The Works of Shakespear In Six Volumes, Carefully Revised And Corrected by the Former Editions

This is an incredibly rare complete set of Shakespeare's works dated 1745. After Shakespeare's death in 1616, his plays were collected by his friends John Heminge and Henry Condell, leading to the formation of the First Folio in 1623. Eighty-six years later, Nicholas Rowe became the first modern editor of Shakespeare's work. He addressed various textual issues that arose from the conflicting quartos and folio editions of the plays, which had hitherto corrupted the text. Again, in 1723-1725, Alexander Pope published his edition of Shakespeare's works in six volumes. Both of these editions are highly valuable and sought after, and they paved the way for the 1745 edition published by J. and P. Knapton. The editor of this edition is not named; however, the bookseller's advertisement remarks this edition is 'exactly copied from that lately printed in quarto in Oxford', suggesting the text has been taken from Sir Thomas Hanmer's, former Speaker for The House of Commons, edition published in Oxford in 1743. the first volume includes Alexander Pope's preface, along with Nicholas Rowe's account of Shakespeare's life. It is a wonderful example of early Shakespearian publication, appearing 12 years before David Garrick's famous marble statue of the bard and before the zenith of his popularity in the late 18th and 19th centuries. The title page of each play is adorned with fantastic period woodcuts, along with a dramatis personae prefixed ahead of each play. The plays includes in each volume are as followed: Vol 1: "The Tempest", "Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Two Gentleman of Verona", "The Merry Wives of Windsor", "Measure For Measure", "The Comedy of Errors", "Much Ado About Nothing".
Vol 2: "The Merchant of Venice", "Loves Labour Lost", "As you Like it", "The Taming of the Shrew", "All's Well that End well", "Twelfth Night" and "The Winter's Tale". Vol 3: "King Lear", "King John", "King Richard II", "King Henry IV" (parts 1 & 2), "King Henry V". Vol 4: "King Henry VI" (parts 1, 2 & 3), "King Richard III", "King Henry VIII" Vol 5: "Timon of Athens", "Coriolanus", "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra", "Titus Andronicus", "Macbeth" Vol 6: "Troilus and Cressida", "Cymbeline", "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "Othello". Overall, good condition for age. The books are bound in the original paneled calf with gilt title and tome number on the spine. Woodcuts adorn the title pages of each play. Each volume bears an ex-library plate on the front pastedown (no other library marks), and an ex-libris plate on the front pastedown of each volume belongs to John Vernon, a former lawyer and member of the Society of Lincoln's Inn. Notably, volumes 1, 2, 3, and 6 have a detached front board, and volume 5's front board is slightly loose. Volume 4's title page for Henry VI, Part One is missing, affecting the first page of the text. Additionally, the last leaf of Volume 4 is missing, affecting the epilogue of Henry VIII. Otherwise, all volumes are in good condition with firm bindings, mildly tanned pages, and only very occasional light fading to text.The boards exhibit moderate wear for age, with some rubbing and scuffs to the edges. There is minor bumping to corners and slight loss to the leather's spine ends on volumes 6 and 3.