SIR

4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Twenty-two lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with minor damage repaired with archival tape. Franked, with broken red wax seal and two postmarks, to 'Captain Saml Brown R.N.', at Inverleith House, Edinburgh. Despite the fact that Martin has 'given the Credit of every improvement in the Service', Napier happens to know 'that other people are deserving of more credit than him', and he wishes to 'bring forward some great names like yours' to 'the Lords & the Country' at the second reading of the Navy Officer Bill.

4to, 2 pp. Bifolium. Twenty-eight lines of text. Clear and complete. On aged and stained paper. Docketed by the recipient on the reverse of the second leaf. The recipient drew up her will in 1819, but 'the many changes from Deaths &c which have since taken place' mean that it 'no longer expresses my wishes in several particulars'. Asks a number of questions. States that she is 'aware that as a married woman I have no right to make a Will but as in the former distribution of my property Sir George Scott authorized my doing so (as you many remember) so he will now any alteration'.

4to, 1 p. Nine lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and worn paper. He apologises for 'not sooner answering Capt Grindlay's note and thanking him for the very beautiful drawing which he sent him'. He reports that he showed the drawing to Prince Albert, 'who expressed himself much pleased with it, & admired particularly the grouping of the figures', referring to one of the original drawings for Grindlay's 'Scenery, Costumes and Architecture, Chiefly on the Western Side of India' (1826-30).

8vo, 1 p. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with a couple of punch holes to the left margin (one through a word of text). Thanking him for his 'kd letter of appreciation of my work as chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution'. He now has 'another public duty concerned with the same field'.

12mo, 2 pp. First leaf of letter only. On worn aged paper, with slight loss and chpping to extremities. Docketed by Melville in red at head of first page with date 'Feby 1829'. Begins 'Sir Thos. Lawrence presents his Compts to Captn. Melville Grindlay, [...]'. Thanking Grindlay for the gift of 'his Works from the Scenery and Architecture of India; and from the Sculpture in the Cave Temples of Ellora'. Lawrence has 'received great pleasure from the frequent inspection' of the works. Ends abruptly, at foot of second page, 'and very particularly, from the view <...>'.

Both items good, on lightly-aged paper, each with a punch-hole to the top left-hand corner. Letter One: 12mo, 1 p. Concerning 'the Committee' and two surgeons. Letter Two: 4to, 1 p. Twenty-three typed lines and a four-line autograph postscript. Possibly relating to the Royal College of Physicians. Discussing his concerns 'about our means of getting C's in the Region'.

Both good, on aged paper. Letter One: 12mo, 1 p. With stamped envelope. Thanking Noon for the 'notes & very instructive X-ray of your case of syringomyelia', about which 'Shattock', who is 'pulling up the W. O. Collection', is 'very keen'. Letter Two: 12mo, 2 pp. Thanking him for 'two very welcome additions to the W. O. Collection': 'You have no idea of how much an X-ray enhances the value of a specimen - we get an opportunity of comparing the shaddow [sic] with the real thing'.

Landscape 12mo, 1 p. Fair, lightly-aged and with a punch-hole to the top left-hand corner. 'You will be grieved to learn that Walton excised my boy's sigmoid on June 19 and that he died of acute ileus on June 23.'

Five of the nine items in 4to, and the rest 12mo. All texts clear and complete. Collection in good condition on lightly-aged paper. Occasional minor traces of brown-paper mounts, and most items with punch-holes to top left-hand corners. A cordial correspondence between two colleagues. Several letters relate to Noon's soon Charles, training under Ross to be a surgeon. On 26 June 1952 (12mo, 3 pp) Ross writes discussing the son's failure in an examination..

4to, 1 p. Seventeen lines of text, clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with small area lacking in top left-hand corner. Concerning Hedley Atkins, who, '[a]s a Guy's man', Ogilvie is keen to have replace him on the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons, from which he is retiring after sixteen years. The condition with which Ogilvie is related, Ogilvie's Syndrome, was first reported by him in 1948.

16mo, 4 pp. In bifolium. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Congratulating him for a copy of the book, 'a valuable work' parts of which he has read 'with great interest'. In return he is sending 'a large paper Copy of "The Two Foundations", the size of which 'was determined by that of the Engravings of St. Bartholomew's, in view of any body wishing to turn it into a "Granger".'

12mo, 1 p. Fair, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Written while Hayter was Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury under Palmerston. Thanking him for his letter, and informing him that he will be communicating Hayton's 'kindness' to William Ryan, who, he is sure, 'will gladly accept the appointment'.

On one side of a 9 x 11 cm card. Lightly-aged, with minor rust-marks at head and slight creasing to one corner. He has forwarded the letter as requested.

4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Good, on aged paper. Thirty-nine lines of text. Good impression of red wax seal depicting Alexander Pope. In breaking open letter a 7 cm closed tear made to second leaf, and a small part of leaf torn away, and now under seal, with loss to three words of valediction. Slight glue staining from mount at head of verso of second leaf, which carries address and Twining's docketing.

