Essays, Biographical, Critical and Historical, illustrative of the Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian. In three Volumes by Drake, Nathan - 1805

London: Printed by C. Whittingham for John Sharpe, Opposite York House, Piccadilly. Fair with no dust jacket. 1805. First Edition. Hardcover. Complete three volume set. Leather bindings are very worn with cracks in the leather and cracked hinges and chips. Volume 1 cover is detached, but otherwise complete. Gold inlay decorative border to bindings. Corners and edges worn. Books are in fair to good condition otherwise. Contents complete, tight bindings, and marbled endpapers. Some foxing to tissue sheets covering engravings and to pages opposite title page.. Engravings throughout. The Tatler, The Spectator, and The Guardian were products of a "New Age" of journalism in 18th Century England. They were "news-sheets" were circulated in coffee houses of London where men met to share and discuss the news and opinions of the day. They cost two pense to buy but were free to those wo paid the penny admission to enter a coffee house. These houses became known as "Penny Universities". The papers were founded by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele. Nathan Drake was Born in Yorkshire, and took his M.D. from Edinburgh in 1789 and practiced medicine at Sudbury (1790-92) and Hadleigh, Suffolk (1792-1836). He was a popular essayist and an early advocate of German literature. He is remembered for his vast compendium of information on Elizabethan writers, Shakespeare and His Times (1817). This work includes essays and biographical sketches on those in literature. Rare complete set. Drake's publications included: The speculator [ed. Drake and W. Frend]. 1791.Literary hours: or sketches critical and narrative. 1798; 2 vols, 1800, 3 vols, 1804, 1820.The old abbey tale, in Canterbury tales. 1802.Essays biographical, critical, and historical, illustrative of the Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian. 3 vols, 1805.Rochester Castle; or Gudulph's Tower. A gothic tale. 1810.The gleaner: a series of periodical essays, selected and arranged from scarce and neglected volumes. 4 vols, 1811.Shakespeare and his times. 2 vols, 1817.Winter nights: or fire-side lucubrations. 2 vols, 1820.Evenings in autumn: a series of essays. 2 vols, 1822.Noontide leisure: or sketches in summer, including a tale of the days of Shakespeare. 2 vols, 1824.Mornings in spring: or retrospections biographical, critical, and historical. 2 vols, 1828.Memorials of Shakespeare: or sketches of his character and genius by various writers. 1828.The harp of Judah: or songs of Sion, being a metrical translation of the Psalms. 1837. ; Vol. 123; Engravings; 8vo 8" - 9" tall .