Jonson, Ben

3 volumes in 2, folio (11 1/2 x 7 3/8 in.; 292 x 189 mm). Vol. 1: engraved architectonic title-page by William Hole, engraved frontispiece portrait of Johnson by Robert Vaughan with verses beneath, section-titles for each of the component works; Vol. 2: general title-page with woodcut printer's device (McKerrow 339), the three component plays with section-titles with woodcut printer's device (McKerrow 374), woodcut initials and headpieces; Vol. 3 issued without general title-page, commencing with leaf signed B1 and caption-title for Christmas, his Masque, other component parts with section-titles. Occasional light browning, some scattered rust-spots and stains, including a small wax stain to frontispiece and title-page of vol. 1., upper fore-edge corner of general title-page vol. 2 lost. Contemporary red morocco, the covers paneled with gilt rules, fleuron-tool cornerpieces, and large central tooled lozenges surrounding a horizontal panel, spines gilt in eight compartments, plain endpapers, gilt edges; rather rubbed, rebacked, corners repaired.

Sarah Sophia Child Villiers, Countess of Jersey (1785–1867, armorial bookplate with press-mark D3—15). acquisition: Maggs Bros., 2012

STC 14753, 14754; ESTC S112456, S111824; Greg III, pp. 1074, 1076; Pforzheimer 560

3 volumes in 2, folio (11 1/2 x 7 3/8 in.; 292 x 189 mm). Vol. 1: engraved architectonic title-page by William Hole, engraved frontispiece portrait of Johnson by Robert Vaughan with verses beneath, section-titles for each of the component works; Vol. 2: general title-page with woodcut printer's device (McKerrow 339), the three component plays with section-titles with woodcut printer's device (McKerrow 374), woodcut initials and headpieces; Vol. 3 issued without general title-page, commencing with leaf signed B1 and caption-title for Christmas, his Masque, other component parts with section-titles. Occasional light browning, some scattered rust-spots and stains, including a small wax stain to frontispiece and title-page of vol. 1., upper fore-edge corner of general title-page vol. 2 lost. Contemporary red morocco, the covers paneled with gilt rules, fleuron-tool cornerpieces, and large central tooled lozenges surrounding a horizontal panel, spines gilt in eight compartments, plain endpapers, gilt edges; rather rubbed, rebacked, corners repaired.
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First complete collected edition, second edition of volume 1, first edition of volume 2 [and 3]. The first volume is a close reprint of the first edition of 1616. The second volume contains the reissued, unsold sheets of three plays published in 1631, which were edited by Jonson and intended to supplement his 1616 Workes. The balance of volume 2 contains masques, plays, and miscellaneous writings edited by Sir Kenelm Digby; it became known almost immediately as the "third volume," despite the absence of an explicit title to that effect. The order of the contents of the third volume varies, but this copy follows Greg. Seventeenth-century sets of Jonson's works are seldom found in contemporary morocco.