SCOTTISH

On 3.5 x 9.5 cm piece of paper cut from letter. In good condition, with gum from mount on blank reverse. Reads: '[...] your list? - Believe me | Ever & respectfully yours | J. P. Nichol | Sir David Brooks'.

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium with black border. He writes that he had 'looked forward with great interest to seeing your academy pictures for this year', but that he is disappointed not to be able to do so, as a result of a heavy cold. 'I have no doubt they will more than sustain your reputation, and it will be a true pleasure to me to hail them on good places on the line in the R.A.' He ends by sending regards 'to Mrs. Faed & yourself'.

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.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, but with a corner of the first leaf torn away, resulting in some loss of text, including the year. The reverse of the second leaf laid down on a leaf removed from an album. The image of the 'design', 8 x 6.5 cm, is on the second leaf, which also carries Tayler's signature. It is a crude but pleasing sketch of an intended painting, done with the sureness of a watercolour artist.

1p., 12mo. In very good condition, lightly aged. Laid down on leaf removed from album. Reads: 'My Dear Faed/ | Will you take a quiet dinner with me on Tuesday next the 24th. 1/4 before 7 - and meet our friend MacNee - to say nothing of obliging | Yours faithfully | David Roberts'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, the blank reverse of the second leaf laid down on card backing removed from autograph album. Writing of his trip to London to take part in the vote at the Royal Academy he writes: 'I had two inducements to come up - you & Marochetti [the Italian sculptor Carlo Marochetti, elected at the same time] - & for either I would have come up separately - not from private friendship - although that existed in both cases - but from a sense of duty & the advantage of the Academy of which I doubt not you will very soon be a full member'.

2pp., 12mo. Written in a small close and neat hand. In good condition, on lightly aged paper.

ONE (12 January 1975): 1p., 4to. In good condition. First page of letter only, and lacking signature. A generally positive review ('When I write, I suffer from excess, a disease which you and your contemporaries, Aldis, Brunner, Bulmer, etc long since cured yourselves of. [...] The story was, as I am sure you know, good.'), but with some caveats ('I also don't think that a female covered with body hairs would also have hair reaching down to her waist.'). TWO: 1p., 8vo. Signed in green ink. In fair condition, on aged paper with wear at head.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Aged with with some damp staining. Geikie is glad to receive Cadell's letter, and will be 'delighted to have you on the long excursion if it takes place [last four words underlined]'. The excursion is however in doubt, as 'only five members of the Class have sent in their names and one with some doubt'. There are 'many calls' on his time, and unless more names come in the excursion will be cancelled. The letter concludes: 'I am disappointed with the want of enthusiasm of this year's Class.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. On aged paper, with light staining and wear at foot. The letter concerns the question of whether the Duke of Buccleugh or Sir Laurence Dundas is to be Governor of the Royal Bank. In his view there are no other candidates, and he hopes 'our Friend George Fairholme will not go astray upon that question'. Knowing that Fairholme is 'particularly attached to Lord Marchmont', he has written to him, and quotes part of the 'flattering' reply he has received.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reverse of second leaf, with part of red wax seal and Keswick postmark, addressed to Ross at Tadcaster, and forwarded to the Crown Inn, 'Harragate', Yorkshire. He begins by explaining that a delay to his departure for Scotland is the reason for the late reply. 'To morrow or next day we shall set out. The moment I reach Edinburgh I shall see Cathcart & immediately write you most minutely every thing regarding the Richmond Scenery | All this Party send you their best Compts.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn. Addressed, with red wax seal, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Mrs. Cockburn Ross | Pooles Hotel'. He begins by explaining why he has not replied to her letter sooner, his clerk having placed it 'with some Letters of Business'. Archibald Black, who was formerly in his service, is 'a good natured honest Creature', but he cannot advise her to hire him. On the poor mans account I would not wish to be more particular than just saying that it is not owing to any objection to his moral Character that leads me to dissuade you from engaging him'.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He has communicated the recipient's letter, with the memorial regarding 'the amelioration of the Distillery Laws', to 'Sir Charles Ross & Brigadier Genl Mackenzie', and they have been well received. 'One of the Gentlemen submitted the Memorial to the perusal of the Lords Stafford & Seaforth who as I understand are zealous for the reform of those Laws'. Seaforth has signed.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed, with postmark, on reverse of second leaf, 'To John Cockburn Ross Esqr. | Thorpe <?> | by Willerby | Yorkshire', and redirected to 'Crown Inn | Harrogate'. Recommending, 'in the view of preparing yr. young Son for commercial life', 'Mr. Jay who conducts the Commercial Academy', who was 'long ago in the House of Livingston & Co. Merchts at Rotterdam. He married a Daughter of Mr. Livingston and when the troubles in Holland forced him to leave it settled at Leith where he was involved in connections that proved unssuccessful from the disturbed state of Europe'.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. On aged and worn paper. He writes that he had 'heard the Report propagated by Sir John of your having given different accounts to the Father & the son', but considering the source he did not believe it, and 'the excerpts of Letters' directly refute it. 'I am extremely pleased with Lord Polwarth's Letter to you & as to any thing else I think you have no reason to feel any regret'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He explains his 'great and chief excuse' for breaking his promise to call on her that morning. 'The fact is I have to give an address on Monday evening as President of the Society of Chemical Industry'.

