An excellent copy of the second edition of the historian Thomas Carlyle's (1795-1881) essay on Chartisim, in which he raised the 'Condition-of-England' question, extra-illustrated with a tipped-in engraved portrait of Carlyle signed by him in pen, together with an anonymously addressed autograph letter.

The letter, dated 4th October 1844, was likely written to the publisher Edward Chapman (1804-1880), or his cousin Fredric (1823-1895), and concerns the process of proof-reading for a reprint edition of Ralph Waldo Emerson's (1803-1882) Essays.

Emerson was Carlyle's particular friend, and in a letter to the American essayist dated 29th September 1844 he explains: 'I have visited your Bookseller Chapman; seen the Proof-sheets lying on his table; taken order that the reprint shall be well corrected, - indeed, I am to read every sheet myself, and in that way get acquainted with it, before it go into stereotype'.

The letter reads as follows: 'Chelsea, 4 Oct[obe]r, 1844 - Dear Sir, As this proof is again altogether correct or nearly altogether, I think we may abort the method you suggest: pray let me have the perfect copy (as the printers call it) of the successive sheets, beginning with the first; and - your own vigilance continuing unabated, - that shall suffice. I have some acquaintance with Serjt Talfourd; but was never at his house, nor ever had him here; further I am uncertain whether he is at present in town. However, I have now written to an acquaintance we have in common for light as to the matter; and if I find any possibility, will certainly call upon him for Emerson's sake: at all events I will, as soon as there is any conclusion ether way, punctually let you known. Yours truly, T. Carlyle'

The Serjeant Talfourd referred to above would be the English judge and radical politician Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd (1795-1854). His opinion was sought by Carlyle and Emerson as an expert on English copyright law, having introduced the parliamentary bill which later became the Copyright Act of 1842.

With accompanying letter of provenance dated 12th September 1955 from David Gould to the American academic Charles Richard Sanderson regarding this Carlyle letter, and Sanderson's airmail reply.

Second edition, with autograph letter tipped-in to front free endpaper & engraved portrait signed by Carlyle in pen to front pastedown; 8vo (20.5 x 13 cm); 3pp., provenance notes loose, ownership inscriptions in pen and pencil to front free endpaper recto, 1p. publisher's ads to rear, the odd crease from old page-folds otherwise internally clean; publisher's blind-stamped grained blue-green cloth, spine lettered in gilt, spine ever so slightly faded, near fine; [4], 113, 3pp.