Eight Tragedies in One

London: Thomas Dolby, 1824. Hardcover. Eight plays, bound as one, 1824 - 1825; 5 3/4 x 3 3/4; pp. [17], 10-65, [12], 8-56, [9], 8-57, [8], 8-47, [12], 10-46, [11], 8-45, [20], 10-54, [15], 14-64, [4]; marbled boards and 3/4 brown morocco; embossed spine decorations and gilt title; some fading and rubbing to paper on boards; a bit of wear to corners, edges, and along spine; small bookshop label to front board verso; illustrated with woodcut engravings, including such of the position of the characters at the fall of the curtain, most of them by Cruikshank, most after original drawings, specifically created for this publication and with steel engravings by Woolnoth; overall in very good condition.A beautiful little book, it featured printings of eight famous tragedies, as they were performed at the Theatre-Royal in London in 1824 and 1825. Also included were detailed descriptions of the costumes, stage directions, and relative positions of the characters, highlighted by wonderful Cruikshank, Jones, and Woolnoth engravings. The works included: William Shakespeare's "Coriolanus" and "King Henry V," Philip Massinger's "The Fatal Dowry," Thomas Southern's "Isabella; or, the Fatal Marriage," George Lillo's "George Barnwell," Nicholas Rowe's "The Fair Penitent," John Howard Payne's "Brutus; or, the Fall of Tarquin" and Peter Bailey's "Orestes in Argos."