The National Shakespeare. 3 vols. complete and all published. A facsimile of the Text of the First Folio of 1623. Illustrated by Sir J. Noel Paton.

This is a rare or used book from the Berkelouw Rare Books Department.

London: William Mackenzie n.d. (c.1890). Thick folio Edition de Luxe with India-proof impressions of the 24 full-page engraved plates. Stunningly bound in original full morocco. Uniformly gilt front & rear covers. Spines gilt with raised bands and titled 'Comedies' 'Histories' and 'Tragedies'. Top edges gilt and other edges uncut. Inside dentelles. Marbled endpapers. The text in double-column is "a scrupulously accurate reproduction of the original including all those peculiarities of paging spelling and punctuation" (p. i). Printed on hand-made paper. Particularly fine. An ideal gift. A facsimile of the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays (comprising a total of 36 of the master playwright's Comedies Histories and Tragedies) and arguably the most important book in the English language without which 18 of Shakespeare's plays including Macbeth Twelfth Night and The Tempest would have been lost forever (Folger Shakespeare Library n.d.). As noted in the Preface "In the most distant quarters of the world (wherever the English language has penetrated) are the works of the greatest dramatist read quoted and reverenced as the greatest English classic. His words have become a part of our common speech and are daily echoed by millions of his countrymen as naturally as the waves reflect the sunbeams." (p. i)