The Works of [William] Shakespear in Eight Volumes. The Genuine Text (collated with all the former Editions, and then corrected and emended) is here settled: Being restored from the Blunders of the first Editors, and the Interpolations of the two Last; With A Comment and Notes, Critical and Explanatory. By Alexander Pope and Mr. Warburton. Dublin: Printed for R. Owen, et. al., 1757.
The famous Warburton edition of Shakespeare's works, a landmark publication in Shakespearean scholarship correcting many errors of the first four folio editions, the Rowe edition, etc, in collaboration with Alexander Pope, being revised after his famous 1725 edition.
-------------------
All 18th century editions of Shakespeare are scarcely encountered, and the earlier one goes within the 18th century, the more difficult the editions are to find. Any editions preceding the 1780s are very difficult to acquire as they are quite rare to the market. And of course all 17th century editions are largely inaccessible to the budget of most collectors. This is therefore one of the earliest Shakespeare sets which the majority of collectors will be able to acquire, and it is a very nice edition with an illustration for each play. It is also a very early international printing of Shakespeare's works, being one of the earliest to be printed outside of England.
This set is usually found in individual volumes only, often advertised for quite large sums of money individually. Here we have 6 (of 8) volumes. The aforementioned fact does make it an accomplishable feat to complete incomplete sets, especially with perseverance and patience.
-------------------
This set contains the following plays:
The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Measure for Measure, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, Love's Labour's Lost, As You Like it, The Taming of the Shrew, All's Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, The Winter's Tale, King John, King Richard II, King Henry IV, King Henry V, King Henry VI, King Richard III, King Henry VIII, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Cymbeline, and Troilus and Cressida.
-------------------
Size: 108 x 172 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
[lvi, iv, viii, ii, vi, pp.1-400]; [pp.1-428]; [pp.1-417]; [pp.1-466]; [pp.1-405, i]; [pp.1-438]
18th century uniform full calf with tooled red morocco labels in between raised bands to each spine. Some wear and discolouration to spines but generally the set shows well on the shelf. Light shelf wear. Speckled black boards with some scuffs and wear but generally good or better. Page edges very good. Fore edges of volumes one and five slightly non-uniform in places due to misbound gatherings. Some rubbing to joints with a small crack to the fifth volume but with all boards securely attached. Slight shelf lean to the seventh volume but remains vertically stable. Bookplate to each front pastedown of Robert Francis Ellis, perhaps the descent of a member of the Ellis family mentioned in the original subscribers list to the release of this set. Ink ownership inscription of Robert Maxwell to the head of the title page in the first volume (only). B4 in volume one torn without loss else no further rips or tears throughout. Textually collates as complete. Some foxing to endpapers and sporadically throughout, though very light. Some mild toning and occasional marks. Edge toning to the endpapers as commensurate with the calf bindings. Generally clean through the text blocks.
