Lot 125
Edwards, George - Earl of Bute
Rare Books, Maps and Manuscripts
Auction: 29 August 2012 at 12:00 BST
Description
Long autograph letter signed to Lord Bute, discussing a drawing of an Argus or pheasant, hoping that it can be introduced to Great Britain where "it will be a great ornament of the aviaries and parks of the nobility and gentry of Great Britain", modestly supplicating "a room or two in any of the vacant royal houses between St. James and Windsor", as his apartment in the College of Physicians "is in the thickest of the smoak of London and I being a little short-brethed", stating that he has a few more drawings which he would keep for amusement during his life "except your lordship would condescend to accept them as a present", and promising to exchange his copy of Catesby's History of Carolina, coloured by George Edwards after Catesby's own, for Lord Bute's copy. He also refers to taking reversed prints of his history of birds and has "coloured them higher than ordinary to make them appear something like drawings, they have decieve[d] some people", and offering his coloured set of Gleanings to Lord Bute, or "if your Lordship thinks them worth the Queens acceptance for her library I should be proud of the honour to present them", and enclosing a coloured engraving of the Argus or pheasant, in a folded sheet of paper inscribed "To the Right Honourable the Earl of Bute Present, from his Lordships most obliged and humble servant, Geo. Edwards", the folded paper split at fold and frayed, letter and print very clean
Footnote
Provenance: Viscount Strathallan, Stobhall, Perthshire