Sales catalogue 641: Maggs Bros

Date:: 1937

Reference:: WA/HMM/CM/Sal/13/171

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sales catalogue 641: Maggs Bros. Source: Wellcome Collection.

79/88 page 77

Ne —_—_—_———_———_. 237 “TWAIN (MARK,” SAMUEL L. CLEMENS). AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED TO DR. OSLER. 2 pp., small 4to. Redding, Connecticut, 21st September, 1909. &3 10s ‘*T wish I could say yes, it hurts me to say the other thing, but I have said it so long, now (38 years) & so often, that I am at last practically used to it, like the eels. I bound myself to say no in all cases because [ found that dividing the matter up & saying yes in some & no in the others made embarrassments for me, & I have this extraordinary peculiarity, that I don’t hke embarrassments.’’ Htc. 238 VAN BUREN (MARTIN, 1782-1862). Eighth President of the United States. 4 LETTER SIGNED TO SAMUEL LARNED, AMERICAN CHARGE D’AFFAIRES AT CHILI. 1 page, 4to. Washington, 15th January, 1830. £2 10s ‘*T have to request such good offices and protection as are in your power to bestow, in favour of an expedition fitted out from New York, principally for the purposes of Discovery in the South Seas. é ‘‘ Although this expedition is a private enterprise, still from the known character of the persons engaged in it, it has the favourable consideration of the Government.”’ 239 WAGNER (RICHARD, 1813-1883). Famous Composer. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (IN GERMAN) TO A FRIEND. 4 pp., 8vo. Florence, 11th December, 1876. LA | An interesting letter concerning a trip to Italy which was made possible by Wagner’s ‘‘ Amerikanermarsch,’’ the Great Festival March composed for the open- ing of the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia and first performed there in 1876. (Trans.):—‘‘I have now spent the whole proceeds of my ‘ Amerikanermarsch ’ on travelling in Italy; besides I found here in the antiquity shops many a thing which pleased my wife and which I bought her for Christmas-birthday. . . . ‘‘Of my Italian trip I can only say it satisfied me for the sole reason that it gave great pleasure to my wite. I myself was much preoccupied by most vexatious troubles and adversities concerning my ‘national’ undertaking etc. and therefore could hardly ever find the peace of mind to enjoy what I saw.” 240 WAGNER (RICHARD). AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (IN GERMAN) TO GEORG UNGER. 4 pp., 8vo. Bayreuth, 20th October, 1875. With addressed envelope. £18 18s A fine and important letter to the tenor who sang ‘“ Siegfried”? in the first performance of the “Ring” at Bayreuth in 1876, and this letter deals entirely with his engagement for this purpose, (Trans.):—‘‘ Do not worry yourself, but carry out unflinchingly what you think will be for your own good and for the good of our art. Only let there be no hesitation now! ‘It would indeed be agreeable to part from Director Scherbarth on good terms, and I have already tried this by appealing to his sense of fairness and of honour as an artist. To all of which he answered that as a Theatre Director he had nothing at all to do with such things and that he could not consider them. ‘‘T then made it clear to him that 1t would be much more sensible if he agreed to them; for if he would not release you by fair means it would have to be done by foul; he would no doubt bring an action against you, and we would have to defend it; whilst if he treated you well in this matter you would certainly show your gratitude which would be an easy matter for you once you were a singer of great repute. ‘* Neither your connection with me nor with Herbarth can do you any harm. If it should come to a law-suit, all the better; it will last a long time and I am not at all sure that judgment will be against us; by the time it is decided your engagement will be coming to an end, and you will have become ‘ Siegfried.’ Do not worry about anything in the world except your studies, so that these may bring you real joy and honour and glory.”

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