The works of Mr. William Shakespear; in six volumes. Adorn'd with cuts. Revis'd and corrected, with an account of the life and writings of the author. By N. Rowe, Esq;

All titles
  • The works of Mr. William Shakespear; in six volumes. Adorn'd with cuts. Revis'd and corrected, with an account of the life and writings of the author. By N. Rowe, Esq;
  • Plays. 1709
People / Organizations
Imprint
London : printed for Jacob Tonson, within Grays-Inn Gate, next Grays-Inn Lane, MDCCIX [1709].
Added name
Rowe, Nicholas, 1674-1718.; Tonson, Jacob, 1656?-1736, bookseller.
Publication year
1709
ESTC No.
T138294
Grub Street ID
186165
Description
6v. : ill., ports. ; 8°.
Note
This is the ordinary-paper issue with a gutter margin of about 1.0 cm and a text block height of about 19.5 cm. For the large-paper issue see (ESTC T138296)

In fact the dramatic works only

The first edition published after the four folios; the text is based on the fourth folio

Vol. 1. Signatures: pi]2] A]4] a-b]8] c]4] B-2G]8. Pagination: [12], XL, 463, [1] p., [9] leaves of plates. -- v. 2. Signatures: [A]1 B-2K]8. Pagination: [5], 468-975, [1] p., [8] leaves of plates. -- v. 3. Signatures: [A]1 B-2N]8. Pagination: [5], 980-1535, [1] p., [8] leaves of plates. -- v. 4. Signatures: [A]1 B-2L]8] M]4. Pagination: [5], 1540-2072 p., [7] leaves of plates. -- v. 5. Signatures: [A]1 B-2O]8. Pagination: [5], 2076-2647, [1] p., [8] leaves of plates. -- v. 6. Signatures: A]8] (-A1) B-2N]8. Pagination: [5], 2656-3324 p., [10] leaves of plates

Text continuous despite pagination

Each play has a separate title page with imprint "printed in the year 1709"

This edition differs from a reprint (possibly surreptitious) of the same year. In this edition, vol. 1 sig. A is under "G" of "Goodness"; vol.6 signature letter "A" of leaf A4 is under "h" of "where". In the reprint (ESTC T138297) vol.1 sig. A is under the first "O" of "Goodness"; vol.6 signature letter "A" of leaf A4 is under "w" of "where"

Engraved portrait frontispiece plate lettered: M. Vdr. Gucht sculp

frontispiece included in each volume. Engravings for plays lettered for pagination, attributed to artist Boitard and engraver Kirkall (see H.A. Hammelmann, Shakespeare s first illustrators, Apollo, supplement "notes on British art" p. 1-4, August 1968)

Contents: v. 1. Tempest ; Two gentlemen of Verona ; Merry wives of Windsor ; Measure for measure ; Comedy of errors ; Much ado about nothing ; Love s labour s lost -- v. 2. Midsummer night s dream ; Merchant of Venice ; As you like it ; Taming of the shrew ; All s well that ends well ; Twelfth-night ; Winter s tale -- v. 3. King John ; King Richard II ; King Henry IV. Part 1 ; King Henry IV. Part 2 ; Henry V ; King Henry VI. Part 1 ; King Henry VI. Part 2 -- v. 4. King Henry VI. Part 3 ; King Richard III ; King Henry VIII ; Troilus and Cressida ; Coriolanus ; Titus Andronicus -- v. 5. Romeo and Juliet ; Timon of Athens ; Julius Caesar ; Macbeth ; Hamlet ; King Lear ; Othello -- v. 6. Antony and Cleopatra ; Cymbeline ; Pericles ; London prodigal ; Thomas, Lord Cromwell ; Sir John Oldcastle ; Puritan ; Yorkshire tragedy ; Locrine.
Uncontrolled note
Gutter: 1cm. Ht: 19.5cms