CONGREVE, William.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The Works. First collected edition of Congreve's works, printed on fine paper. The first editions of the author's texts were often produced quickly and cheaply, to meet public demand. When he came to issue the collected edition, Congreve worked closely with his publisher to ensure that the works were edited and presented to his exacting standards.Congreve was best known for his comedies, which were received rapturously throughout the 1690s. After 1700, his interests shifted: he composed poetry and became more engaged with the musical stage. His collected works entail his comedies, tragedies, poems, the masque The Judgement of Paris, and the opera Semele. This set is the variant without the additional title page and list of contents in Volume III, but with the poem Epistle to Lord Halifax.Provenance: Grace Boyle (1723-1763), Countess of Middlesex, with her bookplate. Boyle was the only child and sole heir of Richard Boyle, Viscount Shannon, who was close friends with the author and perhaps received this copy from him - Stephen C. Massey.

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