1. [Nonus Parker Provenance] Rycaut, Paul.

The Lives of the Popes, From the time of our Saviour Jesus Christ, To the Reign of Sixtus IV. Written Originally in Latin by Baptista Platina, Native of Cremona, And Translated into English. And the same History continued from the Year 1471 to this present time ; wherein the most remarkable Passages of Christendom, both in Church and State, are Treated of and Described. By Sir Paul Rycaut, Kt.

The Second Edition, Corrected. Two Volumes in one (complete). London, Printed for C.Wilkinson, and are Sold by A.Churchil at the Black Swan in Ave-Mary Lane, 1688. Folio (22.5 cm wide x 33.2 cm high). Pagination: Volume I: Includes the Rare Portrait-Frontispice of “Paul Rycaut, late Consul of Smyrna & fellow of the Royal Society” by R.White, [15], 416 pages / Volume II: “A continuation of the Lives of the Popes”, 394 pages plus 18 unnumbered pages of an Index. Hardcover / Original bookblock was bound by a Master-Binder into a Modern half-leather in the style of the 17th century. In protective Mylar. The original Portrait was pasted on paper. New endpapers. Marbled-Paper-covered boards. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Provenance: Working-copy of Yorkshire Landowner Nonus Parker [signed in the book as “Ubiq. Veritatem Nonus Parker 1693”, 17th-century English gentleman who purchased an estate called “Gowk-Hill” (also referred to as Gawkhill or Cuckoo Hill) in the mid-1660s. Upon taking ownership of the land, he renamed it “Park Hill”, a historic estate located near Firbeck and Laughton-en-le-Morthen in South Yorkshire, England. Heavily annotated by Nonus Parker in ink, with personal comments on Papal History, ridiculing the entry of “Pope Joan” [John VIII]. Nonus PArker writes about Pope Joan: “Theis relation is affirmed as well as denyed by several writers, yet no fire can be ‘tis belived, without a Smoke”. Includes also a lengthy manuscript-note by Nonus Parker [verso an envelope sent to him] on “whether the Story of the wandring Jew be true”

2. Anonymous / Medicinal – Medical Manuscript.

18th century Medical Manuscript for Treatment of Gout and other ailments. The chapters of this manuscript are often divided into “causa” and “curatio”. Including a recipe called “Acqua della Regina d’Ungheria”, which was historicall y used for treatment of Gout and to fight dermatological inflammation. The Manuscript is titled: “De signis morbi salutaris et lethalis” – With five separate chapters, listing recipes in latin and french. [Titled: “I. De signis morbi salutaris et lethalis / II. Praxis medica / III. “Pour faire un cotignac purgatif” etc. etc.].

[France], c. 1750-1780 (?). Octavo. 208 unnumbered pages of which 188 pages have entries and the other are left blank. Flexible Vellum of the 18th century. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear.

3. Horological Illustration of the 18th century – [Scanavacca, Bartolomeo] Horologium / Orologio / Horology.

Original, 18th century italian manuscript on how to build a vertical clock with sound: “Come si Dissegni in practica un Orologio Verticale Italiano a suonodella Campana secondo le regole del Scanavacca” [Translates: “How to Draw an Italian Vertical Clock with the sound of the Bell in practice according to the rules of [Bartologmeo] Scanavacca”].

Italy, c.1750. A4. 22 pages with text, diagrams or drawings (partly in colour). Original Softcover Folder with original manuscript papers and drawings inside. Majority of the pages with damages and some with loss of text to outer margins. Extremely rare and interesting manuscript, also dealing with “Orologi a Sole Guili”.

4. Stuart de Rothesay, Charles Stuart, Baron (1779-1845) / Strangford, Percy Clinton Sydney Smythe, 6th Viscount (1780 – 1855).

Original, unpublished letter by Anglo-Irish diplomat, Percy Clinton Sydney Smythe, 6th Viscount Strangford, to Sir Charles Stuart [Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay], asking him for a favour to send a Lantern to an address in Paris [?]. Strangford writes from his post as British Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Stockholm, where he was posted between 1817 and 1820.

Stockholm, 1819. 2 octavo – pages on 1 sheet, folded. Excellent condition. Signed by Strangford.

5. Stuart de Rothesay, Charles Stuart, Baron (1779-1845) / Hay, Robert William (1786-1861) / Jean-Baptiste Rousseau (1780 – 1831) [Baron de Rousseau – French Orientalist and French Consul at Tripoli] / Alexander Gordon Laing (1794 – 1826) [Scottish explorer and the first European to reach Timbuktu] / Hanmer Warrington / Foreign Secretary for Prime Minister Wellington, George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen [Lord Aberdeen].

Original, unpublished and meaningful letter by British official and Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir Robert William Hay, addressed with urgency to former secret agent in Spain and Portugal, Sir Charles Stuart de Rothesay, Scottish nobleman, and English ambassador to France (1815-1830); alerting Ambassador Charles Stuart of Hay’s arrival in Paris and his wish to ask him if he has “anything to communicate to me in regard to that Royal [Baron] Rousseau, The Barbary Consul”. Hay is in this letter preparing Stuart in order to investigate the situation around the death of explorer Alexander Gordon Laing in Africa. Under-Secretary for the Colonies, Sir R[obert] W.Hay, who had been informed about the situation around Laing’s missing Journals per private letter from the British Consul in Tripoli, Hanmer Warrington, announces his arrival in Paris to protest to the French government and advices ambassador Stuart:″I conclude that he [Baron Jean-Baptiste Rousseau] is by this time out of guarantiae, but I hope that by ensuing at Paris he will only get out of the frying Pan with the fire”. Hay continues: “I hope you will go with me (in case it be necessary) to the Minister, whoever he may be, in [?] Departement this ….were incredibly false for it. The French Govt. are really disposed & prosecute the Enquiry bon a fide. I think that same may acq…[….]…..on the other hand, if the French Govt. do not enter into y. enquiry with a good spirit, it will be in Rousseau’s …..to baffle me with the utmost facility in all our attempts to get at the truth. I spoke to Lord Aberdeen [George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, Foreign Secretary for Prime Minister Wellington] on the day I left London, & he gave me full permission to conduct measures with you for the …of this affair. Yours very truly R.W.Hay”.

