The Poetical Works of David Garrick, Esq. Now First Collected into Two Volumes by Garrick, David (1717-79) - 1785

London: George Kearsley. 1785. First Edition. Hardcover. Two volumes bound in one; 16mo in eights (17 cm) in early full calf tooled in blind and gilt with diamond devices on front and rear boards, marbled endpapers and page edges; [2], lvii, [1], 224, [2], [225]-540 pp. Bound without the adverts at the end of vol. II. ESTC T42742. >>> Modest wear to outer corners, minor rubbing to covers; rebacked with most of the original spine laid down (lacking the original top panel, half the volume label, and a small strip at foot); inner hinges reinforced with different marbled paper at time of rebacking, cracked front joint newly repaired with cloth inner hinge and now quite firm; front paste-down with the bookplates of Shadworth H. Hodgson and the Hodgson Bequest to Rugby School Library (no other library marks); verso of front blank and margins of p 501 with neat ms. annotations in an early hand light offsetting to the margins of the title-pages; only a few occasional small spots in text, else the contents are clean, unworn, quite bright.>>>Though David Garrick was probably the most famous English actor and theatrical impresario of his time, the publisher and editor of the present work, George Kearsley, has "long observed with surprise the total neglect shewn to the Works of Mr. Garrick. Though six years are now elapsed since his death, no one step has been taken towards giving an edition of them." Kearsley sought to set things right with this voluminous collection of Garrick’s verses, fables, odes, songs, airs, curtain speeches, etc. VG overall; 16mo .