The Beauties of Shakespear
Dublin: J. Milliken, 1773. Two 12mo volumes, measuring 6.75 x 3.75 inches: [4], xviii, 282, [8]; [4], 291, [9]. Full contemporary calf, boards double-ruled in blind, raised bands, black morocco spine labels lettered in gilt. Typographic headpieces throughout text, indexes in both volumes. Printed presentation labels, completed in manuscript and dated 1785, to front pastedowns; ink inscription (“Your honour”) to front free endpaper of Volume II. Light rubbing to bindings, expert repair to spine ends.
Third edition of this popular Shakespeare anthology, a “collection of the finest passages of the finest poet,” first published in 1752. Editor William Dodd assembled his favorite speeches from the plays, then creatively indexed them by subject: “Wedding, a mad one describ’d, 114; Widow, compar’d to a turtle, 168; Wife’s duty to her husband, 116,” and so on. The result was an accessible introduction to Shakespeare’s works, eventually expanded to three volumes in 1780, and reprinted into the twentieth century. This copy contains prize labels, dated 1785, presenting this copy to William Gore, a student at the English Grammar-School in Dublin, in recognition of his performance in spelling and reading. Both prize labels are signed by Grammar-School founder Samuel Whyte; other pupils at Whyte’s school, which educated Dublin’s elite, included playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, poet Thomas Moore, and Irish nationalist Robert Emmet. A very handsome set.
Price: $500.00