The plays of William Shakspeare.

The plays of William Shakspeare.

Plays. 1807. T. Davison

London : Printed by T. Davison, for Peter Wynne and Son, 45, and Robert Scholey, 46, Paternoster-Row, 1807.

8 v. : ill., 1 port. (engraving, woodcuts) ; 24 cm (8vo)

Davison issued three 1807 editions (one in 8 vol., two in 10 vol.) which are closely related to the 1803-1805 Plays of William Shakspeare printed by Bensley. These three variants, all with matching v. 1 title pages, can be distinguished by title page imprints. In this issue in 8 vol. are Bensley's title page dated 1803 (v. 2-4) and 1804 (v. 5-8). The text in this issue is the same as the Bensley edition, but shows differences in signatures and type alignment, suggesting the use of standing type (Folger card catalog). There is an issue in 10 vol., with McCreery's t.p. dated 1807 (v. 2-4), and Bensley's t.p. dated 1804 (v. 5-10). And another issue in 10 vol., where all t.p. have the same Davison imprint and are dated 1807.

Plays are signed and paginated separately.

Plays were accurately printed from the text of Mr. Steeven's last edition.

Each volume with vol. title page; each play with a divisional title page and woodcut vignette.

Not in Jaggard, W. Shakespeare bibliography; see p. 511.

Glossary in v. 1 (Note: the glossary might be bound in v. 8).

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

Great Britain -- England -- London.

PR2752 1807d Sh.Col.

Bookplate of Joseph Francis Daly. Inscription: "To my brother, whose noble thoughts have their images nowhere better than in these volumes. I offer this token of my love and admiration on his 28th birthday, Augustin Daly, Dec. 3rd, 1868." Bound in goat with filleting and cloth endpapers.

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