CENTURY

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. On aged and worn paper. Arnald's appeal begins: Appealing to the 'known humanity' of Lawrence and the Council, Arnald writes on behalf of 'Mrs. Abigail Whitcombe, widow of Mr. Thos. Whitcombe late of Clarendon Square, marine painter, and for 40. Years an annual contributor to the Exhibition of the Royal Academy', who has previously received assistance, but is now 'almost totally deprived of sight, and otherwise afflicted', and is dependent on 'the assistance afforded by friends on whom she has no Claim'.

On a thick piece of shiny card, with rounded edges, 12.5 x 18cm. Aged, and with two dog eared corners and a 3cm closed tear (not affecting illustration). On one side is the chromolithographic illustration, with 'J. N. Drummond' in the bottom right-hand corner, showing an English rural landscape - more autumnal than winter - with river in the foreground and trees and viillage with church in the background.

The two signatures are on one side of a 14 x 18cm leaf of cream paper removed from an album. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with laid down. Good clear examples. Beecham's signature 'Thomas Beecham' is above that of 'Ethel Frank'. Probably given on Franks first visit to Britain in 1921. Small magazine cutting of photograph of three musicians laid down on reverse.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from mount on reverse of letter and envelope. Envelope, with penny red, addressed by Lovell to 'Dillon Croker Esq. | 3 Gloucester Road | Old Brompton'. Reads: 'Mrs. Lovell begs to thank Mr. Croker for his polite note and for the trouble he has kindly taken - | Should there be any occasion Mrs Lovell will gladly avail herself of Mr. Croker [sic] offer of further assistance.'

On watermarked laid paper. Dimensions of paper: 23 x 32cm. Dimensions of plate: 14 x 20cm. In fair condition, aged and lightly stained, with creasing and short closed tear to right-hand margin, but with the engraving good and clear. A windy scene, with a turbulent cloudy sky weighing heavily over a disheveled windswept landscape, in which two small figures can be made out on a bridge. Inscribed in pencil beneath the plate: 'Oliver Hall | To R. Wallace | Ed: 40.' The title 'Hayling Island' is in pencil in the bottom right-hand corner.

On F. J. Head & Co. laid paper. Dimensions of paper: 23 x 29cm. Dimensions of plate: 17.5 x 25cm. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. A wonderful watery view of a winding country river and trees. Inscribed in pencil on the reverse: 'To Father Richard. This is working Proof for drypoint "The River" | Robin Wallace July 1927'. Wallace, a well-known painter of landscapes and still life subjects in oil and water-colour, was born at Kendal in the Lake District and studied in Kensington at the Byam Shaw and Vicat Cole School of Art.

On 7 x 13.5cm piece of watermarked laid paper, cut from the head of a 12mo leaf. Tastefully printed in red and brown, in gothic type with rubricated capital. Reads: 'MEMORANDUM | from | James Wilson, | Dealer in Ancient and Modern Books and Manuscripts; rare | and valuable County Histories, Old Poetry, Theology, costly | Works on the Fine Arts, Illuminated Missals, and other | Ancient MSS. on vellum, and Literary Curiosities and Rarities | in general. Catalogues issued Monthly, gratis andn post free. | 35, Bull Street, Birmingham,'. The date 'Jan 30th 86' in bottom right-hand corner of slip.

Both items in good condition, on lightly aged paper. Letter: 2pp., 12mo. The letter begins: 'Mrs. Kean has given me back possession of the two Plays. The Wife's Secret & The Trial of Love. & the advice of Mr. Coyne was that I should add them to the Dram[ati]c. Authors Society's list.' Under the circumstances, he asks whether Lacy would be 'desirous of printing them & if so what would be your arrangement?' He suggests a meeting the following day. Autograph prelims: 3pp., 4to. Bifolium, with bottom half of second leaf torn away.

