SHAKESPEARE - Mr. William Shakespeare his comedies, historie - Lot 405

SHAKESPEARE - Mr. William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto; or by the players his fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those editions... with an introduction, whereunto will be added, in some other volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a body of various readings throughout. London, Dryden Leach for J. and R. Tonson, 23 February 1768. 10 vols. pet. in-8, Portraits of Shakespeare, Garrick and 36 plates h. t. engraved in intaglio, each piece with separate pagination, russeting, yellowed ff., 19th century ivory vellum, boards decorated with blue or gilt thread, smooth spine decorated with blue bands set with the names of the pieces per volume, and Edwards at the head, tr. gilt. First edition given by Edward Capell who follows a long introduction with the first attempt at a bibliography of Shakespeare's works. There are 36 plates illustrating each play, mostly engraved after E. Edwards, which first appeared in John Bell's edition (London, 1773-1774). Jaggard (502) states that this is the first truly artistic illustration in the manner of the French engraved books. This would explain why the amateur wanted to inscribe the illustrator's name on the spine of the volumes.