Literature

12mo: [xii] + xxiv + 76 pp. In original red cloth boards, with 'FLORES POETARUM BRITANNICORUM.' stamped in gilt on front board. Lightly aged and foxed, in slightly grubby binding, but good and tight. A few marginal notes in a contemporary hand.

8vo, 2 pp, 33 lines. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper. An interesting letter, written by a former policeman to a former probation officer, on the subject of the latter's book 'Come to Prison: A Tour through British Prisons today' (Longmans, 1957), about which the former has written a negative review. Begins by praising Stokes' 'really generous letter, written at what cost in self-control I can only dimly imagine'. When Hewitt 'read the published review', he thought 'that it was still on the whole unfair'. 'I hate reviewing really, and am a bad reviewer.

On one side of a piece of paper, dimensions 19.5 x 21 cm. Lightly creased. Presumably in response to a request for an autograph. Reads 'Is there a life before Death? | (slogan chalked on wall in Northern Ireland, 1975) | Yours sincerely | [signed] Beryl Bainbridge.' Firm sprawling signature.

On a piece of pink paper, roughly 9 x 11 cm. Neatly laid down onto a piece of white paper. Very good. A reply to a request for an autograph. Reads 'I am | my dear Lady | Yours truly | [signed] Eliza Cook'. The signature is firm and bold, with a small part of the flourish beneath it shaved away.

The text of the three items is complete and legible. All three are bifoliums of aged and lightly-creased paper, with traces of grey paper mounts adhering to the verso of the last leaves. A difficult hand. Letter One (22 December 1884, Echo Office; 12mo, 1 p): Asks to be given a copy of a poem, or to be told where it can be found. Letter Two (19 Aug. [no year], Syon Lodge, Isleworth; 12mo, 2 pp): Begins 'This is a begging letter.' Asks for a copy of a poem by Draper (the title of which is illegible), not for publication but for his 'own private satisfaction'.

Letter: 12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Text clear and entire, but with the outer pages grubby. He has 'no wish to annoy other members of the Court family', so it will 'go no further'. 'It is cool of Miss Court to talk thhe confidence of her own home, when she made the statement to Mrs Bulkeley in her own drawing-room.' Suggests that Draper send 'the Postmistress' a 'reminder'. 'She is so accustomed to threatening letters from her creditors' lawyers that she possibly may disregard this.' Asks him to 'make her understand that withholding an apology may have sharp consequences'.

12mo, 2 pp. Text complete and legible, on grubby and creased paper. Trace of grey paper mount adhering to blank verso of second leaf of bifolium. Crude caricature of a man's face in top left-hand corner of first page. Draper 'bolted from the Club last night' - Webber can 'guess the cause' - 'thereby depriving the committee of the unit necessary to form a quorum'. Had he not done so 'Marks would have shown you the drawing which he had brought down, finished, for your inspection.' Webber will 'bring it with me to the Circle to-morrow.

12mo, 352 pp. In contemporary brown calf half-binding, with marbled boards and grey endpapers. Loose and foxed in worn binding.

On printed postcard, with a postmarked postage stamp. Addressed by Crockett. Aged and creased, with paperclip markings. Asks to see a copy of 'The Maple Leaf', 'so that I may have an idea as to the sort of thing you want for the Xmas. no.'

12mo, 2 pp. In poor condition, creased and with frayed edges and a closed tear to the second leaf of the bifolium, to which there is also slight loss. Text clear and entire, apart from one word. Addressed to 'Dear old Boy' and 'old fellow', from 'Your <?> Brother'.

12mo, 1 p. Text clear and entire, on lightly creased blue paper, with a thin docketed strip neatly cut away at the foot of the letter. Traces of cream paper mount adhering to the blank reverse. Presumably refers to the play 'Alone in London', which debuted at the Olympic Theatre in 1885. Buchanan trusts that Fenn 'will be present in production of my new play & Miss Jay's debut on Wednesday next'. He asks whether to send the stalls, 'or do you get them from the Office? It will be indeed disappointing if you do not come, this time.'

Both letters good, on lightly aged paper. Both items concern Canning's article on 'International Relations' in the October 1877 issue of 'The Nineteenth Century'. Letter One (12mo, 4 pages, bifolium with mourning border). Knowles hopes Canning has received the proof of the article from the publishers Spottiswoodes. A judicious bit of sycophancy follows.

12mo, 4 pp. Good. A bifolium, attached by a strip along the inner margin to a leaf removed from an autograph album, docketed 'Mrs. Hobart Hampden, Authoress of "The Changed Cross" '. Postscript written vertically across the upper part of the first page. Concerns a photograph of the recipient's mother: a 'sweet souvenir of such a rare & precious jewel as your dear & beautiful Mother; whom we feel it such a privelidge [sic] to see and to know'.

12mo: 1 p. Text clear and entire on creased and slightly grubby paper. Asks Hyde Clark to 'make the preliminary report you suggest, & speak with Mr Crompton'. He feels that 'the thing is to be accomplished; & that there will be honour & profit to all who may concern themselves in the undertaking'. Asks to hear from Hyde Clarke 'in a few days'. The subject of the letter is unclear.

Dimensions of card roughly 8.5 x 11 cm. Good, with slight creasing. Twenty lines of text. Congratulating Hammerton on his appointment as editor of the 'London Magazine'.

