Thomas Davies — Dramatic Micellanies

London, Printed for the Author, 1783-1784. First edition. Leather. A scarce first edition of Davies" criticism of Shakespeare and other prominent writers, enlivened by his intimate knowledge of Garrick and his theatrical contemporaries. Uniformly bound in a contemporary mottled calf binding.  First edition.  Complete in three volumes.  Illustrated with an engraved portrait frontispiece of the celebrated Restoration actor Thomas Betterton to volume I.  Collated, complete.  Volumes I and III are dated 1784, whilst volume II is dated 1783. A lively work of theatrical criticism and anecdote, offering observations on several plays of Shakespeare, assessments of their principal characters as represented by David Garrick and other notable performers, and accounts of dramatic poets and actors. Thomas Davies (c.1713-1785) was a Scottish actor, bookseller and author, with first-hand experience of the theatre . After leaving the stage he established a bookshop in Covent Garden, where he famously introduced James Boswell to Samuel Johnson in 1763. His successful Memoirs of the Life of David Garrick appeared in 1780, preceding the present work. Fourteen pages of subscribers to the front of Volume I. ESTC no.: T90854 Uniformly bound in a contemporary mottled calf binding. Bookplate of Thomas Henry Hastings Davies to front paste downs. Bookplate of Robert J. Hayhurst to front free endpaper of volume I. Worming to rear endpapers of volume II, affecting final few leaves. Slight rubbing and bumping to extremities resulting in very slight loss to calf, more so to joints. Slight discolouration from binder's glue to endpapers. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean if characteristically age toned with the odd light spot to first and last few leaves. Slight offsetting from frontispiece of volume I to title page. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: Not Stated. Very Good Indeed .