ALS, two pages, 5 x 8, Office of All the Year Round letterhead, May 7, 1868. Dickens writes William James Farrer acknowledging the receipt of the keys to his trunk and desk containing the papers of “the late Mr. Townshend” [English poet Chauncy Hare Townshend]. In part: “Pray assure Miss Coutts that I will lose no time in examining the papers very carefully, with a view to the discovery of any document that may bear upon Mr. Townshend’s…intentions…upon the question of the rings.” Dickens further asks if all of Mr. Townshend’s papers and correspondence are contained in the trunk and desk, explaining, “I seek information on this…because I rather think that Mr. Townshend once mentioned to me that there were papers in Lausanne.” Toning along the heavy central vertical fold, lighter horizontal and vertical folds and creases, wrinkling, annotations and marks in the hand of the recipient, and several small tears just affecting the text and signature, otherwise very good condition.
Townshend was also a clergyman and Dickens’ lifelong friend—and the sole person to whom Great Expectations was dedicated. Following his death in 1868, while Dickens was in the United States, Townshend left his friend £1000 and his literary executor, along with a request to publish ‘as much of my notes and reflections as may make known my opinions on religious matters, they being such as I verily believe would be conducive to the happiness of mankind.’ Dickens took up his friend’s last request, and upon receipt of the aforementioned items pledged to “lose no time in examining the papers very carefully, with a view to the discovery of any document that may bear upon Mr. Townshend’s…intentions.” Dickens would later confess that the he found the task quite daunting, as he was faced with a wealth of ideas with which he was admittedly unfamiliar. Superlative literary content as Dickens honors the man to whom he once dedicated one of his greatest works. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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