The Dramatic Works of Henry Fielding (3 voluimes)
London: A. Millar, 1755. Octavo. Item #029068
Each play has special title page and separate pagination. Advertisements throughout each volume. Some plays include unaccompanied melodies. The editions included vary from set to set. While Millar's 1762 issue of Fielding's Works became the most available, the very scarce 1755 octavo set was only issued in an edition of 250 copies. An earlier edition of two volumes had been printed by John Watts. Fielding's close association with Andrew Millar was essential for the printing of his works. Though Fielding had died in 1754, Millar's extensive copies and publishing rights led to this very scarce edition which also printed the Grubstreet Opera with a reissue of the 1732 title page though no copies of the original printing appear to have survived. Millar's warehouses had many copies of the earliest works and there were many purchasers of Millar's copyrights from 1771 to 1821. The later edition of Fielding including the cheap one volume edition by Thomas Roscoe (1840). Hugh Amory, "Andrew Millar and the first recension of Fielding's "Works". Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographic Society, Vol. 81 (1981), pp. 57-78 describes the complexity of determining the earliest issues. Apparently, Wilbur Cross's earlier 3 volume work (1918) did not have access to much of the material on Millar that Amory has uncovered. Amory goes on to say that even though he was able to examine material John Murray had, there still are bibliographic issues to be resolved. Bound in 1/4 modern brown leather over marbled paper covered boards, raised bands, maroon and black leather labels gilt, compartments stamped in gilt, endpapers renewed, contemporary owner's names, Jane Gregor, 1755 and Anna Maria Reeve Hendens, Berks. 1788. The following works are contained within these three volumes. v. 1. Love in Several Masques (1728) -- The Temple Beau (1730) -- The Author's farce (3rd ed. 1750) -- The Coffee-House Politician, or The Justice Caught in his Own Trap (1730) -- The Tragedy of Tragedies, or The Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great (4th ed. 1751) -- The Letter-Writers, or, A New Way to Keep a Wife at Home (1750) -- v. 2. The Grub-Street Opera (1731) -- The Masquerade (1728) -- The Lottery (4th ed. 1748) -- The Modern Husband (2nd ed. 1732) -- The Mock Doctor, or, The Dumb Lady Cur'd (4th ed. 1753) -The Covent-Garden Tragedy (1754) -- The Debauchees, or The Jesuit Caught (3rd ed. 1750) -- The Miser (3rd ed. 1754) -- v. 3. The Intriguing Chambermaid (1750) -- Don Quixote in England (1754) -- An Old Man Taught Wisdom, or, The Virgin Unmask'd (4th ed. 1749) -- The Universal Gallant, or, The Different Husbands (1735) -- Pasquin (3rd ed. 1754) -- The Historical Register, for the year 1736 ... to which is added ... Eurydice Hiss'd, or, A Word to the Wise (1741) -- Tumble-Down Dick, or, Phaeton in the Suds (1744) -- Miss Lucy in Town (1742).1788 [ ESTC N10216]. A handsome fresh set.
Price: $2,450.00