The Romance of the English Stage (2 Vol set)
London: Bentley, 1874. Thick Quarto. Item #029035
In two volumes, 334 and 328pp. Besides his importance as a contributor to Charles Dickens's Household Words, Fitzgerald was an authority on British theatre, writing on Garrick, the Sheridans, Henry Irving and others. V. 1. Theatrical memoirs. The stroller's life. Old York theatre. The story of George Anne Bellamy. The adventures of Tate Wilkinson. Great de´buts: Garrick, Siddons, Kean -- v. 2. "The ill-fated Mossop." Love and death upon the stage. The Ireland forgeries. Mrs. Robinson. George Frederick Cooke. Elliston. Gerald Griffin. The young Roscius Stocqueler, J.H. (Joachim Hayward), 1800-1885. The Shakespearian referee: a cyclopaedia of four thousand two hundred words, obsolete and modern, occurring in the plays of Shakespeare. to which are added, translations of all the Latin, French, Italian and Spanish words occurring in the Plays. Washington: W.H. Lowdermilk, 1886. viii, 241 pages. Often confusing because J.H. Siddons is the name of J.H. Stocqueler claiming he was the illegitimate son of Mrs. Siddons the actress. He was considered one of the most serious American writers on Shakespeare. The work has many fascinating entries including foreign words in Shakespeare. It also has a very pious description of Shakespeare's use of the word Christianity. These volumes were issued in a small print run and dedicated to Henry Irving. Bound in ¾ red polished calf over marbled paper covered boards with matching endpapers, top edges gilt, raised bands with compartments fully decorated in gilt, double morocco spine labels gilt (lacking one label),some rubbing or chipping to binding. A good set.
Price: $165.00