgive me trespassing on yr. time & good nature and believe me | Faithfully your's | Walter S Sichel'. For more information about Sichel, see his entry in Who Was Who.

A good, firm signature on the reverse of an 8vo endpaper removed from a book. In good condition, lightly-aged. Reads simply: 'Marie Corelli'.

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper, laid down on card backing removed from an album. He writes that he only received Ballantyne's letter on his return from Melville Castle (seat of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville), where he was 'obliged to go for a day'. He is now returning 'sheets P. & Q to press and will soon send copy'. He has been 'pleased with a note from Cadell that we had a Pisgah peep of <?>'. The letter ends with the Latin tag: 'post tot discrimina rerum' ('after many dangers').?>

Good, firm signature, on 5.5 x 14.5 cm piece of paper. In good condition, lightly aged, on card backing bearing traces of mount on reverse. Reads simply: 'Florence Marryat.'

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with tiny stain in margin. He thanks him for his letter, and invites him to 'call again' at 'this enchanting place'. He has 'finished Octave 5' and is 'at work now on another Ben Nevis story'. He has asked his publishers Chatto & Windus to send him 'Octave 3'. A letterhead with Mackenzie's Edinburgh address is printed upside down on the reverse.

On 10 x 18 cm piece of paper. Aged and worn, laid down on leaf from album. Unsigned. Reads: 'Theh Princess Pauline Schwartzenberg | the story of her fate is beautifully related in "L'Allemagne" Vol. 3. p. 336'. Beneath this in a contemporary hand: 'Holograph [sic] of Mrs. Hemans the Poet'.

Three pages, 12mo, bifolium, faint foxing and minor damage, text clear and complete. " The son of my excellent friendm Robt Harrison, Librarian of the London Library, is an applicant for the assistant Librarianship of the Royal Academy. [...]" He gives information about him (education, languages, travels, familiarity with "library work" (as assistant to his father), current filling in work in the Observatory at Kew. He solicits Woolner's vote, and adds, in a postscript, that the applicant is the grandson of an artist.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with traces of grey paper mount on blank reverse. He does not think the recipient has 'chosen badly as regards the name', and is 'proud to think' the contents 'are to be dedicated to me'. In a postscript he writes: 'Can I help you in looking over any of the proofs?' Leigh had gracefully acknowledged the influence of Locker-Lampson's 'London Lyrics' in the introduction to his 'Carols of Cockayne' (1869).

In fair condition, aged and with traces of mounting on reverse. She is engaged on the afternoon of 15 June, but will hope to 'come in & see you some other time'. Postscript: 'It was delightful to meet & greet the other day!'