Jonson Ben.ABAA
The three celebrated plays of that excellent poet Ben Johnson.
173235449London: Pr. for J. Walthoe G. Conyers J. Knapton et al. 1732. 12mo 16.8 cm 6.6". Frontis. 96 96 100 35 1 pp. without the general title-page. <br><br>Volpone The Alchemist and Epicoene: Or the Silent Woman: Three of Jonson's most popular and enduring comedies happily followed by "A True and Exact Catalogue of All the Plays and Other Dramatick Pieces That Were Ever Yet Printed in the English Tongue in Alphabetical Order." The plays were also issued separately; and while the title-page giving "The Three Celebrated Plays of That Excellent Poet Ben Jonson" published by W. Feales is not present here the presence of => the Volpone plate engraved by Jan Van der Gucht and several pagination errata seem to indicate that this is indeed Feales's omnibus edition.<br>Â Â Â Â Provenance: Front pastedown with armorial bookplate a crowned lion rampant billetty labelled "A.C.J.L."<br>Â Â Â Â Binding: Contemporary speckled calf framed and panelled in blind with roll-bordered panel in plain calf blind-tooled corner fleurons. <br>Â Â Â Â <br>Â Â Â Â ESTC T79993. Binding as above rebacked some time ago with mottled calf spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label and gilt-ruled raised bands and gilt floral decorations in compartments; upper corners refurbished edges and extremities rubbed hinges inside cracked volume holding. A copy without the general title-page and with bookplate as above. First and last few leaves including frontispiece with offsetting to margins from pastedowns; back free endpaper with a corner torn away; pages age-toned with some instances of mild foxing. => A nice 18th-century look at Jonson with the bonus of the contemporary theatrical catalogue. Pr. for J. Walthoe, G. Conyers, J. Knapton, et al. hardcover books
