Morris tribune., 1889-09-25
AUTOGRAPH LETTERS.

some Prices Paid Are Fabulous, but Many
Signatures Go Dirt Cheap.
Certain noisy politicians who run away
with the idea that they are very eminent
men, should certainly not omit to read
the catalogues of those who deal in auto
graph letters.
True, it is difficult to account for some
of the prices. The catalogue Of Mr..
Davey, Of Great Russell street, affords
some very noteworthy instances. Here,
for example, an autograph note, signed
and addressed envelope, of Sarah Bern
hardt, is only valued at 12s., while 6
guineas are asked for one of Boswel's,
which is only one and a quarter pages
ouarto size. One of Lord Byron's,
ouarto page in all, is offered at II guineas;
but one of Coleridge is only So, and for
2s. more may be had one of De Quincy,
regarding his money troubles, to his pub
Usher. Poets and authors always abuse
their publishers when "fush," and as
often fall back upon them when hard up.
A letter of Dickens Qs50) is priced at 81
12s. 3d., one from Lord Beaconsfeld at
81 1Os., one from David Garrick at GA,
and one from ''Frederick the Noble" at
quarter of that sum.
If man have plenty of half guineas
he may become the owner of number
Of more or less famous autograph let
ters. One of these coins, Of their cur
rent value, will put you in possession Of
a letter of William Goodwin or of Gou-
nod, of Charles Kean or of Lever, of
Macready or of Lytton, of Spurgeon or
of Prince Albert. Among the luxuries
of which, like the small boy outside
cook shop, the poorer collector must be
content with the smell-and scarcely
that-may be enumerated a William
Blake at Sc; Cowper at "a; Queen
Elizabeth at e25; Thomas Hood at 8
guineas; johnson at e6 rs. 3d.; Mary
Queen of Scots at e58; Samuel Rich
ardson (of course to a young LADY, at sc
1Os.; and a Dante Gabriel Rosetti for
about So 3s. An original invitation for
the coronation, sent by command of her
majesty to Lord st. John, of Bletso, and
signed s'Victoria R. is only priced at
but William ~ is not worth half as
much.
A letter of the Rev. George Whitefeld,
whose tabernacle appears to be going
''down," is cup" at three guineas. From
a general point Of view it is not easy to
see why letter of William Wordsworth
('celebrated poet') should be priced at
guinea less than that of the author of
"Night Thoughts" which no one now
reads, offered at "a is.
A prophet is not without honor, save
in his own country-a fact which
explains the appearance Of num-
Der of English literary men in cata-
logues Of autograph letters. A letter of
John Forster is offered at rs cents; one
of Mr.. Archibald Forbes for $1.25; one
of Mr.. Austin Dobson at the same price;
at which figure also the collector may
present himself with specimens of w.
G. Bryant, Elihu Burritt, Mr.. Chamber
lain, Golden, Mr.. ]. A. Froude (tquite
scarce'D, Wilkie Collins, Garfield, and
many other persons more or less fa-
mous-less than more very often.
The prices throughout the well ar
ranged catalogue are exceedingly mod.
crate compared with some which we
have seen. One of Mr.. Gladstone's let
ters (the line appears to be drawn at post
cards. has reached the hands Of the
dealer, who demands $3.50 for it; but one
of Gordon is priced at $8 over and above
that sum; a Goethe goes for SO, Shell
ley for four times that amount, and
Scott for $50. Mr.. Ruskin's shows re-
markable difference, being only $3.50;
but three lines of prince of the Sand
witch islands orderinga bottle Of gin sells
for rs cents. A Cardinal Newman is
priced at $2.25, Nine. PATHS at dollar
more, one of Lord Randolph Churchill
at $1.75, one of Horace Greeley at $2.25.
A Samuel johnson is sold for $3.50;
but letter of neither Sir John Lubbock,
Charles Mackay, Professor Mason nor
Mr.. w. D. Howells appears to be worth
more than seventy-ive cents. A signed
letter of Lord Tennyson, two pages oc-
tavo, is priced at $12.50; and one from
Thackeray with the envelope) at $40.
It might act as sort Of deterrent to
this craze for private letters If authors
would insist upon being paid pro rata by,
their correspondents for every word
which they write in their letters, not
even emitting the address on the enve-
lope, which, when clean, also counts
st. James Gazette.