Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-31
Worth More Than Gold

Worth More Than Gold ~
NNE could put his hand on bundle of
~ tattered letters in the British Museum ~
that would be worth more in open mar ~
ket than shares in the greatest gold mine ~
that ever flashed on lucky prospector -
One of them would be the ungrammati-
cal, i'll spelled letter of Mary Queen of
Scots to her "bonne S0eny ct coHS1ne.
Elizabeth complaining of the rigor of her
marrow prison at Sheffield. A second would
be Michelangelo's autograph note of complaint
that he had received no money from the Pope
in twelve months; while third would be
note in Dutch from Rembrandt to Van Zuyli
chem, private secretary to the Prince of Or
ange, asking for payment of a sum due.
Truly genius had hard road to travel in
those days. And begging letters from poets
of the classic age would surely be included. if
only to show how different was their condition
from that of men of letters to-day. Amazing
indeed is it to read the faded feeble script of
John Dryden to Rochester, First Lord of the
Treasury. pleading for just "half yeare OF
my salary" because of my extreame wants.
even to arresting, and my i'll health. If l
burst. would plead little merite and some
hazard of my life; but onely thinke merite
not to sterve.
In fact, it is doubted whether any collection
of autographs even approaches in interest that
of the British Museum. The directors have
had first refusal of almost every rare private
letter that ever came into the market Here
is Carlyle talking of a minor poet. He IS
what so few are a and no clothes horse.
And he goes on to talk of his failure to find
publisher for "Sartor Resartus": 81 have
given up the notion of hawking my little
manuscript book about any farther: for
long time it has lain quiet in its drawer, wait
ing for better day"
The most interesting letter of Lord Tenny-
sons is that to w. c, Bennett, dated October
~. 1864. The great poet has drawn little
sketch on one page of the great pile of letters
that menaced him, Penny Post maddened.
on his return from abroad The heap awaiting
the great laureate included MSS. Poems ::
printed proof sheets of poems requests
for subscriptions letters for autographs :" {:
anonymous insolent letters: and letters
asking explanation of particular passages
An Autograph Auction
T WAS present at sale in the rooms of
Sotheby. Wilkinson & Hodge of London.
In less than twenty minutes fifteen thousand
four hundred dollars worth of letters changed
hands. A short note from Lord Bacon brought
Colonel Walton, grieving for the sad condition
of the army in the west, two hundred and
seventy-fve dollars; but another of Crom-
wells to the same correspondent, giving
detailed account of a great victory brought
four hundred and ninety-fve dollars. A
letter from Franklin respecting the interests
of the American Republic sold for one hundred
and one dollars; and one from Washington to
Newenham found bidder at five hundred and
ten dollars. Our first President was alluding
to the condition of Ireland: 1t is affecting
for the philanthropic mind he wrote, to
consider the mass of people inhabiting
country naturally fertile in production and
full of resources sunk to an abject degree of
perjury and depression"
1t is curious for the outsider to watch the
increase in value of given autograph. Thus
in 1928 a letter of Nelson's brought only
thirteen dollars; whereas at London sale in
May, 1904 billet doux of the amorous
Admiral to Lady Hamilton easily brought
five thousand one hundred and fifty dollars.
man like Etenne Chavaray of Paris told
me that mere signature of Christopher Co.
lumbus could always find buyer at eight hun
dred dollars. The one letter existing in