Jonson, Ben

folio, 3 volumes in 2 (with the Posthumous Works bound into vol. 2), engraved title by W. Hole in volume 1 (Pforzheimer's third state), 2 divisional titles within a woodcut border, engraved portrait by Vaughan inserted from the second edition, red crushed morocco gilt by Riviere, gilt edges, engraved title neatly repaired at inner margin, A4 of “The Magnetic Lady” restored at margins, very small hole in penultimate leaf of the second volume, occasional light browning, vol.1 upper hinge slightly rubbed

University College Cork Library, library stamp on verso of vol.1 title; Bernard Quaritch, collation note on vol.1 rear pastedown; John Burns, signatures, dated 10 February 1938, sale, Sotheby's, 25 April 1944, lot 436; William Foyle, book label, sale, Christie’s, 7 November 2000, lot 434

STC 14751 and 14754; Pforzheimer 559 and 560

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

After Shakespeare, the second most important English dramatic publication of the seventeenth century. The publication of a collected "Workes" in folio, its title-page adorned with Classical motifs, was a typically audacious move by Jonson, especially because he included in it nine plays written for the commercial theatre. This marked a crucial step in establishing the literary credentials of the public theatre, which was often dismissed as ephemeral at the time; one contemporary responded to the publication with a distich: "Pray tell me Ben, where does the mystery lurk | What others call a play, you call a work?" Jonson's concern in claiming the merit due to his plays is in striking contrast to Shakespeare, who famously showed little apparent interest in the literary afterlife of his dramatic works. Thus Jonson's 1616 folio provided the vital precedent and model to Heminges and Condell when they came to prepare the Shakespeare folio that followed seven years later, for which Jonson himself provided commendatory verses.