RICHARD MONCKTON (1ST BARON HOUGHTON) MILNES - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 73368

RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES, 1ST BARON HOUGHTON

The prominent English literature patron updates a colleague on his activities, signing his name in black ink

Autograph Letter signed: "R.M. Milnes" in black ink, 1p, 4½x7 folded. In full: "I hardly know what to say:- as an honest diner-out, I must tell you that it is very probably I shall be sent before Tuesday week into Yorkshire - so I had better not take up the place. Yours always". 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. Slightly toned. Light surface creases. Corners gently worn. Small ink stains throughout. Otherwise, fine condition.