Six Old Plays, on which Shakspeare Founded His Measure for Measure, Comedy of Errors, Taming the Shrew, King John, K. Henry IV and K. Henry V, King Lear
Price:
$950.00
Item #100176
First edition of this collection of Shakespearean source material, edited by George Steevens, who had recently partnered with Samuel Johnson on an influential edition of Shakespeare; a publisher's advertisement for the Johnson-Steevens octavo edition appears in the first volume. The plays anthologized here are George Whetstone's Promos and Cassandra (1578), a source for Measure for Measure; Plautus's Meanaechmi (reprinted from a 1595 English translation), the basis of The Comedy of Errors; The Taming of a Shrew (reprinted from a 1607 edition, but known to exist as early as 1594), a source for The Taming of The Shrew; The Troublesome Reign of K. John (reprinted from the 1611 edition that credits Shakespeare as the author, but first printed in 1591), a source for King John; The Famous Victories of Henry V (first published in 1598, but acted some years earlier), a source for Henry IV and Henry V; and The True Chronicle History of King Leir, and His Three Daughters, Gonorill, Ragan, and Cordella (reprinted from a 1605 edition, but acted as early as 1594), a source for King Lear. London bookseller J. Nichols, who backed this collection, writes of the six plays anthologized here: "Their claim to be preserved is built on their having suggested such plans as [Shakespeare's] superior genius and judgment enabled him to improve. A basket placed by accident over a weed, and covered with a tile, is recorded by Vitruvius as the origin of the Corinthian capital." In a Holland House armorial binding, with Holland House bookplates. A very good copy.
First edition of this collection of Shakespearean source material, edited by George Steevens, who had recently partnered with Samuel Johnson on an influential edition of Shakespeare; a publisher's advertisement for the Johnson-Steevens octavo edition appears in the first volume. The plays anthologized here are George Whetstone's Promos and Cassandra (1578), a source for Measure for Measure; Plautus's Meanaechmi (reprinted from a 1595 English translation), the basis of The Comedy of Errors; The Taming of a Shrew (reprinted from a 1607 edition, but known to exist as early as 1594), a source for The Taming of The Shrew; The Troublesome Reign of K. John (reprinted from the 1611 edition that credits Shakespeare as the author, but first printed in 1591), a source for King John; The Famous Victories of Henry V (first published in 1598, but acted some years earlier), a source for Henry IV and Henry V; and The True Chronicle History of King Leir, and His Three Daughters, Gonorill, Ragan, and Cordella (reprinted from a 1605 edition, but acted as early as 1594), a source for King Lear. London bookseller J. Nichols, who backed this collection, writes of the six plays anthologized here: "Their claim to be preserved is built on their having suggested such plans as [Shakespeare's] superior genius and judgment enabled him to improve. A basket placed by accident over a weed, and covered with a tile, is recorded by Vitruvius as the origin of the Corinthian capital." In a Holland House armorial binding, with Holland House bookplates. A very good copy.
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