The Works of Shakespear

Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1770-1771. Leather. Good Only. 13" by 9.5". Hubert Gravelot; Francis Hayman. A beautifully illustrated set of William Shakespeare's works. Noted for the beautiful engravings which were created by Gravelot after Hayman under supervision of the editor. An miportant and scarce six volume set of Shakespeare's works, with full page illustrations. Volume I also has the Alexander Pope's preface and Rowe's important life of Shakespeare. This is the second edition of Sir Thomas Hamner's Shakespeare, which was originally published in 1743-4. With two portraits of Shakespeare, and eight further plates to volume I, seven plates to volume II, six plates to volume III, five plates to volume IV, six plates to volume V, with five plates to volume VI. With thirty-nine plates total including the frontispiece and second engraved portrait of Shakespeare. Prior owner's inscription to the title page of all volumes, Owen Owen Oxon 1820. Volume I : The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Measure for Measure, The Comedy of Errors and Much Ado About Nothing. Volume II: The Merchant of Venice, Love's Labour's Lost, As You Like IT, The Taming of the Shrew, All's Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, or What you Will, The Winter's Tale Volume III: King Lear, King John, King Richard II, King Henry IV Part I, King Henry IV Part II, King Henry V Volume IV: King Henry IV Part I, King Henry VI Part II, King Henry VI Part III, King Richard III, King Henry VIII Volume V: Timon of Athens, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Titus Andronicus, Macbeth Volume VI: Troilus and Cressida, Cymbeline, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello In a uniform full calf binding. Externally, worn with patches of rubbing to the boards. Loss to the tail of spine to volume VI. Small split to front joint of volume I. Large split to the front joint of volume II. Rear joint to volume II is cracked, but remains firm. Front board is detached but present. Rear joint to volume III is cracked but remains firm. Front hinge to volume V is tender and held by one cord only. Front hinge and joint to volume VI is weak and held by one cord only. Internally, all volumes are firmly bound. Pages are generally bright. Worming to the outer margin of page 144 onwards to volume I. Heavier to the 'Various Readings' section to the rear, not affecting the text. Small worm holes to the outer margins of the first 90 pages to volume II, not affecting text. Front endpapers to volume II have adhered to each other. Worming to the edge of 'Various Readings' to the rear of volume V, not affecting the text. Pressed leaves loosely inserted to volume III, only causing the most minor offsetting. Small closed tear to the fore-edge of Pp2 to volume V. Just the odd spots to pages. Good Only