2pp., 4to. Printed on the same side of one piece of shiny art paper, folded to make a bifolium. Aged and stained, with wear and slight loss to extremities. Photograph of Russell beneath title, alongside 'Sonnet | To W. Clark Russell', reprinted 'From "English Sea Pictures." By Julia D. Young, Author of "Barham Beach, the President's Poem." - New York.' The author laments that '[i]n this country, it is not the fashion to ennoble those who really do something for their time and generation', such as Russell, whose 'stupendous output' consists of 'fifty-seven books everyone [sic] of them good'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition. He has been 'clinging' to Lucas's umbrella since the return from a trip to Ostend, where Cust had 'an awful quart d'heure with the luggage people, who were very unwilling to send it on, [...] but by bribery and threats of weeping and pcitures of you all shivering on deck, I <?> them to entrust the 16 or 17 packages to the guard of the train next due'. The letter continues in much the same chatty tone.

1p., 12mo. On aged paper, with spike hole and damage to one margin, affecting five words of text, but not the signature. He asks for the item he orders, 'Natural Hist of England', to be addressed on the parcel to 'Very Rev. Dr. Husenbeth | Care of Mr. Spratchett | St. John's | Madder Market | Norwich'.

1p., 12mo. A frail survival, creased and aged. Begins: 'The MANCHESTER TIMES has now been in the hands of the present Proprietor for twelve months, [Paulton had bought out Prentice in 1847] during which period its increase in circulation has been unprecedented. | At the commencement of the present year the Proprietor of the MANCHESTER TIMES announced that its circulation, during the previous half-year, had ranged from | 3,000 to 4,800. | He then expressed his strong conviction, that in SIX MONTHS from that time the maximum would become the average circulation.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on aged paper, in aged franked envelope ('J. Cowell') addressed to 'The Right Reverend The Lord Bishop of St. Helena.' Reads: 'My Lord - | I am desired by His Royal Highness, Prince Alfred, to forward you the accompanying portrait of himself. | Believe me | My Lord | Yours faithfully. | J. C. Cowell'.

ONE: Northcote's letter to Barnett. 7pp., 12mo. On two bifoliums, in a close hand. In good condition, in aged envelope, with red wax seal and two postmarks (one of Woodstock), addressed to 'Henry Barnett Esqre | Woodstock | Oxon.' At the time of writing Northcote was Gladstone's personal secretary at the Board of Trade. The letter begins: 'Coleridge has left town for Sessions, and will not I fear return for some time. This will account for your letter of the 1st. remaining so long unanswered. I am sure we are much indebted to you for your suggestions, by which I doubt not we shall profit.

3pp., folio. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Laid out in the customary fashion, with two tax stamps, one embossed and the other in black ink. Signed 'Cardiff' beside a good impression of his seal in red wax. Witnessed by 'L. Dutens' and 'D G Jacmar'. The indenture is 'Between The Right Honourable John Lord Cardiff of Cardiff Castle in the County of Glamorgan of the first Part John Smith of Wilton Gilbert in the County of Durham Gentleman of the second Part and Thomas Shafto of Dunston in the said County of Durham Esquire off the third Part'.

On 4 x 11.5 cm piece of paper cut from letter. In fair condition, lightly aged and a little creased. Reads: 'purposes. | Yours very truly | John Francis Maguire'. On reverse: '[...] printer can easily understand my marking. Buf if you have any difficulty [...]'

1p., 12mo. Nicely printed on one side of a piece of laid watermarked paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight loss to one corner caused by removal from an album. Sixteen-line poem in four four-line stanzas. Signed in type at foot 'TOM FAED.' The poem is a lament by the betrothed of a sailor drowned in the Firth of Forth. The first stanza reads: 'Oh wae is me!

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly-aged, and laid down on a piece of card. Reads: 'July 26 | My dear Faed, | Would you mind seconding me at the Athenaeum? I believe Tom Hughes has put down my name. | Yours faithfully | William Black.' According to Black's entry in the Oxford DNB, he 'studied landscape painting for a short time in the Glasgow School of Art, but, becoming connected with the Glasgow Citizen, gradually exchanged art for journalism'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly-aged and spotted, with minor traces of glue from mount on reverse. Reads: 'With the Compliments of the Season to all | from | Thomas Faed | 25 Der. 1881'. For information on Faed, see his entry in the Oxford DNB.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, with small piece of mount adhering at head. Accepting an invitation to dinner.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, with small part of paper mount adhering at head. Accepting a dinner invitation on 20 November.

