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This offering consists of Volume III of a nine-volume set of “The Plays of William Shakespeare”, which contains the plays Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, All’s Well That Ends Well, Taming of the Shrew, and Winter’s Tale. The book’s sub-title reads “Accurately printed from the Text of the corrected Copy left by the late George Stevens, Esq. With a selection of Explanatory and Historical Notes, from the most eminent Commentators; ‘A History of the Stage, a Life of Shakespeare, etc.’ by Alexander Chalmers, A. M.”. The sub-title provides the credentials for the introductions and explanations preceding each play and the footnoted comments throughout all the plays.

The book, which measures approximately 5 3/8 inches wide by 8 ½ inches tall by 1 ¼ inches thick, contains 553 numbered pages of text. It is hardbound in full green morocco binding, faded to tan on the spine and worn on all edges. Of special interest is a lovely, bright and clear fore-edge painting of a Venice canal with gondolas. There is also a gilt finish on the top and bottom edges of the pages. The book is housed in a green buckram clamshell case, with some staining on one face and with a leather spine label. There are two bookplates on the front free end papers, one with the name Bob R. Riddle and the other Sarah Broom. Both the book and the clamshell case are in near-fine condition.

The illustrations accompanying this description show The Title page, The book in the clamshell case (case opened), The fore-edge painting of a Venice canal, A typical page of comments preceding a play, and A typical 2-page spread of the first page of the play and the play’s characters.