Minister

19pp., foolscap 8vo. Found in a tatty file marked 'War Office' (discarded!). Not duplicated, rather a carbon copy in purple ink of a typescript, with the indentation of the type apparent on the reverse. Minor correction on p.14: 'practises' to 'practised'. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with each of the nineteen leaves carrying punch-holes for a ring binder. An important document, written in characteristic style, quoted in the fourth volume of Churchill's 'World Crisis'. Divided into 31 numbered parts, beginning: '1.

Paper clipped from letter, 9 x 3.5cm, evidence of laying down on reverse, good condition.

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'.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with Dupont-Duterte's red wax seal broken in two, to 'Monsieur Celerier Lieutenant de

1p., 4to. In good condition, on a lightly aged and worn leaf removed from an album. The poem is twenty lines long, arranged in five four-line stanzas. The first stanza reads 'Dear Sister, Christian Heroine! | Stranger to me thy form & voice - | I venerate that zeal of thine, | And while I blush, for thee rejoice'. The second stanza is somewhat heretical: 'Nor Male nor Female is in Him | Who Born of Woman, both hath sav'd: | She conquers every terror grim, - | She thousand deaths for Him has brav'd!' The third stanza begins: '"A woman slew him:" Gideon'ss son'.

On a 4to leaf removed from an album, with Bennett's piece on one side of the leaf, and Gray's on the other. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with a short closed tear to the fore-edge. Bennett's note reads: 'Dearest Brethren, ye know how that a good while ago, God made desire among us, that the Gentiles, from my mouth, should hear the word of the Gospel & believe. And God, who knoweth the hearts, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us: put no difference between us & them, purifying their hearts, by faith'.

Printed on one side of a piece of 38.5 x 23.5 cm wove paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. An attractive political artefact and example of provincial printing, with the title on four lines as follows: 'EXTRACT | FROM THE | SUN, London Paper, | FRIDAY, 24th April, 1835.' The thirty-three lines of text, enclosed in quotation marks and with the first line in bold, begins: 'WE understand that Mr. D'ISRAELI, junior, has just set off post-haste for TAUNTON, in order to oppose Mr. LABOUCHERE'S RE-ELECTION for that Borough. A richer joke than this we have not heard for many a day.

Cut signature, 9 x 5cm, good condition, name written over Foreign Office stamp.

2pp., 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'Miss A. de G. Evans'. He thanks her for sending the book, adding: 'Both your kindness and the subjects to which it refers have made me very desirous to lose no time in examining it: and if, when I am able do to this, I find that I have any thing to say which can be useful (it will be no reproach to the work if I have not) you may depend upon hearing from me.' From the papers of Sir Francis Henry Evans (1840-1907), who served as Liberal MP for Southampton, 1888-1895 and 1896; and Maidstone, 1901-1906.

The four items are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The three letters addressed to 'My dear Evans'. Letter One (8 October 1903): 1p., 12mo. He asks him - as his 'memory is faint' - to 'jot down the facts & dates' of 'the story of the genesis of the Mc.Kinley tariff - Cameron, in the Iron trade, leading off, and the inevitable extension'. Letter Two (12 October 1903): 2pp., 12mo.

2pp., 12mo. On paper with mourning border. Headed by Gladstone 'Private'. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The letter concerns Lord FitzMaurice's motion of no confidence in the government, held in the House of Commons the following day. (The resolution, which had been introduced following British reversals in the Boer War, was defeated by 352 votes to 139.) Gladstone writes that he hopes that he was not 'too "stiff"' with Evans. 'The situation at the time was a bit acute, 70 men asking for that wh. I knew to be impossible.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, with slight spotting to extremities, laid down on leaf removed from autograph album. 'I am sorry that we have missed each other on the occasions you have called. My time is much occupied & it is difficult to fix an hour before 6 P.M.

Both items are in very good condition, neatly and attractively placed in windowpane mounts of laid paper. The portrait, of which there is no copy of the engraved portrait in the National Portrait Gallery collection, is black and white on 19 x 14 cm paper. Baxter's drawing depicts the head and shoulders of a shrewd-eyed bare-headed Hood, who is dressed in a wing-collared shirt, dog-collar and black coat and waistcoat. Facsimile signatures at foot of 'W. G. Baxter' and 'E. Paxton Hood'.

