The plays of William Shakspeare
Print Book, English, 1800
Printed by T. Bensley, Bolt Court, Fleet Street; for Vernor and Hood, Poultry; E. Harding, Pall-Mall; and J. Wright, Piccadilly, London, 1800
12 v. : ill., 1 port. (engravings) ; 17 cm (8vo)
2813481
v. 1. Tempest ; Two gentlemen of Verona
v. 2. Merry wives of Windsor ; Twelfth-night ; Measure for measure ; Much ado about nothing
v. 3. Midsummer-night's dream ; Love's labour's lost ; Merchant of Venice ; As you like it
v. 4. All's well that ends well ; Taming of the shrew ; Winter's tale ; Comedy of errors
v. 5. Macbeth ; King John ; King Richard II
v. 6. King Henry IV ; King Henry V
v. 7. King Henry VI
v. 8. King Richard III ; King Henry VIII ; Timon of Athens
v. 9. Troilus and Cressida ; Coriolanus ; Julius Caesar
v. 10. Antony and Cleopatra ; Cymbeline ; Titus Andronicus
v. 11. Pericles ; King Lear ; Romeo and Juliet
v. 12. Hamlet ; Othello
There exist three incarnations of this edition: 12 volumes with 37 illustrated plays; 12 volumes with 37 unillustrated plays; and 38 numbered parts of the 37 illustrated plays in wrappers, sold individually between 1798-1799, intended to be bound into 12 volumes. This record comprises both the illustrated and the unillustrated editions in 12 volumes
"This edition of Shakspeare's plays is not only published in 38 numbers ... with elegant engravings, but also in 12 volumes, without the plates, forming a complete and uniform collection of the dramatic works of our immortal poet"--Page cxl, v. 1
Each vol. with a half-title and a vol. title page; each play with an individual title page bearing the heading "Harding's edition". Plays are dated between 1798-1800
Engraved illustrations alternately lettered by artists: W.N. Gardiner, R.K. Porter, Stothard, W. Hopwood, Satchill, Thurston, Singleton, Rivers, Shee, Corbould, Satchwell, R.A. Stothard; and by engravers: Birrell, Hopwood, W. Platt, W.N. Gardiner, J.J. van den Berghe, Chapman, Ridley, W. Grainger, Canston, J. White, E. Bocquet; dated between 1797-1800, and published by either E. Harding or by Venor & Hood
Individual plays have separate pagination and signatures
With Some account of the life, &c. by Rowe, the preface of Johnson, and Farmer's essay in v. 1; and a glossary in v. 8