JOHNSON

1p., 8vo. Bifolium. Twenty-seven lines of text. Good, on aged paper, with minor traces of previous mounting. Addressed, with black ink circular postmark ('20 | NO'), on reverse of second leaf, ''To Mr Ellis | att Mr Taverners in Thread-needle Street'. The letter begins: 'Nothing can yield Persons in our Stations greater Satisfaction, than to be entertain'd in our silent Retirement with some harmless amusements from a facetious & learned Correspondent.

Autograph Letter: 1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In envelope addressed by Tinker to McCamic at Wheeling, West Virginia. He thanks him for sending 'the book on Barber'. 'It enriches my working library, and I shall be frequently reminded of what I owe to your kindness and interest.' Typed Letter: 1p., 12mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper with light rust stain from staple at head. McCamic's 'file of the British Magazine' is 'rare, if not unknown'.

Both letters fair, on aged paper. Letter One: 12mo, 4 pp. Discussing the possibility that McCamic might be able to 'stop-over in New Haven' on his journey to Smith. 'You might be interested to see the proofs of the Bibliography'. 'This has been a hard letter to write, and doesn't sound as cordial as I should wish, [...] I wish I could invite you to stay with me on the night of the 15, but I live in a small apartment and have no accomodations [sic] for guests'. Letter Two: 10pp., small 4to.

Handbill, four pages, 8vo, bifolium, minor staining, mainly good condition. The item has introductory remarks on the verses, presumably manuscript, being sent by Keate with a gift, reminding readers of Keate's work on the Pellew Islands and patronage of Lee Bow (another Marcellus). These are followed by 34 lines of verse, offereing support and help, with complimentary phrases. It commences, "'Tis not, I readily confess, | My virgin hue or silv'ry dress" , concluding, "My last drop will flow for you.

Broadsheet, one page, 44 x 21.5cm, fold marks, two small closed tears, staining at top not affecting text, mainly good condition. The item has introductory remarks on the verses, presumably manuscript, being sent by Keate with a gift, reminding readers of Keate's work on the Pellew Islands and patronage of Lee Bow (another Marcellus). These are followed by 34 lines of verse, offering support and help, with complimentary phrases. It commences, 'Tis not, I readily confess, | My virgin hue or silv'ry dress , concluding, My last drop will flow for you.

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with short unobtrusive closed tear along crease line. Holt writes that he is mailing the book which they discussed. 'The specimen appears to contain a trifle over a quarter of the scheme. Whether the bulk would correspond to the theoretic divisions, you can guess better than I.' Holt presumes that 'glancing' at the book will interest Platt, and asks for 'an idea of it's [sic] probable use fulness and the extent of the class, whether practitioners or students, apt to be interested in it'.

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Reade is pleased that McCamic has returned safely from his travels, and that they 'extended as far as Venice'. He is sending the 'Barber book' by book post, and gives the price. 'A few weeks ago I had Prof. Smith from Cornell University [Albert William Smith (1856-1942), Dean of Sibley College] to see me: he is a good Johnsonian.' He has had a letter in the TLS, and asks McCamic to send his own 'Johnsonian papers'. He sends his regards, 'in which the rest of the circle join'.

1 p, 4to. Bifolium. Sixteen lines, neatly written. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'W. Hayley Esqre.' He begins by thanking him for 'the kind memorial' (a volume of music?); the gift expresses Hayley's 'sense of common civility' and acquaints Boaden 'with a composer of great merit'. 'I tried the effect of his divine art yesterday, Sunday, and could not but wish to hear it from the organ at Chichester'. The rest of the letter concerns 'the subject of Randolph, and the copy of his works honour'd by the hand-writing of Pope'.

12mo, 1 p. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He thanks him for the 'particulars re, Costessey [Norfolk]', will 'write to Sir Hy. Jerningham' and will 'look up' Johnson's 'Journal' in the British Museum.

4to, 27 pp. Stitched with red thread. In original buff wraps, printed in red and black, with photograph of a Masai woman tipped in on front cover. Fair: slightly dog-eared, in worn wraps, with ownership inscription on front wrap. Printed on twenty-six leaves of art paper. Consisting of a covering page of text and 24 pp of captioned black-and-white photographs, two to each page, with two pages of advertisements at rear. Photographs of wildlife and members of the Meru, Masai, Wakamba, Samburu, Turkana, Waikikuyu tribes. Printed on rectos only, except for last page.

