8vo. [8], 386pp. With half-title and photographic frontispiece. Finely bound by Bickers and Son. in contemporary gilt-tooled tree-calf, contrasting black morocco lettering-piece. Marbled endpapers and edges. Inscription of 'John N. Williams, Prize. Easter: 1890. Matfield Grange' to FFEP. Light spotting to endpapers and initial blank fly-leaves. Overall a fine copy.

A handsomely bound edition of the first work to make the plots of Shakespeare's plays accessible to a juvenile audience, first published in 1807, and prolifically published across the nineteenth century. The romantic writers and siblings Charles (1775-1834) and Mary Lamb (1764-1847) were convinced by William Godwin to undertake the work for his nascent Juvenile Library. Although the volume was originally attributed solely to Charles, the comedies (some fourteen of the twenty plays, and thus the majority of the work) were composed by Mary, who would later receive equal billing, as in this edition.

From the recently dispersed country house library at Bridehead, Dorset.