188 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 147. 



PHOSPECTUS of a new Edition of Shakespeare, in TWENTY FOLIO VOLUMES, corresponding in size -with the convenient first 

 collective edition of 1623, to suit numerous fae-similes to be made from that work.— Privately printed for Subscribers only. 



THE WORKS 



OP 



WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, 



WITH A 



^eto Collation of tin tarip €Xiitiom, 



ALL THE 



ORIGINAL NOVELS AND TALES ON WHICH THE PLAYS ARE FOUNDED; 



COPIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS TO EACH PLAY; 



AND A LIFE OF THE POET: 



JAMES 0. HALLIWELL, ESQ., E.E.S., F.S.A., 



Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy, and of the Royal Society of Literature, &c. 

 THE ILLUSTRATIONS BY AND UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 



F. W. FAIRHOLT, ESQ., E.S.A. 



The preparation of this work has occupied 

 my earnest attention for nearly twelve years ; 

 my object being to bring together, from the 

 stores of Elizabethan literature, art, or science, 

 whatever really tends to illustrate the pages of 

 the great poet of the world, in the full convic- 

 tion there yet remains room for one compre- 

 hensive edition which shall answer tlie re- 

 quirements of tlie student and zealous inquirer. 

 Granting that tlie general spirit of Sliakespeare 

 may be appreciated without the assistance of 

 lengtliened commentary, it cannot be denied 

 there is much which is obscure to tlie mjJcrn 

 reader, — numerous allusions to the literature, 

 manners, and pliraseolojy of the times wliicU 

 require explanation and careful discussion. 



Each play will be accompanied by every 

 kind of useful literary and antiquarian illus- 

 tration, extending to complete copies of all 

 novels, tales, or dramas on which it is founded, 

 and entire impressions of tlie first sketches, 

 some of which will be new to the student, and 

 others carefully collated witli tlie originals. 

 In fact, no pains will be spared to render this 

 edition tlie most complete in every respect that 

 lias yet been produced j su:)ersediug entirely the 

 Variorum edition of 1821, with the addition of 

 all Shakesperian discoveries of any importance 

 which have been made since tliat period. The 

 work will be copiously illustrated by fae-similes 

 and wood-cuts, the direction of wliich has been 

 undertaken by Mr. Fairholt, who has also most 

 kindly promised to assist me in the selection. 

 It is unnecessary to enlarge on the import mce 

 of sujh assistance, and tl\e valuable aid to be 

 expaotedfrom Mr. Fairholt's extensive reading 

 in Elizabethan literature and intimate ac- 

 quaintance with every department of ancient 

 art. 



The engravings throughout will be riiidly 

 restricted to subjects which really elucidate 

 the text, giving representations of articles 

 mentioned by Shakespeare, or to which he m jy 

 refer, however slightly, thus serving as pic- 

 torial notes to his works. In the case of the 

 historic plays, monumental effigies of the prin- 

 cipal cliaraeters, personal reliques, or antique 

 views of places alluded to, will be admissible : 

 but in no case will truthfulness be sacrificed, 

 or a false taste for meretricious picture-making 

 allowed. The engravings will be rigid fac- 

 similes of the original subjects in all cases, and 

 will depend on their own intrinsic in^nt as 

 Shakesperian illustrations. There is muc'i in 

 public and private museums whicli has never 

 yet been used in this way, and which it will bj 

 our care to investigate, searching far and wide 

 for objects which may secure to our readers a 

 correct idea of their form and character, as 

 they were present to the mind of the great 

 dramatiit. For such purposes, we may observe 

 we have already full access to Lord Londes- 

 birougli's collection, and liave availed our- 

 selves of others at home and abroad. 



The size of the first folio, after much con- 

 sideration, has been adopted, not only because 



it is the most convenient folio form (barely 

 measuring fourteen inches by nine), and suits 

 the size of tlie fac-similes, most of wliich would 

 otherwise have to be folded, but the magnitude 

 of the undertaking precludes any other, were 

 it intended to complete it in any reasonable 

 number of volumes. 



We now proceed to speak of the mode of 

 circulation ; and in anxiously considering this 

 subject, have been c ireful to bear in mind tlie 

 obligations due to the original subscribers of so 

 expensive a work, as well as the necessity of 

 the large expenditure being reimbursed, to say 

 notliing of an adequate return for the literary 

 labour,— the attainment of which is more than 

 problematical, as it would be incompatible 

 with any arrangement which secured the per- 

 manency of a high price. Now, it is a well- 

 known fact that no literary or artistic work 

 maintains its original value unless the impres- 

 sion is strictly limited ; and it is proposed to 

 adopt thi I course on the present occasion. The 

 Editor, therefore, pledges himself to limit t!ie 

 number of copies to '" one hundred and fifcy," 

 under the following conditions : — 



1. The impression of this edition of Sliake- 

 speare will be most strictly limited to one hun- 

 dred and fifcy copies, and eacli copy will have 

 the printer's autograph certificate that that 

 limit has been preserved. 



