Second Series of "Tales of a Grandfather"
Messrs, Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge offered for sale in Li on April 11 and 12, 2 remarkable assemblage of historical documents and autograph letters. An interesting section was that devoted to certain manuscripts and cor respondence of Sir Walter Scott which have hitherto remained at Abbotsford, Among the manuscripts is' an unpublished one (mostly in the hand of Scott's ananuensis; William Laidlaw) of a second scries of "Tales of a Grandfather." This was begun in May, 1831, after one of Scott's severest strokes of apoplexy, and is apparently not a ourable example of his genius; it is to be hoped, therefore, that no one will now take the opportunity of publishing it. The letters addressed to Scott number over 5,200; they include examples from Byron, Lamb, Shelley, Goethe, Carlyle, Wordsworth, Mrs. fiddons, Turnet, Raeburn, Crabbe, Rogers, Hogg, Canning, Maria Edgeworth, and many other distinguished persons.
Of great imparlance to students of Anglo-American relations in the 18th century is the series of 47 letters ~—s written between 1757 and 1775 by Benjamin Frank. lin, mostly to Joseph Galloway, Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assemb-y. The great majority of the letters are addressed from London, and cover two periods, 1757-1760 and 1766-1775, when Franklin was Agent for Fennsylvania. How easily the course of history might have been altered is shown by such a letter as that dated June 11, 1770, in which Franklin writes Parliament is up without Repealing the Tea Duty.. Lord North was for doing it now, but was over-ruled. " There seems a general Disposition in the Nation (a particular Faction excepted) to be upon good terms with the Colonies, and to leave us in the Enjoyments of our Rights. It is universally thought that no future Impositions on America will ever be attempted here.
Eight of these letters have been published in Bigelow's "Life and Letters of Franklin," but the remainder appear to be unpublished.
Among many miscellaneous letters offered at this auction was from that ardent total abstainer. George Cruikshank, addressed to J. C. Batten, and dated May, 1826. He refuses to illustrate anything for a publication to be called Old Wine in New Bottles," and says: "The Temperance Cause prevents me from having my name mixed up—in any way—Wwith the names of those humbug poisons—Wine, Beer, and Spirits." Principle could hardly carry a man further,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.