“VICE VERSA” MSS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 July 1934, Page 10

“VICE VERSA” MSS.

AUCTION ROOM SURPRISE. It has not taken long for the author of that Victorian masterpiece, “Vice Versa,” to meet with posthumous fame at an auction. Recently at Sotheby’s F. Anstey’s original manuscript of the story of the Garuda Stone was offered for public competition, and Mr. Ben Maggs, after an openingbid of £2O, had finally to pay as much ns £520 (against Messrs. Quaritch) for this literary treasure. The most sanguine Anstey admirer anticipated no more than £2OO, but, as Mr. Maggs remarked after his victory, “When those good things come along we must be prepared to upset our own calculations.”

Apparently the precious manuscript, on 230 quarto pages, belonged 'once to the humourist, James Payn, as it bears an inscription of .presentation to Horace Pym, “Xmas, 1882,” supplemented by another signed “F. Anstey Guthrie, 1884.” Yesterday it. was sold as the property of the late Mrs. Roe. This Anstey manuscript was considered even more valuable than a very rars letter by Keats, to his “right good comrade and capital listener,” Thomas Richards, employed in the Tower Ordinance Department, which realised £3OO.