MANUSCRIPT

1p., 4to. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to revese of second leaf, which is endorsed '5. April 1796 | Duke of Leeds.' Folded twice. Reads 'Dear Sir. | The Duke of Rutland & some of his friends being desirous of seeing Bethlem Hospital, I shall be much obliged to you for an order of admittance for His Grace & his Company. | Believe me Dear Sir | very sincerely yours | Leeds.' Richard Clark (1739-1831) was Treasurer of the Royal Hospitals of Bethlem and Bridewell.

The frank is on a piece of paper cut from the front of an envelope. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on part of leaf from album. The frank is set out in the customary manner, with the signature 'Boyle' at bottom left, and the address reading: 'Woolverhampton [sic] July | seventeenth 1848 | Miss L: Inglis | Milton Bryand [sic] | Wooborn'. The recipient is probably Mary Louisa Inglis (d.1853), sister of Sir Robert Harry Inglis (1786-1855), Conservative politician and Lord of the Manor of Milton Bryant (or Bryan), Bedfordshire.

1p, foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to edge on reverse. Folded once. Signed 'C Townshend' with good impression of seal in red wax at bottom right. Nineteen-line document in a secretarial hand, with tax stamp at head. At foot, by two members of the Army Pay Office, Horse Guards: 'Sign'd, Sealed and delivered, (being first duly stamp'd) in the presence of | John Powell | Chas: Bembridge'.

1p, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Franked on reverse of second leaf, with seal in red wax broken into two pieces, and franking postmark: 'Frome – November twenty fifth 1814 | Messrs: Wulliamys | Watch Maker's | Pall Mall | London | Boyle'.

p, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The recipient is not named. Addressed to 'Révérend et cher Monsieur'. Sixteen neatly-written lines of text. He thanks him 'mille fois' for the number of the 'Day of Rest'. He has read the recipient's article, as well as that of 'Madame Hunt', but he is sorry 'de n'être pas assez versé dans la connaissance de la langue anglaise, pour pouvoir apprécier vos écrits comme ils le méritent'. He hopes to make progress, and is at present reading the recipient's piece in the Contemporary Review, 'qui m'intéresse beaucoup'.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. He states that the 'Certificate' of 'M. Meryon [sic] du Mersan' has been 'signed by Lord Aberdeen', and that he wishes to 'get the signatures of Mr. Gurney and Mr. Hamilton to it'. If he does not – 'or rather cannot' – send it to Akerman beforehand, he asks him if 'you can add your signature before it is read on Thursday Evening'. In addition to his literary works, Dumersan was a numismatist and Curator attached to the Cabinet des Médailles et Antiques of the Bibliothèque Royale.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, aged and worn, with creasing and heavy wear at head. Folded three times. Addressed to 'The Rev. C. R. Sumner'. Reads: 'Rev. Sir | As Librarian of the British & Foreign Bible Society, I have the honor to state to you that a Resolution has been passed by the Committee of that Society, requesting permission to offer to His Majesty as a mark of their dutiful homage a set of Copies of the Versions of Holy Scripture executed or reprinted at their expence.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin vertical strip of paper from mount adhering along top of first page. Begins: 'My dear Mrs Craigie | Mr Arthur à Beckett tells me that your story will soon be ready. When? I want if possible to commence with it [?] within the next fortnight. I shall have to definitely settle the matter. I hope you will let me have it very soon as I will then have it set up for you at once [last two words underlined]'.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Robinson is concerned, as he sent 'the corrected proofs and copy of index some time ago – quite a fortnight, I should say': 'Have you not received them? Please wire on receipt of this, if you can find them: though I am afraid they may have got lost at this end, as several letters did lately.' If need be, he has 'duplicate proofs and could correct these sharp and I have rough copy of most of the index too'. If informed 'at once', he can 'set to work'. From the Grant Richards papers.

