ROOM

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tear and tape stain at head. Reads: 'British Museum | Sept. 12. 1842 | My dear Sir | I was not at home when Mr Justice Norton presented your Note of recommendation to our Reading Room. I lose no time in enclosing a Card for him, with our Regulations. | Yours very truly | Henry Ellis'.

1p., 12mo. Heavily aged and worn, with closed tear along fold line at head, and remains of mount on reverse. Horner's note, on the upper part of the paper, reads: 'Dear Sir | Be so good as admit Mr Phillips to the privileges of the Reading Room at the British Museum - | Yours faithfully | Leonard Horner | University of London | 11 Feby 1830'. Beneath this Ellis has written: 'My Dear Sir | Mr. Phillips can be admitted at the Age of Eighteen, but is not eligible for our Reading Room at present | Ever faithfully Yours | H. Ellis | L. Horner Esqr'.

4pp., folio. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper slightly worn at head. The front page is headed 'H.R.H. Princess Christian and the Royal Members, are Patrons of a Private Farewell Matinee arrranged by Lady Romney on behalf of the Green Park Club for Mr. and Mrs. Luther Munday'. The names of twenty performers are listed beneath this, headed by Herbert Beerbohm Tree, with various other individuals named.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with slight loss to text from breaking open of seal, and some repair with archival tape, and a square of paper neatly cut away from second leaf. Addressed, with postmark, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Revd G Johnstone | Methodist Chapel | Kingstone | Jamaica'. Letter on one page and 'Mr G Johnstone Dr in account with T Blanshard'. Writing to his 'Dear Bro[th]er', he hopes that Johnstone will be able to settle the annexed account 'at your ensuing District Meeting'.

2pp., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. A fair copy of a twenty-eight line poem, arranged in seven four-line stanzas. Signed at end 'P. L. | December 1960.' The first stanza reads 'Rain-threaded gull-wheeling bell-clamorous air, | by wind shifted, by smoke lightly weighted, | in which sirens beautifully despair, | no monumnet crumbles uncelebrated,'. The poem ends with a simile of 'Adam when he woke: | stood for a moment as if he had been blind, | and bent suddenly over Eve, and spoke.' There is no indication that the poem has been published.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium, on yellow paper. In good condition, on aged paper, with traces of mount at head of second leaf. The full title reads: 'An Amateur Concert will take place in Mr. Gibson's Show Room, Eynsford, (Kindly lent for the occasion) On Wednesday, December 15th, 1869. | The Proceeds will be expended in the purchase of Coals, to be distributed previous to Christmas, among the poor of the Village.' Nine committee members are named on the first page, with details of tickets (to be 'obtained of any of the Committee, or Mr. T. M. G. Sharwood, Farmingham').

According to Frederic Boase's Modern English Biography William Ball (1785-1869) was the composer of 'hundreds of comic and sentimental songs', the most famous of which, 'Jack's lament for the loss of his tail', being 'one of the most popular songs of the day ever written'. All four letters 16mo, that of 22 January 1856 of 8 pages and the others of 4 pages. All are somewhat grubby with minor spotting but the overall condition is good. An extremely informative and intimate correspondence in a very close hand.