The Temple Shakespeare by SHAKESPEARE, William (1564-1616), [GOLLANCZ, Israel, editor]

London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1894. [Drama] FIRST THUS. A near-complete set of 40 volumes, lacking only 'Songs'. Sexto-Decimo in half-sheets (14 x 11 x 55cm). Each volume with an engraved frontispiece and decorated title page. Attractively printed on good paper in contrasting red and black ink. Publisher's stippled maroon cloth, with gilt titles to spines, blind Shakespeare coat of arms to uppers, and colour printed coat of arms to front pastedown of each volume. Top edges gilt, others untrimmed. Green triangular ex libris stamp of Ben H. Lines to front fly-leaf of each volume, with a hand-written volume number to each stamp. A small associated black ink ownership to some volumes additionally. Light toning and spotting to endpapers, otherwise internally clean. Light general wear to cloth, with sunning to spines of a few volumes, including A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, and Henry IV part II. Very good. The Temple Shakespeare contends with The Red Letter Shakespeare as one of the great pocket editions of the late nineteenth / early twentieth century, combining practicality with attractive typography and good paper.