2. The work will be completed ia about 

 twenty folio volumes ; but any volumes ia 

 excess of that number will be presented to tlie 

 original subscribers. 



3. All the plates and woodcuts used for this 

 work will be destroyed, and no separate im- 

 pression of any of them will be taken off. 



The original subscription price of each vo- 

 lume (a thick folio, copiously illustrated) will 

 be Two Guineas i and bearing in mind the 

 above restrictions, and tlie expenditure requi- 

 site for sueli a work, the Editor is confident 

 that price will not only be retained, but, in all 

 probability, greatly raised within a few yea-s. 

 The whole will be completed (d.v.) in six 

 years ; so that for a comparatively small an- 

 nual expenditure (about six guineas) during 

 that period, the subscriber will possess the most 

 complete monograph edition of the works of 

 I the greatest poet of all ages. Nor cin it be 

 ; anticipated he will be purchasing what is likely 

 i to fall in value. He will possess a work that 

 i can never come into the market, but, in its 

 ! pecuniary relations, will stand somewhat in 

 ] the position of a proof engraving, only to be 



possessed by a very limited number. 

 i The Editor has been anxious thus to state at 

 some length the considerations which have 

 urged him to limit the impression of the work 

 I so strictly ; for however willing, on many ac- 

 counts, to seek a more extensive circulation, 

 he could not bring himself personally to ask 

 for support without taking every moans to 

 ensure, m their fullest extent, the interests of 

 those who are inclined to encourage an ardu- 

 ous under;aking of this kind. The risk, more- 



over, was too great to venture the publication 

 in the ordinary way ; and he was, therefore, 

 compelled either to ab.andon the hope of print- 

 ing his materials, or to appeal to the select few 

 likely to understand the merits of the design. 



To those few, the Editor hopes he may, 

 without arrogance, avow the design of offering 

 the most copious edition of Shakespeare ever 

 printe I, and one of the most important series 

 of volumes that could be placed in an English 

 library. 



It is due to the curators and possessors of the 

 chief Shakesperian collections to acknowledge, 

 with gratitude, the readiness with whicli they 

 have given or promised every facility for the 

 purposes of this undertaking ; and, in addition 

 to the sources accessible to my predecessors, the 

 literary treasures of a bibliographical friend, 

 who possesses the finest private collection of 

 early quarto Shakespeares in the world, will be 

 available for the first time in the prooaratioii 

 of the present edition. The completeness, 

 however, of iny own library, in the department 

 of Sliatxsperianci, renders me to some extent 

 independent of other repositories, having pur- 

 chased, for several years, every work on tin 

 subject which has occurred for sale, which wa'S 

 not procurable in public libraries. The ex- 

 pense hence incurred would appear unreason- 

 able to those who were not conversant with the 

 prices realized for dramatic rarities ; two tract* 

 alone having cost me upwards of \QOl., and 

 several others averaging very large prices ; a 

 circumstance only alludsd to for tlie purpose of 

 remarking that no exertions have been spared 

 in the collection of my materi ils. 



In conclusion, I am sanguine this long- 

 cherished design should not, will not, fail for 

 want of appreciation. The works of Shake- 

 speare, the greatest of all uninspired authors, 

 should surely be surrounded, in one edition at 

 least, by the reading of the student and the 

 pencil of the .irchKological draughtsman. In 

 one edition, let every source of useful illustra- 

 tion be explored and rendered accessitile to the 

 student and the future editor ; and even if 

 there be something redundant, much will re- 

 main suggestive of familiar explanations of 

 obscurities and more popular uses. 



It must be observed that if the demand for 

 this edition should exceed the narrow limits 

 assigned to the impressioo, as the Editor has 

 every reason to consider will be the case from 

 the somewhat unexpected number of applica- 

 tions already received from the single adver- 

 tisement in this journal, he must reserve a 

 ri^ht of selection, especially with regard to all 

 libraries of a permanent character. As the 

 undertaking will be carried on, as it has been 

 conceived, without any commercial views, no 

 inducement shall be permitted to influence an 

 alteration in the limit above mentioned. 



All communications or suggestions respect- 

 ing this work should be addressed to Mr. llalii- 

 well , Avenue L jdge, Brixton Hill, Surrey. 



ed by Thomas Clark Shaw, of No. 8. New Street Square, at No. 5. New Street Square, in the Parish of St. Bride, in the City_ of London ; and 

 lishcd by George Bei-l, of No. 186. Fleet Street, in the Parish of St. Dunstaa ia the West, in the City of London, Publisher, at No. I8b. 



P/tnted 

 publ _ , 



I tleet Street aforesaid.— Saturd.iy, August 21. 18.52. 