8vo, 2 pp. 36 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Regarding a replacement for 'Mr Coggan', who is resigning the office of Chief Constable for the Isle of Axholme 'at the next Caistor Sessions'. Johnson has been 'for several years & down to the time of the new Commission o[f] peace the only acting Justice in the Isle', and expects 'some Regard' to be paid to his recommendation. He will 'give the Court some reasons which incline me to think that Mr. Gibbison ought to be preferr'd to his Competitor Mr. Gervas'.

Letter: 12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Good, on aged paper, with small rust stain at head from paperclip. She is writing to Harmsworth ('President, Dr Johnson's House') to ask him to accept a copy of 'my Journal in which mention is made of my Portrait of Dr Samuel Johnson which hangs in the Garrett of Dr Samuel Johnson house this was presented by H. B. Wheatley whom I knew for many years.' On a visit to the curator of Johnson's house she was 'pleased to see the picture still hands in its original place'.

4to bifolium. The text, in small print, covers the final three pages. On aged and foxed paper. Inscribed, at the head of the title, 'from R. W. C.' The recipient was Cecil Harmsworth, who has written in pencil, beneath the inscription: 'C H | 26/ii/ 1927'. (Harmsworth was the proprietor of the Johnson house, which he had bought in 1911.) Scarce: no copy in the British Library, and the only copy on COPAC at Oxford.

On a leaf (roughly 11 x 17 cm) removed from an autograph album. Good, on lightly spotted paper. Reads 'All good wishes from The Gresham Singers | 17 Aug. 1923 | Eastbourne | Hatherley Clarke | Charles Flinn | Greeves Johnson | Leonard Salisbury'. Signature of 'Arnold Stoker | 7/3/1919' on reverse. Stoker was winner of the Guildhall Gold Medal in 1919.

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He was introduced to the recipient 'by Mr. Philip Malleson of Croydon, when I wanted to send an Essay to The Albemarle'. Asks if he 'might be disposed to let me write a volume on Jane Austen or Leigh Hunt for your Dilettante Library', Austen being 'specially before the public just now'. He has edited Austen's novels and two 'well received' volumes of selections from Hunt for 'Mr. Dent's Temple Library'. 'If you do not care to arrange for either of these authors I would suggest Miss Burney[,] Hazlitt or T. L. Peacock.

12mo: [ii] + 14 pp. Unpaginated. Frontispiece of Blake's celebrated print. Internally tight on lightly-aged and grubby paper, and with the reverse of the frontispiece slightly discoloured. Staples a little rusty. In grubby white wraps. A signed presentation copy. Boldly written on the front wrap: 'Lawrence Binyon C.H. with the compliments of [signed] H. Edward Newton'. A characteristic production by the boisterous author of 'The Amenities of Book-Collecting'. At end: 'A. EDWARD NEWTON | "Oak Knoll" | Daylesford, Berwyn P.O., | Pennsylvania'.

Dimensions roughly one and a half inches by two inches. One page, blank verso. Tipped in on piece of yellow paper. Within ruled border. An attractive item, with an illustration of key at head. Beneath this, in copperplate, 'Bought of I: Crokatt | at the Golden Key near | ye. Inner-Temple-Gate | Fleet-Street.' Crokatt, an associate of Dodsley, with whom Samuel Johnson worked, traded from the 1720s to the 1750s.

Unbound. Large Octavo bifolium on grey wove paper. Good only, with creasing to corners (that would carefully iron out), and some marking to front cover. Title in large gold letters on front, details of edition on versos of both leaves, and specimen page on recto of second leaf. Illustration ('The author | A reproduction of Tegetmeier's frontispiece') on Arches paper (twelve and a half inches by nine wide) loosely inserted, together with printed 'Book order' leaf.

351 pages, 8vo. Unbound: in original brown printed wraps. In good condition, but with wraps browning and creased. Ownership inscription on inside of front wrap. An important collection, with the bibliography accompanied by seventeen essays, including ones by J. D. Fleeman, Arthur Sherbo, Joyce Hemlow and Gwin J. Kolb.

Politician (1750-1810), a favoured friend of Samuel Johnson in his last years, and a pall bearer at his funeral. 3 pp, 8vo. He apologises for misapprehending his correspondent's letter. "One circumstance which helped to mislead me was of a sort which it is not for me to reproach you with, though it may serve as my excuse. I mean the extreme kindness & delicacy which could think it necessary to consult me before Mr Lukin took the step of submitting a proposal for a tax to the Treasury.