Original brown wraps, chipped, dusted and soiled, titlepage partly soiled and dusted, otherwise good. Scarce: COPAC lists copies at BL, NLS, Oxford, and NLW. AddAll only lists the 1971 reprint.

Original beige wrap, sunned and dusted, worn and chipped edges and spine, small closed tear at top front wrap, contents slightly foxed, mainly good. Enclosure (loose): Blank Order Form for this pamphlet including statement of limitation (300 printed). Scarce.

Original mauve wraps, sunned and creased, endpapers soiled, contents slightly marked but mainly good. INSCRIBED by Robert Lynd, author and nationalist, in Irish, Riobard ua Flynn. Scarce: COPAC lists copies at NLS, Cambridge, BL.

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on lightly aged paper, with traces of a paper stub neatly adhering to the blank bottom right-hand corner of the verso. Apologising for his 'long neglect of the subject of your last notice - the Mill Hill Medal. The truth is I am scarcely able to find strength and spirits for the work I have to do, and so am constantly involved in difficulties as to time like those to which extravagant people fall into as to money'. He hopes 'to be able to enjoy the pleasures of our anniversary dinner', although he does not feel he deserves them.

12mo, 1 p, 14 lines. Good, on aged and lightly creased paper. Small red oval monogram in top left-hand corner. In French. As he was about to come and see her 'on est venu me chercher pour des affaires urgentes. il faut que je sorte à l'heure même'. The only news is that 'le ministre des finances refuse très inhumainement la petite maison d'Angivillers. S'il persiste, il y aura, plus que jamais, impossibilité de Loger plus à l'aise les Personnes qui réclament contre la première Distribution'.

Total two pages, 12mo, both laid down on grey paper, some staining but mainly good, edge of one ragged, both legible. Item 1: "Pray read these two couplets invented [sic] in their places & tell me if they should stand . . . [postscript] pages 13 & 15." A note of the verso of one explains that the note was from Rogers to Sharp "with a correction sheet of a new edition of that poem [Pleasures of Memory] - / Dec. 6th 1832." Item 2: He invites [Sharp] to breakfast "to meet Whisham. The Mornings are delicious. I was abroad today at 9 - . . .

Four pages, 16mo, inc. address page, one chip and some staining marginally affecting text. She is happy to accept his invitation, and accepts it on behalf of her daughter and Mr Romilly [her son-in-law]. "Mr E. Romilly feels some scruple at accepting an invitation which it is possible urgent business in the house [Parliament] would prevent him from waiting on you." In a postscript she reminds him that he has offered his support in the ballot at the Athenaeum on the following Monday.

8vo. Pages: xxi + 100. PRESENTATION COPY from Sir James and Lady Frazer, with their calling card, inscribed 'Sent to the Librarian [of the Royal Society of Literature] as promised by [following five words printed] Sir James and Lady Frazer. | June 11. 1936 | with thanks for their reception | address Trinity College Cambridge'. Very attractive production in original green cloth, and with dustwrapper. Two portraits of Frazer and fold-out facsimile of his writing and rear. Very good tight copy, although bumped at head of spine.

37pp., [12mo], original illus. printed green wraps, sunned, marked, sl. creased and chipped. Scarce. COPAC lists five copies.

12mo, 2 pp. Creased, and with an unobtrusive 1 cm closed tear. He thanks her for her 'charming letter of appreciation'. He is delighted that she 'so enjoyed' 'The Door' ['The Door in the Wall' (1937)]: 'a similar story (or rather one dealing with Phillip Markham & Baikie) will be appearing in the autumn probably in early October'. 'It always cheers an author up to know that he has pleased his readers - & if they do him the good turn of recommending his book to their friends he is vastly obliged!'

Letter One (12mo, 2 pp; good, with glue from previous mounting to reverse of blank second leaf of bifolium): Jesse hears 'that there has been a violent attack made on my lectures to the Brighton Fishermen in "the Field" of last Saturday'. He 'published these lectures in the hopes that they might be useful to many people'. He 'gave the Copyright to Mr. Booth the publisher & never recovered one farthing profit for them'. 'They were written for an ignorant club of men without any pretension'.

4to, 1 page. Good, on lightly-aged paper with dog-eared corners and small stain from mount on reverse. Reads 'Dear Madam some sort of a sequel to the Ingleside [Lucas's book 'Mr. Ingleside' (1910)] is being finished this day. | Yours faithfully | [signed] E. V. Lucas'.

12mo, 4 pp. Good, with spotting to second leaf of bifolium. Steggall and Orton's 'mutual friend (our very dear friend)' Mrs. Kent has written to tell Orton that Steggall 'will be happy to see my son on Saturday evening at 6'. Orton is grateful to Steggall for thinking 'of my anxiety to retain him with me after our long & to me at least terrible separation'. He is very grateful to Steggall, who is joined to Orton by a 'link of friendship which passes through to my two dear friends Mrs. Kent and Mrs. Atherstone'.

12mo, 1 p, with mourning border. Good, on lightly creased paper. Asking Leon to forward the book he wishes to have autographed. 'I will do so with pleasure.' The envelope is addressed to Leon at 6 Brendon House, Great Woodstock St, London W1. Docketed in red ink above address on front of envelope.

James's signature is on a triangular piece of paper, c. 2" x 1.5 x 1.5