Shakespeare, William | A great tragedy of the 17th century stage as it was widely read

Shakespeare, William

Julius Caesar: A Tragedy. As It Is Now Acted at the Theatre Royal. London: H(enry) H(ills), Jun(ior) for Hen(ry) Herringman, and R(ichard) Bentley and sold by Joseph Knight and Francis Saunders, [1684-1695?] 

4to (210 x 146 mm). H1 supplied in facsimile, A1-2 repaired at top margin affecting a few letters at the head of A2 verso, hole in inner margin of F2 not affecting text, another in F3 affecting lines 27-8 of page 46 but with missing letters supplied, generally toned, some stains and few inner margin repairs. Handsome modern paneled calf to style, spine gilt with label.

Bartlett's fourth quarto edition, with a colon after "Caesar" on the title-page; "wander forth to day" in the penultimate line of F2r; and page 15 misnumbered. 

The drama of Julius Caesar was first printed in the First Folio of 1623, but not in a separate quarto edition until 1684. Four undated editions were then issued until another dated edition of 1691. This flurry of printings reflected the huge popularity it enjoyed at time, especially so when acted by Thomas Betterton.

REFERENCES:

Wing S2925; Bartlett 115