The Dramatick Works Of Colley Cibber. Includes 2 Volumes As Follows:
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Volume 2: The Careless Husband (106) + Rival Fools (94) + Ximena, Or Heroic Daughter (57) + Richard III (74)
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Volume 5: Love Makes A Man (95) + Nonjuror (95) + Woman's Wit (119) + Venus and Adonis + Myrtillo (35)
By Colley Cibber
Printed For W. Feales & Jacob Tonsen: London 1735 - 1736
Illustrated With Frontis For Each Chapter - Original Leather Bindings
"These two volumes form part of The Dramatick Works of Colley Cibber, Esq., published in London in 1735-1736, and represent a substantial eighteenth-century collection of the plays of one of the period's most prominent theatrical figures. Colley Cibber—actor, playwright, theatre manager, and later Poet Laureate—was a central figure in the Restoration and early Georgian stage. Volume II includes The Careless Husband, Ximena; or, Heroick Daughter, Rival Fools, and his adaptation of Richard III, while Volume V contains Love Makes a Man; or, The Fop's Fortune, The Nonjuror, Woman's Wit, Venus and Adonis, and Myrtillo, reflecting the breadth of Cibber's comic and dramatic output.
Cibber's plays are emblematic of early eighteenth-century theatrical taste, blending Restoration wit with evolving sentimental and moral themes suited to Georgian audiences. Works such as The Careless Husband and Love Makes a Man showcase his talent for lively social comedy and character-driven satire, often centred on fashionable society, marriage, and the follies of affectation. His adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III became one of the most influential stage versions of the tragedy in the eighteenth century, shaping performance traditions for decades. These volumes illustrate the vibrant commercial theatre culture of London, particularly the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, with which Cibber was closely associated.
Printed in London for W. Feales and other prominent booksellers of the Strand, and bound in contemporary mottled calf with raised bands and gilt spine labels, these volumes stand as handsome examples of mid-eighteenth-century theatrical publishing. Their survival in original leather bindings enhances their appeal as both literary and historical artefacts of the Georgian stage. They would particularly appeal to collectors of eighteenth-century drama, scholars of Restoration and early Georgian theatre, and admirers of finely bound period play collections."
Light wear and fading to covers and spine as pictured. No inscriptions. Binding quality is excellent with firm, secure covers and no loose pages. Pleasant age toning to pages otherwise clean. A wonderful, 2 volume collection in very good condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.