Good firm signature, written diagonally across a 9 x 12 cm piece of grey card, the reverse of a printed advertisement for the American & Colonial Exchange, 8, The Haymarket, London, S.W. In good condition, lightly-aged, with minor traces of glue from mount on the printed side of the card.

2pp., 16mo. In fair condition, lightly-aged, with trimmed margins and slight damage at head from removal from album. He asks her to accept a 'Copy of Titian's "Ascension of the Virgin". You seemed to like it and it may fill a corner in your Boudoir.' He apologises if the frame is 'not as it should be but some might prefer he quaint old pattern to a more modern one.' From the papers of Faed's nephew John Francis Faed, son of the Royal Academician Thomas Faed (1826-1900), and so probably addressed to a family member.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged and lightly-worn paper, with a few minor rust stains. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to the Secretary of the Commission of the Peace. In the hand of a secretary, and signed by Lansdowne. Addressed by Lansdowne on reverse of second leaf 'Sec[retar]y. of Commission'. Docketed: 'Decber. 20th 1861 | Wilts | Ld. Lansdowne recd several | <?> all but the 2 parsons'.

4pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The second page carries photographic reproductions of the bas-reliefs of Tennyson and Carlyle, in frames. The third page gives details of the twelve portraits (Carlyle, Tennyson, Hawthorne, Longfellow, Dickens, Whittier, Lowell, Thackeray, Bryant, E. A. Poe, Ambriose [sic] Thomas, O. W. Holmes), executed by 'Mr. RALPH BARTLETT GODDARD, the eminent Sculptor', stating that they are available in plaster or bronze, and 'form a most suitable adornment for the walls of a private or public library, schoolroom, or study'.

The two items each 4pp., 4to, and bifoliums. Both on the same grey paper. ONE: 10 August 1854. Signed 'J G MacWalter' and addressed to 'My Lord Archbishop'. He hopes that the Archbishop's 'health is quite restored and that the petty war waged against you will have no ill effect upon it. I received a long abusive letter on the subject which I boldly refused to insert.

4pp., 12mo. On aged and lightly-creased paper. Originally a bifolium, but with the two leaves separated, and evidence of previous stitching into a binding. Regarding his new book 'Cruel London', he asks him if he can send six copies of what is not only 'a kindly notice, but excellently well written. All the more gratifying. The Spectator is always my enemy just as the Saturday was Thackerays, to compare a big man with a small one.' He refers to a notice in the Sunday Times by Joseph Knight, who 'also sent me a charming letter of congratulation'.

On 5.5 x 18.5 cm strip of paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Good firm signature. Reads: 'Yrs: very faithfully | R. Jenkyns. | Balliol College | Jan: 28. 1835.' Annotated at foot in a nineteenth-century hand: 'Master | and also 1845 Dean of Wells'. Reverse reads: '[...] & hasten to inform you thhat although the Term began on Saturday last the 24th: Inst:, yet if the state of your Son's health should render it desirable for him to remain [...]'.

2pp., 12mo. On leaf with mourning border. He thanks him for his letters, and expresses disappointment that he 'could not come to the Cricket Match', which was 'not finished, but decided in favour of Knebworth according to the score of the first Innings'. He asks him to obtain 'estimates for lightening [sic] conductors to each of the 8 turrets at Knebworth'. He fears that 'these copper domes are themselves lightening conductors which are now cut offf from all communcation with the earth'.

Rochefort's letter: 1p., 12mo. Thirteen lines of text. In fair condition, aged and worn. Following an 'aimable visite' he thanks him for 'le plus charmant article', with reference to 'Mr. Dufaux' (Rochefort's future son-in-law) and 'son tableau ' and 'son buste'. After more graceful thanks and a request he ends, 'Mille poignés de main avec la moitié pour Neville'. The copy of 'La Laterne d'Arlequin' (not to be confused with Rochefort's 'La Lanterne') is 16pp., 12mo, in its original orange printed wraps. In good condition, lightly aged.