Fifty Comedies and Tragedies

London: Printed by J. Macock. for John Martyn.., 1679. FLETCHER, John. Fifty Comedies and Tragedies. London: Printed by J. Macock. for John Martyn..., 1679.

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BEAUMONT, Francis. FLETCHER, John. Fifty Comedies and Tragedies. London: Printed by J. Macock. for John Martyn..., 1679.

Second folio edition but first complete edition. With eighteen additional plays included for the first time. This also contains the second appearance of Shakespeare's "The Two Noble Kinsmen" after the first separate quarto in 1634. Folio (14 1/8 x 9 inches; 360 x 230 mm). Two parts in one volume (as always). [1, blank], [10], 280, 279-578; 557, [1, blank] pp. Complete with frontispiece portrait.

Full contemporary speckled paneled calf, rebacked to style. Spine stamped with gilt thistles. Brown leather spine label, lettered in gilt. Corners bumped and boards a bit rubbed. A repair to leaf P2 of Part I, just touching page numbers and a few letters. A small repair to outer margin of leaf Ooo2, just touching printed border and one letter. Some occasional spotting and dust soiling. Previous owner has corrected a few of the mispaginiations with a pencil. Two previous owner's bookplates on front pastedown. Overall very good.

Beaumont and Fletcher is the third great folio collection of Elizabethan drama after Jonson's (1616) and Shakespeare's (1623).

"Almost equal in importance in English literature to the First Folio of Shakespeare" (Rosenbach 25: 7). The playwrights Beaumont and Fletcher were regarded in their time as two men so closely in harmony as to constitute one mind: "Beaumont bringing the ballast of judgement, Fletcher the sail of phantasy... He who has not perused Beaumont and Fletcher can have no complete idea of the riches of English poetry" (Allibone I, 150-151).

HBS 69058.

$3,850.