1443900 1709 Shakespeare. Nicolas Rowe Edition.

 

THE WORKS OF MR SHAKESPEAR EDITED BY NICOLAS ROWE.  The first edition published after the four folios; the text is based on the fourth folio. FIRST ILLUSTRATED EDITION AND THE FIRST LIFE OF SHAKESPEARE. 6 volumes, printed for Jacob Tonson, 1709. 8vo, approximately 200 x 125 mm, 8 x 5 inches, rebound in full mottled morocco, maroon gilt letter labels to spines, blind decoration to spines and covers, edges stained reddish brown. COLLATION. ([12],XL,3324p.), Vol. 1. Signatures: pi² A4 a-b8 c4 B-2G8. Pagination: [12], XL, 463, [1] p., [9] leaves of plates. -- v. 2. Signatures: [A]1 B-2K8. Pagination: [5], 468-975, [1] p., [8] leaves of plates. -- v. 3. Signatures: [A]1 B-2N8. Pagination: [5], 980-1535, [1] p., [8] leaves of plates. -- v. 4. Signatures: [A]1 B-2L8 M4. Pagination: [5], 1540-2072 p., [7] leaves of plates. -- v. 5. Signatures: [A]1 B-2O8. Pagination: [5], 2076-2647, [1] p., [8] leaves of plates. -- v. 6. Signatures: A8 (-A1) B-2N8. Pagination: [5], 2656-3324 p., [10] leaves of plates. Text continuous despite pagination. Each play has a separate title page with the imprint: printed in the year 1709.. LACKS 5 FRONTISPIECES which have been supplied in good facsimiles on old paper (the frontispiece to volume 1 is the original) VOLUME 2 LACKS 4 LEAVES IN TWELFTH NIGHT, text jumps from 852 to 861. Age browning to title pages, 1 plate has small tear to lower margin with loss, not affecting image, small old ink scribble to title page of volume 1, light age browning throughout, some occasional foxing and light staining to margins, some title pages a little dusty, occasional small closed tear to margins, otherwise a very good sturdy set. AN IMPORTANT EDITION. Rowe had the distinction of being the first formal editor and biographer of Shakespeare and was the first to include lists of the characters for every play, the first to divide all the plays into acts and scenes, the first to mark the location of each scene. This was also the first illustrated edition with an engraving placed as frontispiece to each play. In the first volume, Rowe also included a biography of William Shakespeare, the FIRST attempt to provide an authoritative 'Account of the Life, &c., of Mr William Shakespear'. Complete sets are scarce. A volume of poems was published by a rival publisher to Tonson in 1710 but is often missing.