I have here for sale an 8-volume set entitled THE PLAY OF WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE (Shakespeare) accurately printed from the text of the corrected copies left by the late George Steevens Esq and Edmond Malone, Esq with Mr Malone's Various Readings; A Selection of Explanatory and Historical Notes, from the most eminent commentators; a History of the Stage and a Life of Shakspeare by Alexander Chalmers.  It is a new edition published in 1826 by C and J Rivington, et al.  There is a tissue-guarded engraved plate for each play. Also includes the Prefaces by Pope from 1725 and by  Johnson from 1765.

Vol I contains The Tempest; Two Gentlemen of Verona; and Merry Wives of Windsor and has four plates - one for each play and a frontispiece portrait of Shakespeare.

Vol II contains Twelfth Night; Measure for Measure; Much Ado about Nothing; Midsummer-Night's Dream; and Love's Labour's Lost and has 5 plates

Vol III contains Merchant of Venice; As You Like It; All's Well that Ends Well; Taming of the Shrew; and Winter's Tale and has 5 plates

Vol IV contains Comedy of Errors; Macbeth; King John; King Richard II; and King Henry IV Part I and has 5 plates

Vol V contains King Henvry IV Part II; King Henry V; King Henry VI Parts I, II and III and has 5 plates

Vol VI contains King Richard III; King Henry VIII; Troilus and Cressida; Timon of Athens; and Coriolanus and has 5 plates

Vol VII contains Julius Caesar; Antony and Cleopatra; Cymbeline; Titus Andronicus; and Pericles and has 5 plates.

Vol VIII contains King Lear; Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet; and Othello and has 4 plates.

All bound in full dark brown leather with a decorative gilt border.  5 raised bands, gilt title and contents labels to the spines.  Vol II and V have no title label.  All 8 volumes have wear to the spines, splits in the leather and parts that are lifting.  Rubbed to all edges.  Vol II has a loose rear board.  Vol III has a large tear to the leather on the front board (see photos) and front board is very loose.  Vol IV has a detached rear board.  Vol V has 2 loose boards. Bookplates of Carteret Scott, the Scottish landed family. Marbled endpapers and page edges.  Some foxing to some of the plates.  All pages firmly bound though and generally very clean.  Vol I - ccxxx + 286 pages, Vol II - 458 pages, Vol III - 519 pages, Vol IV - 489 pages, Vol V - 575 pages, Vol VI - 621 pages, Vol VII - 554 pages; Vol VIII - 541 pages.  22 x 14 cm.

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