[London], [1829]. 5 octavo – pages on 2 sheets, folded. Excellent condition. Signed by Hay and dated probably “Monday, 19 Oct. [1829]”.

6. Sommer, James van / Spohr, Louis / Keller, Karl / Beethoven, Ludwig van / Hummel, Johann Nepomuk / Weber, Carl Maria von / Eberwein, Traugott Maximilian / etc.

Manuscript of: “Songs &c., chiefly by German Composers. With English Words by James van Sommer, by whom also the Music was ruled and transcribed”. / 19th century Manuscript by british composer James van Sommer with transcriptions of German Lieder in poetry form and score. Marvellous original manuscript with early transcriptions into english of some unusual composers. The manuscript in a beautiful and steady hand in ink/ Originales Manuskript von Transkriptionen teilweise ungewoehnlicher Lieder deutscher und europaeischer Komponisten des spaeten 18. und fruehen 19.Jahrhunderts. Wundervolle, sehr akkurate Handschrift.

[England, possibly Hoxton], James van Sommer, 1837. Octavo. 157 pages. Modern, unsophisticated Hardcover with new endpapers. Excellent condition.

7. [Maynooth / Colehill – County Longford] – Handcock, Reverend William / Handcock, Robert Ball.

Two Manuscript Notebooks of Reverend William Handcock and his son, Robert Ball Handcock. The Notebook of William Handcock is titled: “Letters & Addresses on various subjects by Revd. William Handcock” and are of special interest since he had the habit of transcribing in it complete letters he sent and received from noteworthy people in Ireland during the Famine – years 1842 (February) – 1854. These letters are often meaningful appeals to newspapers, church administrators or clergymen like William Baillie Kirkpatrick (1802 – 1882), Irish Peers (e.g. William Trench, 3rd Earl of Clancarty) etc./ The Manuscript Notebook of William’s son, Robert Ball Handscock, was started in June of 1846 (in Maynooth) and is simply a manuscript scrapbook with poetry and stories of favourite poets of the time (including an Index).

Maynooth / Radanstown (Meath) / Cole Hill (Longford) etc., 1841-1854. Octavo. 181 pages [Diary of William Handcock] / 140 pages plus 4 pages of Index [Diary of Robert Ball Handcock]. Hardcover / Original 19th century half-leather with paper-covered boards. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear.

8. Taylor, Tom / [Abraham Lincoln].

Exquisite collection of six (6) items/original, vintage and personal materials by/of Tom Taylor. The collection includes a 2 1/2 page, signed manuscript letter [MLS] by Tom Taylor to an unknown recipient , discussing a memorial he sent to Robert Browning’s patron, John Kenyon and mentioning former Prime Minister Lord Aberdeen [George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen]. The collection also includes two vintage 19th century cabinet photographs [Carte de Visite’s] of Tom Taylor, a later edition of Ballads and Songs of Brittany and two beautifully inscribed and signed presentation copies of his major works: 1. The first edition of Ballads of Brittany – London/Cambridge, MacMillan and Co.,1865 with many illustrations by Tissot, Tenniel etc. (This first edition is signed and inscribed by Tom Taylor to Emilia Ventana at Xmas 1864, before the publication of the book commenced) and 2. Tom Taylor’s Historical Dramas. London, Chatto & Windus, 1877. Signed and inscribed by Tom Taylor to Marie de Beauvoisier in March 1879.

London / Cambridge etc., Chatto & Windus / Routledge & Sons / etc., c. 1850-1879. Octavo. Ballads and Songs of Brittany (1865 edition): Frontispice, XXII, 239 pages / Ballads and Songs of Brittany (Later Routledge edition): XVI, 176 pages / Tom Taylor’s Historical Dramas: VIII, 466, 32 pages. / Manuscript Letter: 2 1/2 pages. Original Hardcover / The manuscript letter in a Folder, it includes an A4 manuscript leaf from a 19th century autograph-collector describing the letter by Taylor. / The two vintage cabinet photographs of Taylor included in the Folder with the autograph. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear.

9. Johnson, George William.

Manuscript and heavily annotated working copy of “Fortification Notes – R.M.A. [Royal Military Academy]” – “Course of Fortification”, by an english cadet, visiting the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich.

(Woolwich), Text Printed by W.P.Jackson, “Journal” Office, Wellington Street, 1858. Quarto 22.5 cm wide x 27.3 cm high. Pagination: Printed Text-Volume: XLVI, 148 pages / Manuscript – Section: 72, (1) numbered pages with text in ink and drawings throughout (some in colour), followed by 76 empty pages. Original half-leather with gilt lettering and dating on spine and front board. Binding rough and pastedowns detaching. No titlepage due to the printed part being the printed course handed out at the R.M.A. Name of G.W.Johnson signed in pencil on Introduction-page of the Text-Volume and on titlepage of the manusscript-section.

10. [Finger Ring Jewellery Design History ] – Beck, Reverend James.

A Manuscript Study on the History of Finger Rings / Finger Ring Jewellery Design written and researched by a scholarly Victorian clergyman in Suffolk.

[Suffolk], c.1872. 69, 11 pages. Hardcover / Half Morocco with gilt lettering to spine. Very good condition.