Don Sebastian King of Portugal, The Distrest Mother, Theodosius, The Conscious Lovers, The Fair Penitent by Mr Dryden, Mr Philips, Nathanael Lee, Richard Steele, N Rowe - 1734

734, 1744, 1741, 1742 - London - J and R Tonson, 1734 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. First edition.. FivepopularSeventeenth/Eighteenth Century playsof varyinggenres bound as one. With an illustrated frontispiece to each volume. Direct from the Regency library of Elizabeth Greenly, later Lady Elizabeth Coffin Greenly. Elizabeth Greenly, born at Titley Court, Herefordshire, was a noted and varied collector. She kept prolific diaries from 1784 until her death in 1839 which included her responses to current events and occasions in her daily life. Among the diaries many names and anecdotes of celebrities of the time appear, including Lord Byron, Marie Antoinette, Mary Wollstonecraft and Hannah More. She was known to comment on customs of foreign countries to which she and her friends had travelled, and had a keen interest in scientific discoveries and advancements including medicine and archaeology. The Greenly library contents show Elizabeth Greenly's numerous interests including: Welsh causes, Science, topography, travel, Bibliana and literature, particularly female poets. The library contains many first editions of contemporary works, and many are signed or contain her bookplate. The library contained over 1000 volumes which show the diversity and depth of her interests and give an insight into the life of this fascinating collector. The copy of Don Sebastian King of Portugal appears tohave been sourced from Volume VI of The Dramatick Works of John Dryden as the title page for this has been boundbefore the title page for the play. Don Sebastian is a Tragedy by John Dryden originally published in 1690. Ithas also been seen as a moral fable and arguably his bestplay. The Distrest Mother is a play by Ambrose Philips who wasbetter known as a poet andpolitician. Theodosius was first acted in 1680 and isa tragedy by Nathaniel Lee. TheConscious Lovers is a sentimentalcomedy in five acts by Irish playwright Richard Steele. The Fair Penitent is Nicholas Rowe's adaptation of the tragedy The Fatal Dowry. It premiered on stage in 1702 and was a great success throughout the 18th century. Condition: In a full calf binding with gilt stamping to spine. Externally, a trifle rubbing to spine. Front joint is starting but firm. Front hinge is slightly strained but firm. Prior owner's bookplate to front pastedown, E H Greenly. Internally, generally firmly bound though strained in palces. The odd spot throughout. Overall: VERY GOOD..