A scarce complete set of 'The Plays Of William Shakespeare. In 10 Volumes With The Corrections And Illustrations Of Various Commentators; To Which Are Added Notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens'. Second edition, published by C. Bathurst, W Strahan et al, London in 1778.
All ten volumes boast full tree calf bindings with red and green leather panels and intricate gilt decoration to the spines. All ten volumes show cracking to the leather at the spine joints. There is chipping to the spine leather of Volume 1 and the front boards of both Volume 1 and Volume 10 are becoming detached from the binding. There is shelf wear to the extremities but the spine of each volume remains intact and attractive, and all pages remains bound.
Bookplate of 'Armytage' to the front pastedown of each volume and an ownership stamp of 'Rev. John Pomley' to the front blank of each volume. Engraved portrait frontispiece within Volume 1. The front free endpaper is torn within Volume 1 and there is a small tear to the front free endpaper of Volume 5. Otherwise the pages of all volumes are in a good condition with some light browning to various pages but mostly clean and bright, with no inscriptions or further damage.