1p, 12m. In good condition, lightly aged. Linklater writes that he is enclosing, as requested, his own copy of 'The Devil's in the News'. He asks Ashmore to 'consider the play your own property for the next six months', and to 'take any profit you can from it'. He does not expect royalties. Ashmore is 'at liberty to make any minor alterations, additions, or subtractions' that he may 'consider advisable'. The letter concludes: 'This is my only copy, and I shall be glad if some day you will return it.'

On 17 x 12 cm leaf of thickish paper, removed from 'The Meredith Birthday Book'. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Scratchy signature, underlined. In one of three printed boxes of red rules on one side of the leaf, the other side bearing quotations from George Meredith for the days 25 to 27 April.

2pp, 4to. On first leaf of bifolium, the second leaf carrying the address to 'Lady Palgrave | Hampstead Green', with four postmarks, one dated 29 July 1837. In fair condition, on aged, worn and creased paper. Lady Elizabeth Palgrave was the wife of the archivist and historian Sir Francis Palgrave (1788-1861, né Cohen), and daughter of the banker, naturalist and bibliophile Dawson Turner (1775-1858) of Yarmouth.

Each 1p, 4to. Both in fair condition, lightly aged and worn, and each folded three times. On the letterhead she is referred to as 'The Lady Edward Spencer-Churchill O.B.E.' Chairman of the British Legion. Women's Section. ONE: 16 November 1934. Having been informed by 'Miss Gerds' that the recipient 'would like to know if I am coming by Car or by train on December 1st, to open your “Fun Fair,”' she states that she is 'not sure how long it would take to motor from London', but thinks it would be quicker by train. 'I see a good one arrives at 2-47!' TWO: 5 January 1935.

2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with several folds. Twenty-two lines written in a close, crabbed hand. Begins: 'My dear Sir | I looked for you at the last meeting of the Antiquarian Society [i.e. the Cambridge Antiquarian Society] – in vain.' He is forwarding a letter he has received from 'Mr S. Jackson of Keswick, Cumberland – concerning some coins & medals for sale', He does not 'wish to be a purchaser', but Akerman may wish to give notice to 'some one who would wish to possess some of the collection'.

On 6 x 9.5 cm slip of paper, cut from the letter. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. On one side, with part of the franking postmark in red ink, Baring has addressed the letter in the customary fashion: 'Thetford December ten 1834 – | F. T. Maxon Esqr | 6 Little Friday St | Cheapside | London – | Frans Baring'. (The recipient is the solicitor Frederick Thomas Maxon.) The reverse of the slip carries part of the conclusion of the letter, with the top half of Barker's signature.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with the top part of the blank reverse pasted onto a slip of paper cut from an album. Adressed to 'Miss Constance M. Evans, | Raventhorpe, | Carmel Road N., | Darlington.' She begins by stating that Evans's letter has been forwarded to her by Julian Herbage.

3pp, small 4to. Bifolium on wove paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with closed tear at head of gutter. Customary tax stamp in red on first page. Each page with mourning border. In small print and double column.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged. With thin strip of paper from mount adhering to the blank reverse. The recipient is not named. He informs him that he will 'not be in Town' before the following Monday, instead of the Thursday, explaining that he 'was not able to leave the King until Saturday last – and a sejour here of less than a week would hardly justify a journey of 103 miles and back again'.

1p, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Reads 'Major General Garth presents his Compliments to Mr Ford and informs Him that Their Majesties and Princesses stop to breakfast at Hartford Bridge – and once afterwards for five Minutes at Stoney Cross – The Compton Arms – between Rumsey & Kingwood.' Postscript: 'The Majr Genl: supposes Mr Ford is acquainted that The King leaves Windsor 17th next.' Ford – the son of Queen Charlotte's physician, James Ford – was clearly enquiring with regard to the king's itinerary for security purposes.

3pp, 12mp. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with short closed tear at gutter. Folded three times. Having received the unnamed recipient's letter at Horndean that morning, he writes that there is no reason why he should not 'take to morrow Week, in place of to morrow, as I know it will be equally convenient to His Majesty'.

