The Works.

London: William Pickering; Talboys and Wheeler, Oxford; T. Combe and Son, Leicester,, 1826. Marlowe's reputation resurrected First collected edition of Marlowe's plays, and the first publication to disclaim Marlowe's authorship of Lust's Dominion on the basis of new evidence uncovered by John Payne Collier. As with other Pickering publications, great care was taken with the typography and design, and it is an attractive production. After two centuries where Marlowe had been practically forgotten and mostly out of print, the early 19th-century saw a flood of editions of Marlowe's works, building on the renewed interest engendered by the publication of Charles Lamb's Specimens of English Dramatic Poets in 1808, in which he had commended Marlowe. In 1818, William Oxberry began editing and publishing all the plays individually, with Pickering's being the first collected publication. The anonymous editorship has been attributed to George Robinson. It was followed by a single-volume edition of the plays the following year, and Marlowe has never again been out of print for any substantial period of time. Three volumes, octavo (180 x 112 mm). Contemporary tan calf, spines with gilt ruled raised bands, black calf labels, covers, board edges and turn-ins bordered with a single gilt fillet, yellow endpapers, edges gilt. Late 19th-century ownership inscription to title page of vol I. of Temple Bodley, quite possibly the Kentucky lawyer and historian (1852-1940); partly erased pencil annotations to pastedowns of vol. III. Leather to spines cracked, superficial splits to joints and inner hinges, all skilfully refurbished, some marks and scuffs to covers, the bindings remaining firm, soiling and light foxing to endpapers, short closed tears to half-title of vol. I at gutter, and to upper margin of one leaf in vol. III, both without loss of text, occasional marks to contents, otherwise generally clean. A very good, well margined set. Keynes, Pickering Checklist, p. 77. For the early 19th-century renewal of interest and editions, see Kuriyama, Christopher Marlowe, p. 166.