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Old October 12th 03, 02:06 AM
Jerry Morris
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John Yamamoto-Wilson wrote and I snipped

....after the Bible, Shakespeare is the most widely-published work in

English and sets like this are plentiful.

I'm curious. How many RCBers have the Works of Shakespeare in their
library?

While collecting Books About Books, and books by and about Samuel
Johnson are my primary concerns, I haven't ignored collecting
Shakespeare. I have a set or two as well as odd volumes of early
editions of his works. For the most part however, the Shakespeare sets
I covet cost more than a dime a dozen; more than I'm willing to pay in
most cases.

To soothe my soul, I've recently discovered a rather inexpensive bypath
to collecting Shakespeare; I've started collecting books by and about
Shakespeare Societies.

The Shakespeare Society's Papers, Vol. I London, 1844. Printed for the
Shakespeare Society. This book contains articles on Shakespeare and
other literature of the Elizabethan period by J. Payne Collier, J.O.
Halliwell, and other Shakespeare scholars of the time.

Patient Grissil: A Comedy by Thomas Dekker, Henry Chettle and William
Haughton. London,1841. Reprinted from the Black Letter Edition of 1603
for the Shakespeare Society. here's all the info on the orignal title
page of this work by these three contemporaries of Shakespea THE
PLEASANT COMODIE OF PATIENT GRISSILL .....As it hath been sundrie times
lately plaid by the right honorable the Earle of Nottingham (Lord high
Admirall) his servants .......LONDON. Imprinted for Henry Rocket, and
are to be solde at the long Shop under S. Mildreds Church in the
Poultry. 1603. I suspect this is not a true reprint of the title page
of the Black- letter edition; the long ess, "=83" has been replaced by
the median "s."

Romeo and Juliet. Reprint of Q=B0 2 1599. London, . Trubner & Co.1874.
Series II. Published for the New Shakspere Society. Softcover. Here's
the info on the original title page: THE MOST EX =3D
cellent and lamentable Tragedie, of Romeo and Juliet Newly
corrected, augmented, and amended: As it hath bene =83undry times
publiquely acted, by the right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his
seruants. London. printed by Thomas Creede, for the Cuthbert Burby,
and are to be=83old at his =83hop neare the Exchange. 1599. I want to
acquire the Transactions of this society, particularly the issues which
contain articles by Furnivall.

Shakspere Society of Philadelphia. Philadelphia,1860, together with
Shakspere Society of Philadelphia 1860-1879, Being a continuation of
Col. Mallory's History, Philadelphia,1898. Asa L. Fish, Garrick
Mallory, Furman Sheppard, and Samuel C Perkins, three lawyers and one
soon-to-be lawyer, were the original members of this society. Their
first meeting was conducted in October, 1852. They called themselves
the Shakspere Apostles and, at first, met every Thursday to read and
discuss Shakespeare. No other members were elected to the society the
first year. In 1853, four more members were elected, followed by a
gradual increase in membership. For a time, however, the Shakspere
Apostles limited the number of members who attended the society's
annual dinner to twelve. Eventually, they chose to refer to each other
as "Shakespeare brothers." Special mention in the society's historical
papers is made of J. Hubley Ashton, the only Baconian ever elected to
the Shakspere Society of Philadlephia.

Journal of the Bacon Society. Also Containing the first Annual Report.
Volume I. London,1886. Quite an elaborate publication, documenting the
inital proceedings of the Bacon Society, and "proof" that Bacon was the
author of the Shakespeare plays and poems. I particularly like the
explanatory note added above the index, which is in the front of the
book: "The Bacon-Shakespeare Controversy is referred to as B.S.."

New Shakespeareana. Vol.IV NO.3 July,1905. Published by the Shakespeare
Press of Westfield, New Jersey for the Shakespeare Society of New York.
Contains the papers read at the Twentieth Annual dinner of the Society
honoring its President, Appleon Morgan.

Heading my way are eight issues of Shakespeariana from 1890 and 1891,
as well as incomplete copies of books of the Shakespeare Society of New
York from as early as 1883. Research showed Shakespeariana to be the
original name of the society's publication, which ceased publication in
the 1890s. New Shakespeareana is the name of the society's publication,
first published in 1902.

...that's all for now folks!

Jerry Morris


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