ACTOR JOHN BARRYMORE’S PERSONAL COPY OF THE EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND IMPORTANT FOLIO FIRST EDITION OF JONSON’S 1616 WORKES,“PERHAPS THE ONLY ONE WORTHY TO RANK WITH” SHAKESPEARE, INSCRIBED AND SIGNED BY BARRYMORE WITH HIS BOOKPLATE

(BARRYMORE, John) JONSON, Ben. The Workes of Benjamin Jonson. Imprinted at London by Will Stansby, 1616. Folio, mid-19th-century full crushed dark green morocco gilt, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, raised bands, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt.

Exceedingly rare first edition of the first collected Workes of Ben Jonson, whose publication was personally supervised by Jonson, the first literary folio to include stage plays, an exceptional association copy signed and inscribed by renowned stage and film actor John Barrymore, the most famed of America’s “Royal Family” of actors and a figure whose Shakespearean stage performances are “talked of in hushed voices as creations near to the sublime,” also containing Barrymore’s distinctive bookplate, handsomely bound in rich full morocco gilt by Riviere & Son.

Ben Jonson was “dramatist, friend and contemporary of Shakespeare, and perhaps the only one worthy to rank with him” (Hartnoll, 446). In 1616, the year of Shakespeare’s death, James I granted Jonson a pension, essentially identifying him as the first Poet Laureate of England. That same year Jonson published the first folio edition of his Workes, which he began to prepare for publication in 1612. This definitive volume, which “raised the drama to a new level of respectability” (Drabble, 517), contains nine plays: Every Man in his Humor, Every Man out of his Humor, Cynthias Revells, Poëtaster, Seianus, Volpone, Epicoene, The Alchemist and Catiline, together with a collection of his Epigrammes, poetry and masques. In personally supervising the premiere 1616 Workes, Jonson “used the quarto texts wherever available but scrupulously and systematically revised them, cutting out many marginal notes, altering the spelling, typography and punctuation in accordance with a consistent if somewhat pedantic plan and introducing considerable editorial matter. The result is that this folio edition may be regarded as authoritative. Moreover Jonson attended the press while it was being printed and introduced many corrections and alterations at that time” (Pforzheimer 559). This exceptional folio volume of Jonson’s Workes affirms Dryden’s conclusion that if “Shakespeare was the Homer or father of dramatic poets, Jonson was the Virgil” (Allibone I:998). This is Pforzheimer’s preferred small-paper copy with the following: “C” engraved title page; Every Man Out of his Humour title page: one of two states without border, with imprint: “London, Printed by William Stansby for John Smithwicke. [rule] M.DC.XVI.”; with first issue of dedication leaf (G2), signed, with “By your true Honorer, Ben Jonson” and with other Pforzheimer points “found only in small-paper copies”; Cynthias Revells engraved title page, first (of two) