Literature

12mo: 2 pp. Very good. 15 lines of text. He thanks him for his book . I can't read it leisurely at present - I am on the move - but I have been reading in it, as the old writers say'. He is very interested in the things he is gleaning from it. In a postscript he thanks the author for 'what you say about my work' and praises the book for its 'vitality which so much literature lacks, but which some books possess'.

12mo, 3 pp. Very good, with a strip of cream paper from previous mounting adhering to the blank verso of the second leaf of the bifolium. He has 'received a Catalogue of the Friends Book Society's Annual Sale held by your and Mrs Barrow's kind invitation'. He and his wife 'should have enjoyed being present very much: if for no other reason, yet in remembrance of thirty years ago, when I used to enjoy the Sales exceedingly', but they will be 'in London on the day fixed'. Shorthouse was born into the Society of Friends, but joined the Church of England.

One page, creased and marked, text in pencil but legible. An explanatory docket in another hand: "Epigram by Moncrieff - a blind man's writing". The Epigram reflects this situation, text "translated" below in another hand: "Oer me, you've this advantage, great indeed | What I may write at pleasure you may read | But still I've one advantage in Fate's spite - | You cannot make me read the stuff I write!"

All three items in very good condition. Interesting series of letters by an obscure 1890s poet. Letter One (12mo, 7 pp): Although he realises that some are 'rather poor', he is sending, through his brother (possibly the artist Alan Wright, 1864-1959), 'all the lyrics I have by me': 'I have not had time to "weed" yet, being veryy busily engaged writing lyrics for a Comedy-Opera ['Ethelinda, or a Philanthropic Fad' (1890), on which he collaborated with Hamilton O. Wylde] - & a libretto for Operetta; also been trying my hand at very sensational prose'.

On piece of laid paper roughly 6.5 x 13. Good, with a couple of spots. Interesting signature, roughly 1.5 x 7 cm. In black ink and with a broad-nibbed pen, giving it a calligraphic quality.

Dimensions of card roughly two and three-quarter inches by four inches wide. Good, with light creasing to corners. Clear signature reads 'Yours very sincerely | Max O'Rell | 18 March 1895'.

One page, octavo. Good, on lightly rucked paper, with one line a little blurred by damp. She would have replied sooner to her correspondent's 'courtesy in enclosing a stamped envelope', but feels sure she will forgive her when she tells her that she has 'been in constant attendance at a hospital owing to my Father having met with an accident. I can't think what good my autograph will do anyone, but still -'.

Octavo: 21 pp. Leaf of prices and buyers' names loosely inserted. Stapled. In original yellow printed wraps. Somewhat creased and chipped, on aged, spotted paper. Two-page foreword. Maggs were the main buyers, but the three highest sellers among the 105 lots, all Shelley letters, went to other dealers: lot 13, 'quoting 36 lines of original verse', for £155 to Pickering; lot 55, 'describing the origins and method of his elopement with Mary Godwin', £175 to Quaritch; lot 65, 'dealing with many topics', £360 to W. H. Robinson.

One page, on back of printed postcard. Very good. Photograph of the Via Appia on reverse. Reads 'Dear Sir | In reply to your request I have pleasure in sending you this'.

One page, 16mo. Good, on lightly aged grey paper, with previous paper mount adhering to reverse. Reads 'I have pleasure in sending you the Autograph you desire'.

One page, 12mo. On aged, creased and spotted paper, with remains of paper and glue and paper from mount adhering to both sides. Reads 'With S.. R.. Lysaght's compliments - | 16. viii. 07.' From the collection of the Rev. E. J. F. Davies.

(Letters) Total thirteen pages (13), 8vo; (List) Total five (5) pages, 4to.

One page, quarto. Good, on lightly aged paper. Some offsetting and smudging from Denwood's folding of letter. Reads '72 Kirkgate | Cockermouth | Aug 8 - 1931 | Jonathan. Mawson. Denwood | Dear Sir, | I send you autograph. I cannot write further At the moment I can scarcely hold a pen.'

One page, 12mo. Very good, on lightly aged paper mounted on piece of card. Reads 'London | July 28/13 | Master M. Bull | I append autograph as requested | Yours truly | John Oxenham'.

On strip of paper roughly two inches by eight wide. Good. Two bold signature reads 'Yours sincerely | Richard Adams'. Presumably the collector was expected to cut the autographs off individually - for wgatever purpose.

