The Dramatick Writings of Will. Shakspere with the Notes of All the Various Commentators (Bell's Edition) [20 vols - complete] [WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE] Half leather - 1788

London: John Bell, 1788. First Edition, thus. Half Leather. Good to Very Good. Printed Complete From the Best Editions of Sam. Johnson and Geo. Steevens. 12mo (15cm). Complete in 20 volumes, with essays by Samuel Johnson, George Steevens, many of the plays with separate, lengthy, very detailed annotations, setting out bibliographical issues, printing history and the like. An important scholarly reference for the time, gathering together numerous essays and commentaries on the plays. Under Bell's direction, these sets would have been issued at a competitive price. Prolegomena, Vol I: frontis. portrait engraving of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, with the facing engraved dedication page by John Bell to His Royal Highness George Prince of Wales. A collection of Prefaces, including Pope, Johnson, Warburton and Heminge and Condell's preface to the folio edition of 1623. Prolegomena, Vol II: engraved frontis portrait of E. Malone (Edward), engraved portrait of David Garrick, Nicholas Rowe with Rowe's Life of Shakespeare, three engravings of Shakespeare, and his will, including the folding facsimile. Vol XII with the fold out plate of Morris Dancers. Engraved plates to each volume, mostly depicting leading actors in character. Half calf with marbled paper over boards, marbled leading and lower page edges. Gilt rules to red corner leather, author and title labels to spine compartments, gilt rules to spine edges. Armorial bookplate of Arthur Young (1741–1820), agricultural reformer and writer, to front pastedown. As can be seen from the picture, features a wolf's head atop a coronet, a slimmed down version of Young's usual bookplate which also features his heraldic shield, doubtless this bookplate made for his smaller size volumes. Occasional minor foxing to some endpapers and plates, one plate (Measure for Measure) detached, marbled paper to boards some what rubbed and worn to edges of some volumes. Fragment missing to lower corner of pp. 37, vol IV, Merry Wives of Windsor with minor loss only to text. Some volumes lack their author, title labels or both. Spine ends, tips, somewhat rubbed to varying degrees. All bindings firm and intact, pages clean and bright. Overall, a sound set of this important edition, with no significant flaws.