The Works of Shakespear.

Pope’s Shakespeare – the second critical edition (after Rowe’s) – was the first to generate textual controversy, thus founding a long academic tradition. Pope here makes his final textual revisions and some concessions to the criticisms levelled by Lewis Theobald at his first edition of 1725, without stooping to mention the latter’s name. This second edition was published the same year as Pope took vicious revenge on Theobald in The Dunciad. The present set includes the supplementary ninth volume with Pericles and the doubtful plays, not published with the first edition; and the tenth and final volume with the Poems and critical apparatus. The presence of Gildon’s essay here, first added to Rowe’s edition, is somewhat ironic, as Gildon had conducted a lengthy feud with Pope, Pope responding in several short poems and, after Gildon's death in 1724, annihilating his reputation both in The Dunciad and the Epistle to Arbuthnot. This edition is scarce in commerce.

10 volumes, 12mo (162 × 95 mm). Attractively bound in mid nineteenth-century tan half calf, red and black labels, spines with raised bands, gilt dotted rolls, marbled sides, cream endpapers. With 45 engraved plates, copied from Rowe’s edition. Ownership inscriptions of Richard Moss, 1847, on versos of front free endpapers. Some minor rubbing to edges but overall a very good set of this scarce edition.