Bell's edition of Shakespeare's plays : as they are now performed at the Theatres Royal in London : regulated from the prompt books of each house, by permission, with notes critical and illustrative / by the authors of the Dramatic censor.

Bell's edition of Shakespeare's plays : as they are now performed at the Theatres Royal in London : regulated from the prompt books of each house, by permission, with notes critical and illustrative / by the authors of the Dramatic censor.

Plays. 1794. James Barker

London : Printed for John Bell, near Exeter Exchange in the Strand, and C. Etherington, at York, MDCCLXXIIII [1774 i.e. 1794]

8 v. : ill., ports. (engravings) ; 19 cm (12mo)

Barker's continuation of Bell's Shakespeare, consisting of Bell's remainders, with play title pages unchanged, from the 2nd (1774) and 3rd (1778) acting editions, and Barker's reprints; play title pages reading: London : Printed (by assignment) for J. Barker, at the dramatic repository, Russell-Court, Drury-Lane, 1794. See Burnhim & Highfill.

Title and imprint information from Bell's original engraved volume title pages; Barker did not issue general or volume title pages for this edition.

Plays with Barker's imprint are individually signed and paginated; plays with Bell's imprint are continuously signed and paginated.

Engravings are a mixture of Bell's original (dated 1773-1786) or J. Barker's imprints (dated 1793-1794); variously lettered by engravers: J. Hall, W. Byrne, M. Liart, Isaac Taylor, P. Mazell, W. Walker, C. Grignion, Js. Basire, I.K. Sherwin, T. Cook, J. Roberts, Parkinson, White, R. Dighton; and artists: N. Dance, E. Edwards, Isaac Taylor, and I.K. Sherwin

Not in ESTC [04 Jan. 2012]

Not in Jaggard, W. Shakespeare bibliography; see p. 504.

Introduction to Shakespeare's plays, containing an essay on oratory and dramatic performances, [Francis Gentleman], Printed ... for J. Barker ... 1794, in v. 1.

Cast lists in plays of v. 1-5.

King Lear with a final leaf of advertisements for J. Barker. Cymbeline and King Henry VIII with final leaves of advertisements for Bell.

v. 1. As you like it ; Macbeth ; Othello ; All's well that ends well
v. 2. Merchant of Venice ; Romeo and Juliet ; King Lear ; Much ado about nothing ; Cymbeline
v. 3. Measure for measure ; King Richard III ; Hamlet ; Tempest ; Merry wives of Windsor
v. 4. King Henry IV, part 1 ; King John ; Henry V ; King Henry VIII ; King Henry IV, part 2
v. 5. Twelfth-night ; Winter's tale ; Julius Caesar ; Coriolanus ; Timon of Athens
v. 6. Two gentlemen of Verona ; Taming of the shrew ; Troilus and Cressida ; Antony and Cleopatra
v. 7. King Richard II ; King Henry VI
v. 8. Titus Andronicus ; Comedy of errors ; Midsummer-night's dream ; Love's labour's lost.

v.1-8

Burnim & Highfill. John Bell, p. 13-14

Great Britain -- England -- London.

PR2752 1774c Sh.Col.

Plays mostly Bell's 1774 second edition (v.6-8 all); many with Barker 1794 imprints; H41 is Bell's 1778 third edition. Vol. 2, Cymb. bound preceding Much ado. Autograph: James Bunchers (v.6). Bound in mottled leather; plays are bound in volume t.p. order.

F2-26-53