12mo, 3 pp. Forty-two lines of text; clear and complete. On aged and lightly-stained paper, with pin holes and short biographical details typed at head. The Lambs and the Mathews were friends, and the letter begins with a reference to Lamb's celebrated collection of essays, which Anne Mathews had presumably presented to Carr: 'Many thanks my dear Mrs Mathews for the pleasures I have derived from Elia.' Discusses introducing 'two old Devonshire female friends' to the Mathews: 'They do not like to return to Devonshire [...] without this gratification.

12mo, 2 pp. On bifolium. In fair condition, lightly-aged and creased. Discussing arrangements for a meeting with Thompson before 14 August, the date of the 'Furness general meeting', after which he is going on 'a months cruise'.

12mo, 1 p. Bifolium. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with traces of minor traces of stub adhering to one edge. Franked, with remains of red wax seal, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Messrs. Ridgeway | Piccadilly. | [signed] Js Stuart Wortley'. Giving instructions for the sending of newspapers to Wighill Park, Tadcaster, and to Wortley.

4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. 61 lines of text; clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Having recovered from 'the surprise which I received from the communication made to me today by our mutual friend Sir James Gibson Craig', his 'first idea was to go directly to Parsons Green to give full vent to my gratitude' for Mitchell's generosity. The rest of the letter gives fulsome expression Lauder's his feelings at 'the generous - the magnificent gifts' (unspecified) which Mitchell is 'dispensing - with so little parade'.

4to, 4 pp. Text clear and complete. On aged and grubby paper. Begins 'Our Uncle i.e. my uncle & yr gt uncle Thomas Elphinstone was born at Higher Efford, 3 miles from Plymouth he died on the 13th. of March 1821 at the age of 57'. Includes information told him by Milly Holloway. Describes a couple of the 'pranks' of 'Uncle Tom'. The connection between the two individuals and their families is not noted in their entries in the Oxford DNB.

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium with mourning border. Fair, on lightly-aged and creased paper. He thanks him for the grouse ('very greatly appreciated') and thinks that 'the show at York went off first class'.

12mo, 1 p. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with thin strip of stub adhering to the reverse of the second leaf. Reads 'Sir John Wrothsley requests Mr. Ridgway will direct his Newspapers [corrected from 'Letters'] Post Office Scarborough. The frank reads 'Doncaster September ten 1835 | Mr. Ridgway | Piccadilly | London | [signed] Wrothsley'. Divided circular Doncaster postmark in black, and frank ('FREE | 11SEP11| 1835') in red.

12mo, 1 p. Clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In a bifolium, with thin strip of archival tape along edge of reverse of second leaf from previous mounting. He is enclosing 'W Roberts' letter & the answer' (neither present), and asks for a duplicate to be made of the latter item and 'sent forward'. Complains of 'a sad irregularity of Messrs Forbes & Co', asking if the matter has been set straight.

4to, 2 pp. Twenty-three lines of text, clear and complete. In fair condition, creased and lightly-worn. With stamped envelope addressed by Flint. In reply to a question from Carpenter ('I very, very freqently receive letters such as yours') Flint writes: 'Dont worry about not receiving art instruction in painting because I never had a lesson in my life.' He believes he inherited the skill he 'started with', but constant study of the works of masters & constant practice have brought me (with the aid of a kindly Providence) to my present position'.

12mo, 2 pp. On bifolium. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged and foxed paper. Concerning the payment by Waterlow of a tithe on a property he purchased the previous May. From the Shepherd family archive.

12mo, 4 pp. Text clear and complete. Very good on lightly-aged paper, with thin strip from stub still adhering. Thanking her for 'sending me the acceptable autographs you have. Though seemingly scraps of paper they possess for the initiated a value, for I believe every individual to be possessed of a romance which opportunity and occasion bring to the fore and make of him a personage whose writing is worthy of preservation. The diamond in its mine is of no value, but when found, cut, and set in its golden framework, it is prized and esteemed'. Defends 'the collector' against criticism.

4to, 2 pp. Twenty-seven lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged and slightly creased paper. He cannot help Raffin find an American publisher for his book 'Mystery, Mirage and Miracle' (privately printed for the author in London in 1921), although he finds its style 'delightful', and its subject matter 'one which deeply interests me'. 'The book-market is in a very strained condition - a sort of transition period with all the publishers "sitting on the fence", and the public refusing to by any books except a few which have the luck to become fashionable'.

12mo, 2 pp. 11 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with strip of stub from mount along one edge, and two small strips of paper bearing biographical information (he is described as 'Consul Gen Alexandria during riots & bombardment') laid down at head of reverse. He says he will not be 'leaving Alexandria before the middle of July'. He hopes to see Lane-Poole there on his 'way through'. Asks for a telegram giving notice.

12mo, 1 p. Nine lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with a neat cut (not affecting text) neatly repaired on reverse. The Registrar at the India Office has informed Lyall that Lane-Poole's name is 'on the list of those to whom the India Archaeological Reports are sent'.

12mo, 1 p. With mourning border. In fair condition, on aged paper with pinholes at the corners from mounting. The address Leckie wants 'is given here as "Oriental Bank." May it help you!'

On the lower part of a letter, cut to form a rectangle, 11.5 x 18 cm. In good condition, with traces of stub from mounting along one edge, and a thin strip of paper, with Burgoyne's name in manuscript neatly laid down beneath the signature. Reads 'I have the honor to be | Your Excellency's | Most Obedient | Humble Servant | [signed] J. F.