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. 20 lines. Good, on lightly-aged paper. At the time of writing Walton is recovering from a serious illness, and Clynes urges him not to 'hurry back at any risk to your health', and to 'take note of some of the advice you have given me not to over-work & break down'. Clynes reports that he has 'just come away from the P. M. [Lloyd George]', and that he has 'agreed to take on the full work [as Minister of Food Control].

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'.

2pp., 4to. 23 lines. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper, with the two pages of text on the two sides of the first leaf, and the address on the reverse of the second leaf, which has minor damage due to removal from mount, and carries two postmarks, and a broken red wax seal, with address by Curwen, to 'The Revd. Andrew Reed D.D.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. 40 lines. In fair condition, creased and with minor damage to second leaf from previous mounting. Addressing Reed as 'Dear Charles', Curwen explains that when asked who he would like as chairman for a forthcoming meeting, 'it was natural I should mention you, because of our old regard'. He is sorry that his 'friends' applied 'again - after your declining'.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. On aged and lightly-creased paper. The letter, written while Gladstone's Liberals were in opposition to Benjamin Disraeli's Conservatives, begins: 'Mr.

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.

Two pages and one page, 12mo, good condition. A. "I have received the Petition of the Liverpool Chemists' Association against some of the provisions of the Sale of Poisons Bill, and will present it without loss of time. As the Bill has been referred to a Select Committee to consider its provisions in detail, I shall move that your Petition be referred to the same Committee; and if you should be inclined to depute any of your body to come up and be examined in support of your objections, I do not think the Committee would refuse to hear him. In that case however you ought not to lose any time.

ALS, on House of Commons letterhead; 11 May 1923, 2pp., 12mo, fair condition. 'Some of my folks are mildly expostulating with me for reviewing for the Daily News on account of the hostility it is showing to us - perhaps rather by the way of depreciation than of attack, and perhaps it is not worth my while making trouble with them. So you might knock me off your list.' He hopes RL's wife 'will give me another chance of going to see you'.

Both items good, on lightly-aged paper. LETTER: 2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In envelope, with stamp and postmarks, addressed to Baron at 48 Griffin Street, Wilton, Blackburn. He writes that he has 'been trying in vain to find the Nineteenth Century containing my essay - The Pound of Flesh'. He is 'pretty sure - but not absolutely - that it was in the number for May 1880'. The 'paper' is 'much more completely given' in his book 'The Wandering Jew', and he is enclosing a copy of a programme with an advertisement for the latter and another of his books, 'Demonology'.

One page, 12mo, good condition, except rust mark from paperclip (not present).. With regard to your enquiry about my husband's smoking, it is quite true that he has practically given it up now. The only thing he has now is an occasional pipe, but this is getting less and less frequent. | I have it very much on my mind that your enquiry regarding the late W.T. Stead was never answered. Do you still want my husband to help you in this matter? If so, I will see whether he could do so. | It was nice to hear from you again after all these years.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. 89 lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with red circular postmark, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Revd. Samuel J. May | South Scituate'. Hillard describes 'Dr. Follen' as 'an intimate and dear friend to me'. He looks back 'with melancholy pleasure upon the happy hours' he spent in the society of 'so pure and elevated a being'. He has 'never known a better man; I do not know that I may not say, that I have never known so good a man.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He has Greenough's letter to hand, and has examined his 'Belcher memoranda, and find that my whole stock is invested in the Hist. of Camb.' He regrets that he is unable to assist Greenough in his enquiries. He closes 'With pleasant memories of your Grandfather, and with the Compliments of the season'. The engraved portrait of a bearded Paige in late middle-age, has beneath it a facsimile of his signature. It is in good condition, neatly presented and lightly attached to a paper mount.

8vo, 23 pp. In original yellow printed wraps. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper; wraps worn and with slight loss to a couple of corners. Red label on rear cover: 'Education Department. Reference Department.' Library stamp and shelf marks on front cover and title page. Signed in type at end: 'ADAM CROOKS, | Minister of Education.

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.

4to, 1 p. Nine lines. Text clear and complete. On bifolium of paper watermarked 'J WHATMAN | 1855'. Aged and lightly-stained. Reads 'I have the Honor to inform you that Parliament having been called to meet on Thursday the 3d of December Business of great Importance will then immediately be brought forward, and I trust that it may be consistent with your Convenience to attend in your Place in the House of Commons on that Day'. From the papers of James Wyld (1812-1887), cartographer and Member of Parliament for Bodmin.