JAMES JUSTINIAN MORIER - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 08/20/1840 - HFSID 73143

JAMES JUSTINIAN MORIER
The accomplished British diplomat, famed for his Hajji Baba novels, sends letter to acquaintance inquiring about a servant, signs name in black ink
Autograph letter signed: "James Morier" in black ink. 1 page, 7¼x9 folded. Mailing address on verso to the Reverend Doctor Burbon of York Square in London, England. Brighton, England. August 20, 1840. In full: "Sir, Your letter of the 11th has but just reached my hands. Philip Spoon never lived in my service & I know nothing of such a person. I hope this delay in answering your inquiries will lead to no inconvenience. Yours very truly". James Justinian Morier (1780-1849) was a British diplomat and author, best known for his novels about the Qajar dynasty of Iran, notably the Hajji Baba series. Born in the city of Izmir of the Ottoman Empire the son of a Swiss-born merchant, Morier first visited Iran in 1808 as a British envoy to the Shah, later publishing an account of his experiences in 1812 titled A Journey through Iran, Armenia and Asia Minor to Constantinople, later returning to the Middle East and publishing a second novel titled A Second Journey... in 1816. After serving as a special commissioner to Mexico he began his career as a novelist, the most popular being The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan (1824) and its sequel The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan in England (1828). His other novels included Zohrab the Hostage (1832), Ayesha the Maid of Kars (1834), and The Mirza (1841). Normal mailing folds. Toned. Toned stains throughout. Light surface creases. Ink stamps throughout on verso. Otherwise, fine condition.