VICTORIAN

12mo: 1 p. Good. Purple receipt stamp in top left-hand corner. 'Lord Salisbury requests Messrs. Williams & Norgate to send him Harnack's "Die Chronologie der Altchristlichen Literatur bis Eusebius". Also another volume he published 3 or 4 years ago on the same subject - the "Geschichte".' One presumes that the present British Prime Minister is equally cultured.

On one side of piece of discoloured paper, roughly 13 x 22 cm. Delongueil's circular engraved device (3 cm diameter) in top left-hand corner. Charges for striking a medal in bronze and silver of Olivier de Serres.

12mo, 1 p, 17 lines. Very good. He has been 'from home visiting here & there', and has returned to 'a mass of correspondence which is perfectly appalling'. He is sorry she 'sent back the book', as he meant her 'to keep it in perpetuity'. 'The recent work which finds most favour with the public is Lord Cockburn's Memorials. It is entertaining but not in all respects accurate. It is however worth reading & will serve to beguile a winter's evening.

12mo: 2 pp. Good. He is 'just now occupied with a new edition of my "Extinct and Dormant Peerage". Asks to be favoured 'with any emendations or additions that you think will improve the original Work. My apology for thus trespassing on you is my knowledge of the interest you take in historical & genealogical matters.'

12mo: 1 p. Good, with pin holes to top left-hand corner (not affecting text). He might be able to give her his 'lecture on Hypnotism' in May, but 'cannot tell unless I know the approximate date as I am rather a busy person with my official duties here.' Asks her to let him 'know about it'.

12mo: iv + 132 pp. Unbound. In original red printed wraps. Stapled. A poor copy of a scarce item (COPAC only lists copies at the British Library and National Library of Scotland). Dog-eared and grubby, with wraps faded and with loss to extremities and spine repaired with tape. Staples rusted and worn through prelims. Text complete and entirely legible. Five essays: 'Chatterton and the Rowley Poems', 'Macpherson's Poems of Ossian', 'The Shakspeare Forgery', 'Psalmanazar and the Formosa Imposture' and 'Bentley and the Epistles of Phalaris'.

Paper dimensions roughly 6.5 x 12 cm. Good, with one dogeared corner. Recto reads '<...> has been lost - unless indeed your's meant to suggest a version of that explanation. I hope the enclosed will be found correct'. Verso reads '<...> Truly [with cropped 'T'] yours | [signed] C. R. Cockerell | J. P. Knight Esqe.'

Paper dimensions 5 x 11 cm. Good. The foot of the last page of a letter with a mourning border. Reads '<...> consideration. | I am, Gentn. | Your obedt. St. | [signed] Thos Webster | To the President | & Council of the Royal Academy'.

On piece of card roughly 3.5 x 7 cm. Good, though slightly discoloured. Reads '[signed] Admiral | Lord Ams. Beauclerk', beneath which, in a contemporary hand, 'Port Admiral | of Plymouth'.

12mo: 1 p. Good, with traces of previous mounting on blank reverse. He thanks her for her kind note, and is glad she enjoyed 'our little tour, in spite of wind and weather'. He has sent off her camera, 'carefully packed', and hopes 'it will arrive without injury. This is not promising weather for your cycling project!'

The collection is in good condition, with occasional light creasing. The 'Regulations' ('ON HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE') consist of four pages printed on a folio bifolium. The other printed item, in facsimile handwriting, dated '15.11.51' (and dated in manuscript 'Horse Guards 1st.

On piece of paper roughly 4 x 11 cm. On discoloured paper with glue stains adhering to reverse. Reads 'Your affecte Brother | [signed] N. Card. Wiseman'. Lower part of flourish beneath signature cropped.

12mo: 1 p. Somewjhhat grubby, but with text clear and entire. Caulfield 'has been misled in supposing Mr Coutts is inclined to collect Hogarth's or any other pictures as he has hardly ever had any taste or inclination for that Line.'

Quarto: 4 pp. Unbound bifolium. Grubby and creased, with a couple of pin holes and small closed tears, and a little ink staining to the margins (not affecting text). Five illustrations, including full page engraving of two cherubs, entitled 'L'Enfance de l'amour'. Claims that 'neither labour nor expense will be spared to achieve and maintain the highest standard of literary and artistic excellence', and that the magazine will be 'strictly non-political, in the sense that it will champion the views of no particular party'.

The notes, on three 12mo bifoliums, cover three pages, with a few lines on a couple of others. In excess of eighty lines. Very good. Brief chronology and list of notable residents, presumably an outline for the description of the district in Besant's 'London' (1892) or another of his many writings on the city.

On piece of grey paper roughly 2 x 8.5 cm. Discoloured and with some glue staining. Mounted on larger piece of paper docketed 'Sudan Egypt'. Reads 'Yours very sincerely | [signed] Reginald Wingate'.

All items unbound, grubby and creased. ONE. Handbill (12mo, 1 p), dated 'August 1894', annoucing as 'NEARLY READY' William Jolly's 'Ruskin on Education'. TWO. List (quarto, 4 pp), dated 'December 1, 1894', of 'Books Published by George Allen [...] During the last Twelve Months'. THREE. Pamphlet (octavo, 32 pp), dated 'December 1894', of 'Works by John Ruskin, Augustus J. C. Hare and others, Published by George Allen'. Includes full-page advertisement announcing as 'in preparation', T. J. Wise's edition of Spenser's 'Faerie Queen', with illustrations by Walter Crane.

