The Works of William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare, Alexander Dyce 1891 - Swan Sonnenschein &, London - Sixth Edition An attractively bound ten volume set of Shakespeare, volume I with Dyce’s Life of Shakespeare, prefaces, and history of the early editions, volume X containing a 526 page glossary.   Alexander Dyce (1798- 1869) was a Scottish dramatic editor and literary historian, whose works, characterized by scrupulous care and integrity, contributed to the growing interest in William Shakespeare and his contemporaries during the 19th century.

As an undergraduate at the University of Oxford, Dyce edited a dictionary of the language of Shakespeare. After serving as a curate in Cornwall and Suffolk, he settled in London and devoted himself to literature. In 1857 Dyce’s edition of Shakespeare was published by Moxon; and the second edition was issued by Chapman & Hall in 1866. He also published
Remarks on Collier's and Knight's Editions of Shakespeare (1844); A Few Notes on Shakespeare (1853); and Strictures on Collier's new Edition of Shakespeare (1859), a contribution to the Collier controversy, which ended a long friendship between the two scholars. Dyce was closely connected with several literary societies, and undertook the publication of Kempe's Nine Days' Wonder for the Camden Society; and the old plays of Timon of Athens and Sir Thomas More were published by him for the Shakespeare Society. He was associated with Halliwell-Phillips, John Payne Collier and Thomas Wright as one of the founders of the Percy Society, for publishing old English poetry. Dyce amassed a large and valuable library, of which he bequeathed over 14,000 books to what was then the South Kensington Museum, now housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Reference:
Encyclopedia Brittannica.

Octavo, ten volumes (binding size 22.4x15.5cm), pp. [2] xii 556 [2]; [6] 422 [2]; [6] 511 [3]; [6] 522 [2]; [6] 576 [2]; [6] 485 [3]; [6] 437 [3]: [6] 512 [2]; [6] 447 [3]; [6] 519 [3].
  In contemporary tan half calf, over marbled boards, spines in six panels decoratively tooled in gilt, raised bands, twin red and black morocco labels titled in gilt, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt.   Condition: Very good, some minor rubbing to bindings, volume I with sunning to rear panel, scattered foxing, many leaves still unopened with bolts uncut.   Ref: 106055   Price: HK$ 18,000