Dimensions of card roughly two inches by three and a half wide. Good clear signature reads simply 'With best wishes | Mazo de la Roche'.

Quarto: 65 pp. Numerous plates. In original grey printed wraps. Internally good, with a little spotting and creasing to the ruckled edges; wraps worn and stained. A beautifully printed item, on thick laid paper. Among the printed matter are books of hours, breviaries, psalters, and letters (with facsimile plates) by Byron, Keats, Johnson and Sterne; and manuscripts of Fielding and Horace Walpole.

12mo, 3 pp, 35 lines. Good, on lightly aged paper, and with a thin strip from mount adhering at head of blank verso of second leaf of bifolium. Discusses 'the restriction on the importation of paper and paper making materials', imposed 'with the object of securing more tonnage space in incoming vessels'.

Four pages, 12mo. Mourning border. Aged and spotted, with remains of three mounts adhering to one edge. She is enclosing a note from 'Miss Yonge', and 'one from Miss Roberts [Margaret Roberts] who wrote "Madlle Mori", "In the Olden Time", "The Atelier du Lys" &c. She refers to Miss Yonges mother in her note'. She is also sending a note 'from Mr. Dodgson too. Who is "Lewis Caroll'. (Alice in Wonderland) - & one from Isa Craig - now Mrs. Knox.

Two pages, quarto. Well preserved, on good lightly-aged paper, but with the original piece of paper (which was roughly nine inches by seven and a half wide) now neatly cut into three strips (the top and bottom of which are two and three-quarter inches high, and the middle three and a half inches high). The text is extremely neatly written and entirely legible, and the whole easily repairable with archival tape. The whole of this long, interesting letter (thirty-five lines and a two-line postscript) is given over to the current craze for autograph collecting (for which see A. N. L.

One page, 12mo. Very good on lightly-aged grey paper. Reads 'Dear Sir. | Here is the autograph you require. | Faithfully your's | [signed] Edmund Yates'. The words 'Here' and 'to' are slightly smudged.

One page, 12mo. Very good. Docketed in pencil at head. 'I have no knowledge of Mr Tupper [presumably the poetaster Martin Farquhar Tupper, 1810-89] or of his address. I was in hopes that the madness of collecting autographs had subsided - but I am sorry to perceive, from your letter, that this is not yet the Case.'

One page, 12mo, on mourning paper. Aged and cropped at foot. Dusty, and with minor paperclip stains to edges, and traces of previous mount on reverse. Reads 'Dear Sir, | I have much pleasure in sending you my Autograph. | Yours truly | "Allen Raine" '. Four-line cutting giving printed biography neatly laid down in bottom right-hand corner.

One page, 12mo. Very good. 'I see that to-day is mail day for the Cape, I therefore send you at once the signature for which you ask. I wonder how you discovered my address.' Accompanied by biographical cutting.

One page, 12mo. Neatly mounted on card. Nine-line biographical newspaper cutting neatly laid down at foot. Ten lines from another newspaper cutting, relating to Madame Patti, at head. Reads 'Dear madam | I thank you for your flattering letter and subscribe myself, as you wish, | Yours truly | Henry Newbolt'.

One page, quarto. On aged and lightly creased paper. He is sending the signature with 'one or two others'. 'Possibly the work I have done for South Africa (I have been upholding the Imperial cause for a quarter of a century) is your reason for paying me the compliment.' Thinks he recognises from Freeman-Matthews' crest that he is 'a descendant of the Llandaff Mathews family'.

Octavo, one page. Good, with stains from paperclip at head. Large bold signature on top half of leaf, and body of note, with signature on bottom half. 'I have pleasure in sending my signature. Yes I am the author of "Deirdre Wedded" & "New Poems" (including Apollo & the Seaman) which Methuen published.'

One page, 12mo. Very good. 'I have much pleasure in sending you my signature, as I am told you wd. care to have it.

2pp., 8vo, good condition. "I am very sorry to hear that you think the book has gone wrong - I certainly posted a copy to the address you gave me, specially remembering the fact - because I unfortunately forgot to autograph the book as you had asked me to do." He asks him to make enquiries and keep him informed.

One page, octavo. Good, on aged paper with some loss to extremities repaired with archival tape. Fifteen lines of text clear and complete. On learning of Dawson Turner's celebrated collection of autographs from her son, Elizabeth Palgrave's 'kind old neighbour' Lady Bentham asked her 'some questions which led to the enclosed note & the letters I send' (none present).