Ben. Johnson - The works of Ben. Johnson. In five volumes - 1716-1716

The works of Ben. Johnson.
In five volumes.
Adorn’d with cuts.
London :
printed for J. Walthoe, M. Wotton, J. Nicholson,
J. Sprint, G. Conyers, B. Tooke, D. Midwinter,
T. Ballard, B. Cowse, J. Tonson, and W. Innys,
1716.
Selling here are five volumes (of six) from the first octavo edition of the Works of Ben Johnson, printed in London, 1716-1717. Volume two dated 1717.

Ben Johnson, (1572-1637, London), English Stuart dramatist, lyric poet, and literary critic. He is generally regarded as the second most important English dramatist, after William Shakespeare, during the reign of James I. Among his major plays are the comedies Every Man in His Humour (1598), Volpone (1605), Epicoene; or, The Silent Woman (1609), The Alchemist (1610), and Bartholomew Fair (1614).

8vo, five volumes uniformly bound in 19th century gilt ruled half black morocco over marbled paper covered boards, spines gilt lettered and dated, with five raised bands, all page edges marbled. Period marbled endpapers with previous owners bookplate.

The books measure 13cm by 19.5cm.

The five volumes present are textually complete, meeting collation: 448; 488; 455; 431; 432; 414, [10]pp, with seven engraved plates. Decorative woodcut initials, head and tailpieces.