William Shakespeare. Julius Caesar: A Tragedy. As It Is Now Acted at the Theatre Royal. London: H(enry) H(ills),...

Description

An Early Quarto Edition of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar never appeared in print until the first folio edition of 1623 and was not printed in a separate quarto edition until 1684. "It was followed by four undated editions before the dated edition of 1691. The reason for six editions in seven years must be sought in the great popularity which the play had on account of the excellent acting of Thomas Betterton and in the general interest in the great tragedies..." (Bartlett; in Bartlett's list ours is the fourth edition).

Wing S2925. Bartlett 115. ESTC r226533.

Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar: A Tragedy. As It Is Now Acted at the Theatre Royal. London: H(enry) H(ills), Jun(ior) for Hen(ry) Herringman, and R(ichard) Bentley and sold by Joseph Knight and Francis Saunders, [1684-95?] 4to. A-H4, (lacks H1, supplied in fine facsimile on old paper). 64p. Modern Cambridge binding, spine in gilt with title label. Signature of previous owner ÒH. Jeff. Coapman?Ó (Moapman?) inserted from old endpaper. Lacks H1 (supplied in facsimile on old paper), leaves A1-2 repaired at top with a few letters affected at the head on the verso of A2; hole in inner margin of F2 (no text affected), hole in F3 affecting lines 27-8 of page 46 (patched with missing letters supplied); paper darkened and foxed with a few old stains (minor); some old inner margin repairs (see verso of last leaf, but no text affected). 'Julius Caesar' never appeared in print until the first folio edition of 1623 and was not printed in a separate quarto edition until 1684. "It was followed by four undated editions before the dated edition of 1691. The reason for six editions in seven years must be sought in the great popularity which the play had on account of the excellent acting of Thomas Betterton and in the general inerest in the great tragedies..." [Bartlett] In Bartlett's list ours is the fourth edition.
Wing S2925. Bartlett 115. ESTC r226533. This is the printing with a colon after ÒCaesarÓ on the t.p.; Òwander forth to dayÓ in the penultimate line of F2r; & page 15 misnummbered 51. English Literature. Drama. Plays. Shakespeare.