Bell's edition of Shakespeare's plays : as they are now performed at the Theatres Royal in London : regulated from the prompt books of each house, by permission, with notes critical and illustrative
William Shakespeare, Francis Gentleman, John Bell (Bookseller), Christopher Etherington (Bookseller), John Hall (Printmaker), Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (London, England), Covent Garden Theatre
Print Book, English, MDCCLXXIIII [1774]
Printed for John Bell, near Exeter Exchange in the Strand, and C. Etherington, at York, London, MDCCLXXIIII [1774]
Acting editions England London 18th century
9 v. : ill., ports. (engravings) ; 18 cm (12mo)
38927625
v. 1. Macbeth ; As you like it ; Othello ; All's well that ends well
v. 2. King Lear ; Romeo and Juliet ; Merchant of Venice ; Cymbeline ; Much ado about nothing
v. 3. King Richard III ; Merry wives of Windsor ; Hamlet ; Tempest ; Measure for measure
v. 4. King John ; King Henry IV ; King Henry V ; King Henry VIII
v. 5. Julius Caesar ; Timon of Athens ; Winter's tale ; Coriolanus ; Twelfth-night
v. 6. Two gentlemen of Verona ; Taming of the shrew ; Troilus and Cressida ; Antony and Cleopatra
v. 7. King Richard II ; King Henry VI
v. 8. Titus Andronicus ; Comedy of errors ; Midsummer-night's dream ; Love's labour's lost
[v. 9.] Poems written by Shakespear
Edited by Francis Gentleman
Vol. 1-5 of this 9-v. set exist in three separate settings of type; v. 6-9 of all three are the same setting of type. In this edition, v. 1-5 are gathered in 6's and the individual play title pages are dated 1773. Vol. 6-8, and the unnumbered ninth volume containing the poems, are in 12's. All v. title pages (v.1-8), the individual play titles (v.6-8), and the engraved title page for v. [9] are dated 1774
Plays are paginated and signed continuously except in v. 3-4, which are signed but not paginated continuously. Plays in v.1-5 were printed in a different order than how they are listed on the volume title pages
Engraved illustrations variously lettered by engravers: J. Hall, W. Byrne, M. Liart, Isaac Taylor, P. Mazell, W. Walker, C. Grignion, Js. Basire, I.K. Sherwin, and T. Cook; and artists: N. Dance, E. Edwards, Isaac Taylor, and I.K. Sherwin. Illustrations are dated between 1773-1774
Cast lists in v.1-5; most plays (notably in v. 1-5), as well as the poems, have final leaves of bookseller's advertisements
List of subscribers and an Introduction to Shakespeare's plays, dated 1773, in v. 1. Life of Shakespeare in v. 9
"Authors of the Dramatic censor" identified as Francis Gentleman. Cf. Halkett & Laing. General t.p. of v. 1 preceded by 2 leaves of plates bearing portraits of Shakespeare and David Garrick engraved by J. Hall, the latter after a paintng by N. Dance.