RICHARD MONCKTON (1ST BARON HOUGHTON) MILNES - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 3/25 - HFSID 73107

RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES, 1ST BARON HOUGHTON

The nineteenth-century literary figure thanks a Mr. and Mrs. Lewis for their condolences upon the death of his wife and signs his name in black ink

Autograph Letter signed: "Houghton" in black ink. 1p front and verso, 4½x7 folded. Written on black-bordered mourning paper. March 25, no year. Fryston Hall, Yorkshire, England. In part: "Dear Mr. Arthur Lewis, I am now able to thank you & Mrs. Lewis for your sympathetic opinions. My late wife had always much pleasure in your & Mrs. Lewis' acquaintance…With best to you & Mrs. Lewis, believe me, Yours very truly". Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Houghton (1809-1885) was an English poet, literature patron, and politician. While attending Cambridge, Milnes joined the socially and artistically progressive Apostles Club, which included members such as Alfred Tennyson and Arthur Henry Hallam. They involved themselves in issues such as copyright and the establishments of juvenile reformatories. His early work, mostly reflective poetry reminiscent of Wordsworth, led many people to regard him as one of the most promising writers of his generation, with books such as Memorials of a Tour in Some Parts of Greece (1834), Memorials of a Residence on the Continent and Historical Poems (1838), Poems of Many Years (1840), and Palm Leaves (1844) earning him recognition. However, Milnes' legacy was his standing as a generous and discriminating patron of writers; he published Life, Letters, and Literary Remains of John Keats (1848), helped Tennyson secure a pension, and popularized the writing of Ralph Waldo Emerson in England. Since his death, he has become known for his massive collection of erotic literature, including the first serious collection of the works of the Marquis de Sade. Normal mailing folds. Large irregular tear in bottom margin. Toned. Worn and slightly soiled. Stained throughout. Pencil notes written in top margin in an unknown hand. Corners and edges gently worn. Otherwise, fine condition.