Ian Ehling
Head of Department
Lot 7
SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM. 1654-1616. The Tempest, or the Enchanted Island. A comedy as it is now acted at His Highness the Duke of York's Theatre. Adapted by Sir William Davenant (1606-1668) and John Dryden (1631-1700). London: by J. Macock for Henry Herringman, 1676.
5 December 2019, 10:00 EST
New YorkUS$4,000 - US$6,000
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SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM. 1654-1616.
The Tempest, or the Enchanted Island. A comedy as it is now acted at His Highness the Duke of York's Theatre. Adapted by Sir William Davenant (1606-1668) and John Dryden (1631-1700). London: by J. Macock for Henry Herringman, 1676.
4to (219 x 151 mm). Late 19th-century red half morocco, spine gilt lettered and dated at foot, gilt edges; cloth folding case. Lower corners of first gathering cropped away, D1-2 and E2 a little tattered at lower corner, some minor staining, lacks final blank M2.
Provenance: The Library of William Foyle (his sale, Christie's London, 11 July 2000, part of lot 460).
Third edition (but the first to be printed separately) of Davenant's adaptation of The Tempest, written with John Dryden. The most successful show of its time, it was first performed at the Duke's Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, on 7 November 1667. It featured new characters and elaborate special effects. Dryden's explains in his Prologue that "Shakespear's pow'r is sacred as a King's" but advocates an updated view of staging a play, with female actors: "One of our Women to present a Boy / And that's a transformation, you will say / Exceeding all the Magick in the Play." Both the second and third edition include alterations by Shadwell. Jaggard p 463; MacDonald 73c; Wing S-2946A.
4to (219 x 151 mm). Late 19th-century red half morocco, spine gilt lettered and dated at foot, gilt edges; cloth folding case. Lower corners of first gathering cropped away, D1-2 and E2 a little tattered at lower corner, some minor staining, lacks final blank M2.
Provenance: The Library of William Foyle (his sale, Christie's London, 11 July 2000, part of lot 460).
Third edition (but the first to be printed separately) of Davenant's adaptation of The Tempest, written with John Dryden. The most successful show of its time, it was first performed at the Duke's Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, on 7 November 1667. It featured new characters and elaborate special effects. Dryden's explains in his Prologue that "Shakespear's pow'r is sacred as a King's" but advocates an updated view of staging a play, with female actors: "One of our Women to present a Boy / And that's a transformation, you will say / Exceeding all the Magick in the Play." Both the second and third edition include alterations by Shadwell. Jaggard p 463; MacDonald 73c; Wing S-2946A.