ve any similar work ever attempted. The letterpress of
this great work is a choice specimen of Nichol's types, and each play
occupies a separate portfolio. These are accompanied by costly
engravings of landscapes, rare portraits, maps, elegantly coloured
plates of costumes, and water-colour drawings, executed by some of the
best artists of the day. Some of the plays have over 200 folio
illustrations, each of which is beautifully inlaid or mounted, and many
of the engravings are very valuable. Some of the landscapes, selected
from the oldest cosmographies known, illustrating the various places
mentioned in the pages of Shakespeare, are exceedingly curious as well
as valuable.

"In the historical plays, when possible, every character is portrayed
from authoritative sources, as old tapestries, monumental brasses, or
illuminated works of the age, in well-executed drawings or recognised
engravings. There are in this work a vast number of illustrations, in
addition to a very numerous collection of water-colour drawings. In
addition to the thirty-seven plays, are two volumes devoted to
Shakespeare's life and times, one volume of portraits, one volume
devoted to distinguished Shakespearians, one to poems, and two to
disputed plays, the whole embracing a series of forty-two folio volumes,
and forming, perhaps, the most remarkable and costly monument, in this
shape, ever attempted by a devout worshipper of the Bard of Avon. The
volume devoted to Shakespeare's portraits was purchased by Mr Burton, at
the sale of a gentleman's library, who had spent many years in making
the collection, and includes various 'effigies' unknown to many
laborious collectors. It contains upwards of 100 plates, for the most
part proofs. The value of this collection may be estimated by the fact,
that a celebrated English collector recently offered its possessor L60
for this single volume.

"In the reading-room directly beneath the main library, are a number of
portfolios of prints illustrative of the plays of Shakespeare, of a size
too large to be included in the illustrated collection just noticed.
There is likewise another copy of Shakespeare, based upon Knight's
pictorial royal octavo, copiously illustrated by the owner; but although
the prints are numerous, they are neither as costly nor as rare as those
contained in the large folio copy.

"Among the curiosities of the Shakespeare collection are a number of
copies of the disputed plays, printed dur