Catalogue of a Collection intitl'd Shakesperiana; comprehending All the
several Editions of the Works of Shakespeare, old & new; divers rare old
Editions of Writers, prose-men & verse-men; with a Variety of other
Articles, chiefly such as tend to illustrate him;--made by his last
Editor, E. C; and by him deposited in the Library of Trinity College in
Cambridge, this eleventh Day of Iune in the Year 1779.
large 4^o. (11 × 9).
An alphabetical index to the books in the collection, in Capell's
own handwriting. At the end is inserted a leaf containing a list of
'Quarto's wanted' to complete the collection of Shakespearian
editions. Of this list thirty copies were privately printed by
Steevens in 1780, and it was also reprinted in Hartshorne's 'Book
Rarities of Cambridge' in 1829. The list is not very accurate and
there are many omissions. It inserts, moreover, as if in the
collection, many editions which it never contained, Capell having
intended to make the list of Shakespearian quartos complete by
reference to other collections when his own failed. In the inside
of the cover is the following inscription: 'June 26. 1779. Ordered
by the Master and Seniors, agreeably to the express Desire of M^r.
Capel, that the whole Collection given by him be kept together in
the same Class; and that no Manuscript or Book belonging to it be
taken out of the Library on any Pretence whatever. J. Peterborough
M C.' There are also three documents inserted relating to articles
in the collection. One of these runs 'Effigies William Shakespeare
Britanni ad fidem tabellæ unicæ manu Richard Burbage depictæ (circa
annum, ut videtur, 1609) per R. Barret Londinensem quam exactissimè
expressa anno 1759, curantibus David Garrick et Edward Capell.
Capell's Collection given to y^e College 1779'. Another is headed
'Extract of a letter to M^r. Capell, that accompany'd a Cast from
the face of Shakespear's monument at Stratford, dated Dec^r. 13.
1780.'. The portrait and cast are both in the Library. The third is
a list of certain books in Capell's handwriting. There has also
been added to the collection a fine medallion head of Capell,
engraved by Bartolozzi after a plaster model taken from life by
Roubilliac in 1750.
Mr William Shakespeare his Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies, set out
by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now
faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten volumes octavo; with
an Introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, Notes,
criticall and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire.
Qui genus humanum ingenio superavit, et omneis
Præstinxit, stellas exortus uti æthereus Sol.
Lucr. Lib. 3. l. 1056.
_London: Printed for &c._ 1768.