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THE PLAYS OF BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER. Peers of William Shakespeare. Complete in 14 volumes. Printed in 1812. First Edition edited by Henry Weber. In remarkable condition despite the age. Bound in full leather. The leather is supple. The hinges are all sound. The paper is high quality rag paper with low acid content. Approximately 9 inches tall. Complete in 14 volumes, as stated on the title page. Printed on quality rag paper. Full tan calf leather. Brown and tan labels with gilt lettering. FIRST EDITION of a compilation by Henry William Weber (1783â "1818) who was an English editor of plays and romances and literary assistant of Sir Walter Scott. Weber was born in 1783, allegedly in St. Petersburg, and is said to have been the son of a Westphalian who married an Englishwoman. He was sent with his mother to Edinburgh "by some of the London booksellers in a half-starved state." Sir Walter Scott employed him from August 1804 as his amanuensis and secured for him profitable work in literature. Weber was described as affectionate but imbued with Jacobin principles by Scott. (Scott, Journal, 1890, i. 149). After Christmas 1813 a fit of madness seized Weber at dusk, at the close of a day's work in the same room with his employer. He produced a pair of pistols and challenged Scott to mortal combat. A parley ensued, and Weber dined with the Scotts; next day he was put under restraint. His friends, with some assistance from Scott, supported him, "a hopeless lunatic," in an asylum at York. There he died in June 1818. Beaumont and Fletcher were the English dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, who collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I (1603â "25). They became known as a team early in their association, so much so that their joined names were applied to the total canon of Fletcher, including his solo works and the plays he composed with various other collaborators including Philip Massinger and Nathan Field. The first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647 contained 35 plays; 53 plays were included in the second folio in 1679. Other works bring the total plays in the canon to about 55. While scholars and critics will probably never render a unanimous verdict on the authorship of all these playsâ "especially given the difficulties of some of the individual casesâ "contemporary scholarship has arrived at a corpus of about 12 to 15 plays that are the work of both men. The plays generally recognised as Beaumont/Fletcher collaborations: The Woman Hater, comedy (1606; printed 1607) Cupid's Revenge,tragedy (c. 1607â "12; printed 1615) Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding, tragicomedy (c. 1609; printed 1629) The Maid's Tragedy, tragedy (c. 1609; printed 1619) A King and No King, tragicomedy (1611; printed 1619) The Captain, comedy (c. 1609â "12; printed 1647) The Scornful Lady, comedy (c. 1613; printed 1616) Love's Pilgrimage, tragicomedy (c. 1615â "16; 1647) The Noble Gentleman, comedy (licensed 3 February 1626; printed 1647). Beaumont/Fletcher plays, later revised by Massinger: Thierry and Theodoret, tragedy (c. 1607?; printed 1621) The Coxcomb, comedy (1608â "10; printed 1647) Beggars' Bush, comedy (c. 1612â "13?; revised 1622?; printed 1647) Love's Cure, comedy (c. 1612â "13?; revised 1625?; printed 1647). High quality paper is still supple. The leather is supple. Set is remarkably fresh and well preserved. The spines look like they were professionally rebacked in the 1800's using the original boards and spine labels. The hinges are supple and this set can therefore be read without risking them. Generalized scuffs and abrasion to the bindings. All hinges are sound and strongly attached. This is a gorgeous set. It would make an excellent gift or addition to any fine library. This set will be well protected for shipping. Please see my other listings for similar books. 25.07.
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