The Plays.

London: printed by T. Bensley, for Vernor and Hood, E. Harding, J. Wright,, 1800. A very attractive set Harding's edition, a most attractive set in exceptional condition. "Harding's 12-volume duodecimo edition is in admirable taste, printed by Bensley; clear to read, with etched and stippled illustrations, Rowe's Life, Farmer's essay on Shakespeare's learning, a glossary, and before each play the 'Observations' as in Johnson and Steevens 1793. There were no footnotes. Each play was separately paged and issued" (Franklin, p. 50). The edition "showed a bias towards book illustration, away from theatre portraits, often using stipple as suitable for fantasy... These and others established a Shakespeare tradition of decorative book illustration in which the artist became free to invent from his experience of reading. After almost a century of pleasant small volumes, domestic Shakespeare veered away from stage appearance" (ibid., pp. 211-2). The publisher Edward Harding (1755-1840) was appointed librarian to Queen Charlotte in 1803, and also operated her private press at Frogmore until her death in 1817. He later worked for George IV, and maintained links with many members of the Royal family into the 1830s. Twelve volumes, duodecimo (156 x 94 mm). Contemporary red quarter sheep, spines lettered in gilt, marbled sides, vellum tips. With a portrait frontispiece and 125 engraved plates. Other than minimal rubbing to marbled sides a fine set, the bindings without wear, the contents clean and fresh save for occasional spotting to plates. ESTC T2914. Colin Franklin, Shakespeare Domesticated, 1991.