[BEATRICE
(Mary Victoria Feodore, 1857-1944, Princess, Daughter & Companion of Queen Victoria)]
Fine unsigned Cabinet photo by Bassano
showing her three quarters length, in profile, standing next to a table holding a book, 6" x 4¼", London, no date. circa
Item Date:
51886
Stock No:
40170
£145
Order/Enquire
Full Details
|
|
BLÜCHER WRITING TO HIS WIFE DAYS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF BRIENNE
BLÜCHER
(Gebhard Leberecht von, 1742-1819, Fürst [sovereign Prince] von Wahlstatt, Prussian Field Marshal)
Fine Long Autograph Letter Signed, in German with translation, to his second wife, Amalie von Colomb
(1772-1850, sister of General Peter von Colomb) saying that he has not heard from her "for a long time and I am very much worried, though the distance between us is not so great. With God's help I hope to conquer N; we are near to peace right now and a decisive battle will end the war. My army is fully prepared and if we win that battle we shall be before Paris in two days. As soon as the West has quieted down and government has been re-established I shall leave the army without delay, for if there is no more fighting there is nothing to do for me here. Napoleon wants peace, but there are so many contributing factors to take into account and we must not, for God's sake, weaken and play into his hands before he has surrendered the most important fort; the great French nation is with their Emperor and he is well received everywhere, but it is too bad that our people often provoke trouble and misunderstanding by being too familiar with the inhabitants. Your brother is probably not far from Paris ... Franz is well and is serving under General v. Kleist in the third Corps ... Gerady is well according to what I have heard. I must close now because I have just received a message stating that the Emperor Napoleon is in Vittri, not far from here, so something will most likely happen, my soldiers are aching to meet him. Remember me to all our friends and send greetings to the Gerady's in Mühlhausen. You shall have the interesting news from me when we have vanquished the foe ...", with an autograph note by W. W. von Hostite sending his compliments to "His Excellency and the Countess Schellenberg", 3 sides 4to., Brienne, 22nd January
Item Date:
1814
Stock No:
40115
£2750
Order/Enquire
Full Details
|
|
BOOK HUNTING IS A FINE SPORT
BOTTOMLEY
(Gordon, 1874-1948, Poet)
Fine Long Autograph Letter Signed to Dr James Fairweather Milne
(GP in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire) apologising for his "paralysingly" late reply to his letter, "Half a year must have gone since our good, unselfish Bailie Bell said he had told you of my intention to write to you ... But your profession leads you not to expect too much from fellow mortals, does it not? and certainly to understand their shortcomings and make gentle allowances for them! When Galt's volumes arrived I was warsling with a duodenal ulcer; they helped to make tiresome days better than bearable, but I could never manage the energy to keep up with the correspondence which is almost a country-dweller's first duty ..." he continues that his wife then got shingles and they had to move out of their house and he is "still toiling after my Christmas correspondence ... It was beyond description kind and friendly of you to remember a stranger's bygone wish to read a scarce book. I gather that you and I would agree in considering book-hunting a finer sport than any kind of animal-killing; but the pleasure of such a find as the one in question is surely enhanced by the consciousness that one might turn a pretty penny by it! and that you most nobly forwent to gratify me. And Bailie Bell as nobly did as much, when you put it in his power - though I am sure neither you now I would have blamed him if he had felt inclined to profit by it, for he must have suffered by his long illness and his forced abandonment of his very personal business. But he has long interested himself in my doings, and has tried to forward them whenever he could, so I felt I should be a greedy fellow to profit materially as well ... I was keen to read 'The Spae Wife' because it is known to have been the foundation of Rossetti's 'King's Tragedy' and when I did read it I had a good deal of enjoyment from it for its own sake, but I reflected that, at nearly 70, I might not have time to read it again, and that someone after my day might heedlessly make money ... in the end I said to the Bailie that if we deposited it in the Mitchell Library of Glasgow - where he had first sought it ... both of us would feel an especial contentment in thinking that the next fellow who wanted to read it would find it there. He agreed cordially ... you are still my unpayable creditor. I do think you have treated me handsomely in this matter ...", 4 sides 8vo., The Sheiling, Silverdale, Carnforth headed paper, 9th April
Item Date:
1942
Stock No:
40093
£275
Order/Enquire
Full Details
|
|
BURROUGHS
(William Seward, 1914-1997, American Author of "The Naked Lunch")
Typed Letter Signed to Mellville HARDIMENT
apologising for the "letting the matter of the materials left in your care slide ... I have been moving constantly and it is only in the last few months that I have made a definite decision to reside in London and make my headquarters here. I understand that you have sold some of the tapes and I am glad that you were able to realize something ... As regards the manuscripts I question the adviseability of putting this material on the market at this time as the manuscript market is definitely overloaded. What I would like to do is go through the material with you and then we can decide what to do with it ..." explaining that he is "taking course at East Grinstead and only in London at week ends ...", suggesting that they meet, 1 side A4, 8 Duke Street, St James, London, 18th February
Item Date:
1968
Stock No:
40143
£275
Order/Enquire
Full Details
|
|