Sophie Cat 56 - Sophie Dupre

Clive Farahar & Sophie Dupré, XV The Green, Calne, Wilts, SN1 8DQ, Tel: (01249) 821121 32
241. FERDINAND IV (1751-1825, King of Naples and
Sicily from 1759)
ALS ‘Ferdinando R’ (in Italian with translation), to an
unnamed correspondent, saying that he quite understands
“from your letter why you have not written before ... I have
been fully informed about everything to do with the
Controller [of the Royal Household]”, adding that he is
“glad you now have all the Seratti papers by you ... and will
be able to come here with Falco the day after tomorrow.
My health keeps up unchanged but tomorrow I end my stay
in paradise and begin purgatory all over again. Look after
yourself, enjoy yourself ... ever your devoted Ferdinand R”,
1½ sides 4to., La Ficuzza (the king’s hunting lodge in
Sicily, about 30 miles from Palermo), 3rd [of January]
1813, in pencil, a little faint but legible [SD9165]£225
Ferdinand spent 1806-1815 in Sicily while Napoleon occupied the
mainland. On 26th December 1812 he ‘escaped’ to his beloved
Ficuzza while his Austrian-born Queen MARIA CAROLINA
(1752-1814) stayed at S. Margherita. Lord William
BENTINCK, British ambassador and head of the Sicilian armed
forces, suspected the queen, correctly as is now known, of
intriguing with Napoleon, and established a regency, refusing to
treat with the king while the queen was with him. However, she
was due to join him at La Ficuzza on 4th January. Later in 1813
Bentinck insisted that she return permanently to Austria. In 1812
Bentinck had established a constitution for Sicily on British lines.
Bentinck aimed to pay the king just enough to keep him out of the
way at La Ficuzza. Franco SERATTI had been Secretary
(head) of the Council for the Royal Household, 11th December
1800, then Secretary of State and President of the Council for
Finance, 14th April 1803, but was dismissed ‘for reasons of
health’ (incompetence) on 26th July 1803. No doubt Ferdinand
had asked his present correspondent for information in the battle
over expenses.
242. FERDINAND MARIA (1636-1679, Elector of
Bavaria from 1651)
Fine letter in Italian with translation, signed ‘Ferdinando
Maria Elettore’ to Signor Federico Giussano in Milan,
telling him that he has “received your Lordship’s letter of
the 10th June with its request for employment in the service
of this Court as a Page for one of your sons, Giuseppe
Maria ... but since at present there are no vacant places ... I
am sorry not to be able to gratify your wish”, promising to
“keep Your Lordship in mind for other occasions”, 1 side
folio, address and papered seal of Bavaria on conjugate
leaf, Munich, 21st July 1652 [SD9965]£160
An attractive early signature. Ferdinand Maria, who succeeded
his father at the age of fifteen, set about repairing the ravages of
the Thirty Years’ War, encouraging agriculture and industry, and
repairing and building many monasteries and churches. He left
his country only once, to visit Rome.
243. FLEMING (Ian, 1908-1964, Author, creator of
‘James Bond’)
Autograph postcard signed ‘Ian’ to Mrs Percy Muir,
regretting that “Alas I shall be in Istanbul on the great night.
Iwil drink a toast in sherbert! ...” also saying “Hooray for
No 13. I am only at No 4” with a black and white picture
on the front of an Oceanic Angler Fish on which he has
drawn a talk bubble with the message “Love to Percy and
my god-daughter”, 2 sides postcard, postmarked London,
29th August 1963, small tear in top edge not affecting the
text [SD26065]£650
244. FONDA (Henry, 1905-1982, American Actor)
Fine signed photo, released by Warner Bros. for the
production of “There was a Crooked Man” shows top half
of bearded Fonda in costume for the western, 10”x 8”, n.p.,
n.d. [SD25366]£175
245. FOSS (Hubert James, F.R.S.A., 1899-1953, Music
Editor and Critic)
2 ALS, 3 TLS and 1 postcard to S.W. Jenkins of the
Cheltenham Gramophone Society, saying “Here is how I
see itafter the ’phone conversation we had today ... I arrive
[on 16th February] as near to the scheduled time of 5.56 as
the Great Western Railway permit ... I appear for your club
with a lecture ... on the subject of BERLOZ & his Times
and I will bring ... the records of the Symphonie
Fantastique”, he adds “I should have to leave at crack of
dawn next morning & ... I have a rooted objection to putting
people out, so please put me at a hotel (at my expense) if I
should cause no offence by going there!” (9th February
1944), “I find that I have got to be in Bradford [for a
broadcast] next Thursday morning ... I shall have to catch
the 10.30 back to London and get what sleep I can in the
train” (11th February 1944), he lists the records he would
like provided, his usual fee is 5 guineas plus expenses, and
says “the programme you send to me is most interesting and
varied” (12th February 1944), “That is extremely handsome
of you”, accepting supper “and the luxury of your motor to
Gloucester ... which will obviate a miserable wait [of 2
hours] on what I seem to remember was never a lovely
station” (14th February 1944), sending biographical details
on a postcard (15th February 1944), suggesting for a further
visit “some of the out-of-the way composers like Delius,
Bax, Sibelius, Vaughan Williams” and thanking him “for a
very pleasant time”, with 2ofJenkins’ carbon copies,
together 9 sides 4to and 1 postcard, The Society for the
Advancement of Music in Education, 5 Queen Anne’s Gate,
9th-23rd February 1944 [SD17167]£45
Foss founded the Music Department at the Oxford University
Press in1924 and was its Musical Editor and Manager till 1941.
He wrote a study of Vaughan Williams, revised Heseltine’s
‘Delius’, and edited many volumes of Sir Donald Tovey’s writings
on music. During the war he was on the Music Advisory Council
of ENSA and afterwards was editor of the Music Lover, 1947. In
between he composed, accompanied, and conducted choirs and
opera, and wrote ‘Music in My Time’ and ‘The Heritage of
Music’.
246. FOXLEY-NORRIS (Sir Christopher N., b. 1917,
Fighter Pilot, Air Chief Marshal)
Signature on part of a magazine article by him about the
Battle of Britain, c. 1985 [SD50035]£25
247. FRANZ JOSEF (1861-1924, Prince of Battenberg)
ALS, in French with translation, to Prince Bititto, saying
that “Your words of sympathy touch us deeply”, and that
his wife and he “offer the Princess Bititto and yourself our
warmest thanks for sharing in our great grief”, 2 sides 8vo
black-edged, Antibes, 24th March 1923 [SD50223]£75
Queen Milena, widow of Nikola I of Montenegro, and mother of
Franz Josef’s wife Anna, had died on 16th March. The prince was
the younger brother of Prince Louis (Marquess of Milford Haven),
Prince Henry (son-in-law of Queen Victoria), and of Alexander I
of Bulgaria.