Printed on both sides of an 11 x 23 cm piece of grey paper. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. A nice piece of ephemera. The front is tastefully laid out, with fancy lettering and the royal crest. Numbered in red ink 1379. Recording Miss Fordyce's guinea subscription to the association. The reverse has the terms of the Association engraved in copperplate over ten lines. It is docketed '£1 . 1 | Fine Art Association | 25 March 1857'.

16pp., 12mo. Disbound and without covers. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. This item is an anonymous review of Macvicar's work, not the work itself, the author writing: 'what is proposed here is not a critique or an estimate of our author's philosophy, but a simple view of it as short as possible, the accuracy of which may be depended upon, since we have been favoured with it by Dr Macvicar himself'. Scarce: the only copy traced on COPAC at Glasgow. Now uncommon.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. She apologises for troubling her 'with a few very important questions referring to the Biarritz life. I mean the Butcher's shop at Bayonne you spoke to the Baron about. Where does the dear man live? Also how have you settled to keep the meat fresh?' She asks for instructions so that she may inform her cook, 'a German who speaks a few words of french & a sort of nigger English'.

The first two are addressed to Ross, 'of Rochester by Greenlaw', and the third to him 'of Shandwick by Parkhill | Rossshire'. Each letter with postmark in red ink. ONE: Letter of 6 November 1797. 3pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and worn.

3pp., folio. Bifolium. On aged and worn paper. Docketed on reverse of second leaf and addressed to 'Mr. Robert Park | Writer in | Glasgow', with postmark in red ink. The first page is headed 'Edinburgh within John's Coffee House the fifteenth day of December One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty six Years. | Siderunt of the committee respecting the Attorney Tax Law.' The minutes end at the top half of the third page, and a followed on the lower part of the same page by Sprott's covering note, written by a secretary and signed by him with short autograph postscript.

1p., 8vo. On bifolium. In fair condition. Addressed (with postmark) on second leaf to 'Mr. Thomas Cockburn Writer to the Signet | Edinh.' The letter begins: 'Sir | When I begun the world of business, no sooner had I collected 40 or 50 guineas than I was ready to lend out

All three items bifoliums in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. ONE: 13 July 1799. 2pp., 4to. Regarding his endeavours to sell 'the whole Estates of Lewis & Kintail & Lochalsh [...] either in Cumulo or Lots with a resolution to sell to the amount of the debt that is upon them'. He states that it has always been his 'wish & endeavour to satisfy any Creditor on the Seaforth Estate & the interest is paid with a punctuality not exceeded'. He complains of 'the singular hardship of the times'.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, despite slight singeing to extremities. He is sorry to hear of the recipient's 'uneasienes', and that he is unable to attend on him, as he is 'oblidged to goe sie the Lady Mackerston's daughter in the afternoon'. If he can, he will wait on him on the following morning, as he suspects there may be 'a tendency to your Ague'.

34 lines of typed text on air mail letter on blue paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Addressed to Malcom at Paisley, Renfrewshire.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The recipient's name is hard to decipher (' N Maunsell?>). Henderson writes that 'Mr. ' has forwarded to him 'your MSS of Burns poems', but that neither is in Burns's handwriting, although they have value as copies. He suggests that Burns's editor Robert Hartley Cromek 'got hold of the original M.S. and as was his custom failed to return it'. He gives a possible location for the original.?><?>

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter is 2pp., 4to, and is written in a playful tone. Escaping the accompanying spoof Steward writes: 'Your remark that Glasgow was as alien to you as Mars got me thinking along the lines of the attached headline . . . . . It would be a good idea for a story if it hadnt been done about three thousand times already (See Robert Bloch (Report on Sol III) and others).

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, with strip of mount adhering to one margin and light smudging to signature. He writes playfully, expressing his gratification at the thought that his 'handiwork' has been so well received, and that she has 'at last conquered the doctrine of "Relativity." This will set you above the "erring crowd" for the remainder of your days.' Her brother David is 'not what we should wish: of all things, I hate debility.' After some personal news he turns to the reasons why he has not written an autobiography.

1p., 4to. In very good condition. He is glad that Malcolm enjoyed 'Billion Year Spree' (subtitled 'The True History of Science Fiction'), 'despite all the random scholarship floating around in every chapter', which was 'designed to silence if not impress all the hostile critics outside the field who seem to think that it is just a stamping ground for the juvenile or the insane'. A few 'family jokes' have been inserted, 'to keep the rest of us amused'.

1p., 4to. 31 lines of text, written in a neat and close hand.