Bound volume of seven 18th century plays including: THOMAS FRANCKLIN's "Matilda: A Tragedy." (London, Cadell, 1775); "Timanthes: A Tragedy by JOHN HOOLE", (London, Beckett, 1770); "The Choleric Man. A Comedy" by RICHARD CUMBERLAND (London, Becket, 1775); RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN's "The Rivals, A Comedy as it is acted at the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden" (London, Wilkie, 1775); JOSEPH REED's "Tom Jones, A Comic Opera" (London, Becket and De Hondt, Richardson and Urquhart, 1769); JOHN GAY's "The Beggar's Opera....to which is Prefixed the Overture in Score and Musick to each Song" (London, J & R. Tonson, 1765); ISAAC BICKERSTAFF's "The Hypocrite" (London, W. Griffin, 1769)

London: Various printers, 1775. First editions by Francklin, Hoole, Cumberland, Sheridan and Reed. The Bickerstaff is a second edition and the Gay a late edition as it was first published in 1728. Pp. Francklin: [viii], 79, p. [80] advertisement; Hoole: pp.[vi of viii, lacking half-title], 71, p. [72, Epilogue] ; Cumberland: pp. xii, [3], 92; Sheridan: pp. [iii]-x (lacking half-title), [vi],98 (of 100 pages, lacking last leaf of text); Reed: pp. [viii], 62, [2 blank]; Gay: Pp. 94 (including engraved frontispiece by Grignion after Hayman), [2 blank]; Bickerstaff: pp.[viii including half-title], 92. 1 vols. 8vo. The seven works bound in one volume. Contemporary calf, maroon morocco label reading "Plays" and spine numbered "8.." Joints cracked, extremities and spine worn, some offsetting of text, some light browning, Cumberland and Sheridan margins cropped affecting first letters in outermargins and some catchwords, p. [iv] headline in Cumberland cropped, pp. 35-6 of Sheridan with final line of text cropped off, else a very good collection of plays. First editions by Francklin, Hoole, Cumberland, Sheridan and Reed. The Bickerstaff is a second edition and the Gay a late edition as it was first published in 1728. Pp. Francklin: [viii], 79, p. [80] advertisement; Hoole: pp.[vi of viii, lacking half-title], 71, p. [72, Epilogue] ; Cumberland: pp. xii, [3], 92; Sheridan: pp. [iii]-x (lacking half-title), [vi],98 (of 100 pages, lacking last leaf of text); Reed: pp. [viii], 62, [2 blank]; Gay: Pp. 94 (including engraved frontispiece by Grignion after Hayman), [2 blank]; Bickerstaff: pp.[viii including half-title], 92. 1 vols. 8vo. These plays were very popular, most running into second and sometimes third editions in the first year. The Francklin is an adaption of "Voltaire's "Amelie ou le duc de Foix." The Hoole epilogue by George Colman, the play based upon Metastasio's "Oemofoonte." The Epilogue of "The Choleric Man" is by Garrick. "Tom Jones," based upon Fielding's novel, is the libretto without music. The Gay includes printed music composed and arranged by John Christopher Pepusch. Bickerstaff's play is based upon the "Non-Juror" by Cibber.