For the context of this letter see David J. Cox, 'A Certain Share of Low Cunning: A History of the Bow Street Runners, 1792-1839' (2010): 'From 1792 at least two Principal Officers were also permanently stationed at Windsor after the King had received several death threats.

The subject of the letter is clearly a seditious communication found in the Windsor area and brought to Greville's attention, which he is forwarding for the attention of the Home Secretary, the Duke of Portland. David J. Cox casts light on the context in his 'A Certain Share of Low Cunning: A History of the Bow Street Runners, 1792-1839' (2010), stating that from 1792 'at least two Principal Officers were also permanently stationed at Windsor after the King had received several death threats'.

One page, 12mo, bifolium, fold marks, grubby, some staining, text clear and complete. "Dr Freinds Complements wait upon Mr Garth. If Colonel Cracherode has executed the two Deeds he begs the favor of Mr Garth to deliver them to his Servant the bearer." A Google snippet view (from The Genealogist) discusses a situation in which Cracherode and Dr Robert Freind are executors, perhaps in a family will.

4pp, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of tissue from mount adhering to one edge. Folded three times. An interesting letter, in which Halford asks Ellis for assistance in the writing of royal biographies for the Royal College of Physicians (of which he was President from 1820 to 1844), while explaining that it would not be 'proper' to go 'lower' than George II.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to edge of reverse of second leaf, and two central folds, one vertical and one horizontal. He invites Philipart to 'do us the pleasure of meeting Dr & Mrs Bennett on Wednesday next at dinner at 6.40 for 7 o Cl'. He is 'most anxious', as they are 'both going down the hill [last four words underlined] to renew an old & much valued friendship & to re introduce you to some of my grown up children'.

The letters are in fair condition, lightly aged; the card is discoloured and stained. Loosely inserted in a copy of Williams's 'Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury', 75 + [1]pp, 8vo, with the ownership signature 'Christopher Fry' on the front free endpaper, in worn binding with fraying at head of spine. Delightful and revealing letters, mixing personal and business (Williams worked for the Oxford University Press and Fry was published by them). ONE: ALS from Southfield House, 17 December 1941. 2pp, 12mo. Thirty lines of closely-written text, on a leaf of ruled paper torn from a notebook.

115pp, 12mo. In good condition: sound and tight, on browning War Economy paper, in green cloth with slight bloom, and in slightly worn and chipped browning dustwrapper. (The subtitle 'A Play in Three Acts' features on the dustwrapper, but not on the title-page.) Fry's ownership inscription 'Christopher Fry' is in blue ink at the top right-hand corner of the recto of the front free endpaper. A verse drama from the library of the leading twentieth-century English exponent of the genre, after T. S. Eliot.

55pp, 8vo. In fair condition, internally tight and sound, on browning paper, in lightly-worn blue cloth binding. No dustwrapper. Slight dink at head of spine. Ownership inscription 'Christopher Fry' in blue ink at top right-hand corner of recto of front free endpaper. Fry and Williams were on cordial terms, the latter working for Oxford University Press and the former being published by them.

One page MS, sm. folio, from an album, verso, the recto has remnants of other printed material (list of restaurants in London perhaps). Menu Gastronomique listed on left, columnised from L'Abandance des Pates, through Les Quenelles, Le Canard, others, Le gigot froid, La Salade Verte, Les Fromages de France, Le Baba aux fruits frais, concluding with Le Moka. Attendees have signed the right hand column, headed by John Hoare (Secretaire General) but not including Simon (17 signatures).

The letters are in fair condition, lightly aged and worn, except for the third, which is damp-stained with closed tears at head and foot. The book is in fair condition, without dust wrapper. All four letters are signed 'W. H. Davies.' The first three are addressed to 'Mr Harris', and the last (an ANS rather than an ALS) to 'Mr Fry'. Each is 1p, 12mo. Letter One: 23 March 1928; Malpas House, Oxted. After reading his poem, Davies states, 'I begin to think you ought to take some step towards publishing, as soon as you have enough material.