Two pages, 12mo. Mourning border. Damp stained. Cowper has told 'P[rofesso]r. Wheatstone' [Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875), Professor of Experimental Philosophy at King's College, pioneer of the telegraph, and seller of musical instruments] of Novello's 'wish to have a little conversation with him'. Gives dates when Wheatstone will be available to see Novello at ''King's College (in the Museum)'. '[H]e will very shortly go to Switzerland & therefore the earlier you meet him the better'.

Both items quarto. On worn, discoloured paper, with a couple of closed tears to the folds. Pertwee was the author of numerous anthologies for recitation, and these letters presumably relate to his 'Reciter's treasury of prose and drama: serious and humorous' (Routledge, 1904). TLS: 'Provided, of course, that Messrs. Routledge have actually agreed with you to publish the book of humorous prose recitations, I shall be very willing to allow you to reprint any one of the stories the titles of which I give below.

8vo: 1 p. Good, with slight wear to outer edge, and strip from previous mount neatly adhering to reverse. With name of recipient at head, and docketed on reverse. He has 'seen some charming & useful Leaflets advocating Humanity to Animals' and has been 'led to understand they may be obtained through' his correspondent. He would like a hundred of the leaflets to be sent to him, 'for which I will gladly send stamps'. Hall was a sanctimonious figure, supposedly the model for Dickens's Pecksniff.

Paper dimensions roughly 9 x 11 cm. The lower part of the last leaf of a letter. Good, on lightly discoloured and aged paper. Ten lines of text on reverse, including the comment (apparently referring to 'drainage works') 'Mr. Lawson would do the work very well, and is to be commended as Mr. Rawlinson was for never exceeding his estimates.'

On piece of paper roughly 11 x 11 cm. Good, on lightly discoloured paper, with traces of tissue mounts adhering to blank reverse. With five lines of text: '<...> Thank you sincerely for your letters & the enclosure. I quite feel that you cannot be in sympathy with certain proceedings. | Yours faithfully | [signed] Herbert Card Vaughan'.

8vo: 44 + 8 + 80 pp. Three engravings by Pearson ('Stonehenge', 'The Walrus' and 'Infusoria'). In original brown printed wraps. Good, though a touch dusty and dogeared, in creased and worn wraps, with loss to one corner at rear (not affecting text).

16mo: 3 pp. A small bifolium (each leaf 10.5 x 9 cms) on aged paper. Discoloured strip at foot of first leaf, containing four lines of text and the signature, cut away and reattached with archival tissue, with damage to two words (not in signature). Second leaf with minor damage through breaking of seal. Good Penny Red stamp, postmarked in black, and second red postmark. The earliest she can accept the dinner invitation is the following Wednesday.

12mo: 2 pp. Good, with thin strip of glue and grey paper from previous mounting adhering at foot of reverse (not affecting text). While it is possible that Howell may have given 'Mr. Gill' [tMichael Henry Gill, later of McLashan & Gill?] 'letters [of introduction]' when he 'went to New York ten or fifteen years ago', it is unlikely.

12mo: 2 pp. On creased, discoloured paper, with small closed tear and traces of previous mount adhering to reverse. An amusing, playful letter in a smudged, expansive hand. Reads 'My dear Phil | The other Phil Phil May will Phil the page in Xmas No. This will fill up & give it a fillip. ergo no Caran d'Ache | With Phil we're full. | Ought to be a fine number. | Have asked Phil May to contribute previously - | Well Phil May - but will Phil? | perhaps a wilfil person'. Accompanied by long typed commentary, giving provenance 'From a group of letters to Phil Agnew.

On piece of creased and lightly spotted paper roughly 11 x 11 cm. Reads '<...> for half a Century. | Believe that I remain | Dear Barry | Your's faithfully | [signed] Joseph Kay | Charles Barry Esqr. Kt. | &c &c &c'.

Letter One (12mo: 4 pp, to 'My dear Mr Nichols', good, on discoloured paper): Explains that he has given 'a note of introduction to a most particular friend of mine Mr Lawrence of Ipplepen near Totnes and Launceston Cornwall'. Lawrence 'was a great friend of the late Mr Arundel of Landulph' and is 'a great friend of Mr Bray of Tavistock'. He is 'a man of ancient Cornish descent & from its first families'. Spence thinks Nichol will find Lawrence 'a valuable West Country Correspondent, well up in County history and nothing loth in the pursuit of antiquarian lore[.

8vo: 1 p. Good, on creased paper with 1 cm closed tear to right of central horizontal crease (not affecting text). He thanks him for his 'kindness and courtesy'. 'I shall not fail to ask for you at Guildhall tonight'. Postscript refers to the 'pother they are making in the Times about a poor Dead and gone book of mine, called Captain Dangerous [published in 1863] Bless their hearts! I invented the whole story of Lord Francis Villein's death "out of my own head."' Docketed with four numbers in pencil.

12mo: 2 pp. On lightly creased, discoloured paper, with traces of hinge from previous mounting adhering to margin of first page. He has 'an uncomfortable feeling' that he 'laid aside' a letter from Fulton 'to be answered, but which I cannot now find. It must somehow have got mixed up with other papers [...] If I am right in my fear, may I ask you to send me a copy of it?'