Shakespeare, William

[Thomas Otway]. Don Carlos Prince of Spain. A Tragedy. [?London: for R. Bentley, 1695?]. Lacks eight pages of preliminaries including title which is here taken from drop title, some soiling and marginal spots throughout the volume. (Probably Wing 0545 & ESTC R31053.) An adaptation of Caesar Vichard de Saint-Real. — William Shakespeare and William Davenant. Macbeth, A Tragedy With all the Alterations, Amendments, Additions, and New Songs. London: Printed for H. Herringman, and R. Bentley; and sold by R. Bentley, J. Tonson, T. Bennel, and F. Sanders, 1695. Typographic ornament on title; title soiled and fore-edge frayed. (Wing S2935; ESTC R14372.) This is an adaptation by Davenant with some help from John Dryden, first appearing in 1674. — William Shakespeare and William Davenant. Julius Caesar. A Tragedy. As it is Now Acted at the Theatre Royal. London: Printed by H. H[erringman]. Jun. for Hen. Heringman and R. Bentley ... and sold by Joseph Knight ..., 1684. Typographic ornament on title; lower inner corner of title torn affecting a few words of the imprint. First separate edition. (Wing S2922; ESTC R15574.) — John Banks.  Cyrus the Great: or, The Tragedy of Love. As it is Acted at the Theatre in Little-Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, by His Majesty's Servants. London: Printed for Richard Bentley at the Post-Office in Russel-street, Covent-Garden, 1696. Publisher's catalogue on last page. First edition. (Wing B656; ESTC R17203.) — Thomas Shadwell. The Libertine: A Tragedy. As it is Acted by Their Majesties Servants. London: Printed for H. Herringman, and sold by R. Bently, J. Tonson, F. Saunders, and J. Bennet, 1692. Woodcut ornament on title, small publisher's catalogue at bottom of last text page. Second edition. (Wing S2858; ESTC R40611.) — John Crowne.  Darius, King of Persia. A Tragedy, As it is Acted by Their Majesties Servants. London: Print for Jos. Knight and Fr. Saunders, at the Blew Anchor in the Lower-Walk of the New-Exchange in the Strand, 1688. First edition. (Wing C7383; ESTC R22073.)

Together six works in one volume, 4to (9 3/8 x 7 1/4 in.; 238 x 184 mm, uncut). Contemporary boards. Half red half-morocco slipcase; worn, upper hinge detached.

John Murray of Polmaise, Stirling, Scotland (ms. ex libris on front pastedown dated 1697) — E.S. Bell (typed letter of 1967 laid in). acquisition: Seven Gables, 1969

 

 

An astonishing survival: uncut copies of six seventeenth-century quarto plays. According to a typed letter by a previous owner, the book belonged to the library of Old Polmaise, a manor house demolished in 1933, the library sold to a local antique dealer with no interest in books.