THAT

A very nice piece of Wodehousiana, with Moncreiffe using his genealogical expertise to delve into Wodehouse's pedigree (See Moncreiffe's entry in the Oxford DNB.) From the archives of Philip Dosse, proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and Plays and Players. See ?Death of a Bookman? by the novelist Sally Emerson (editor of ?Books and Bookmen? at the time of Dosse?s suicide), in Standpoint magazine, October 2018.

Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk was a true Scottish eccentric. The Oxford DNB refers to his reputation as ‘as an (eminently quotable) super-snob’, a characterization which is strongly supported by this energetic, entertaining and playful correspondence, which, as the extracts quoted below show, covers a great deal more than the practicalities of his review work. (See the ODNB’s evaluation of his intellectual merits: ‘In conversation, as well as in his published work, he relied on a marvellously retentive memory that was unimpaired even by a considerable intake of alcohol.

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, fold marks. Twenty-nine lines of text in Kipling's neat and close hand. Text: Many thanks for your letter & enclosed slip. As you say, your competition is the First step in the right way: next comes the unknown range for the disappearing man. I am afraid you will find [masses?] of opposition from the 'crack' shots &c to whom the solemn ritual of [?] paint-box and all the rest of it has all the dignity of a 'sport'. Also the meagre scores will not 'look well in the papers'.

Piece of paper from lined exercise book, 11 x 13cm, good condition. Text: My subject will be 'Ourselves and Our Relations' [all underlined]. OURSELVES AND OUR RELATIONS.; Lecture by Mr.

From the papers of John Campbell, 4th Earl and 1st Marquess of Breadalbane.

8vo, 1 p. Text clear and complete. Fair, on thin aged paper, laid down on a sheet of backing. In small type, with the 'old version' of the nursery rhyme, in the left hand column, transformed into a 'new version' of 78 lines of prose in the right-hand column. The first line - 'This is the house that Jack built' - is changed into 'This is the domiciliary edifice erected by John.' The 'priest all shaven and shorn' becomes 'the ecclesiastical gentleman, the summit of whose pericranium was denuded of its natural covering'. Scarce: no copy in the British Library or on COPAC.

Small 4to, 4 pp. Bifolium. Text clear and complete. Fair, on browned high-acidity paper. Neat strip of stub from mounting in album still adhering to inner margin of verso of second leaf. Headed 'Words.' All but first chorus in double-column. A mixture of the original 'House that Jack built' with 'Jack and Jill'. Begins with 'Chorus. - "This is the house that Jack built."', the first lines of which are 'Our labours are done, our recompense won, | And anger has been on no back spilt, | So now with one voice we'll laugh and rejoice | As this is the house that Jack built.' Characters are: Mr.

One page, minor staining not affecting text, laid down on grey coarse paper. "Here is the Cape Shipping List [perhaps including slavers?]. It's business-like details of murders by wholesale tell the cold blooded tales of horror more effectually than eloquent language. They [leave?] & lead the mind to imagine the terrible scenes enacted with poetical power which minute detail fails to [word excised "affect"] produce. I admire this brevity - it is inoffensively offensive. / I am grateful to you, my dear Sir, for your care of my daughter - your help to the helpless.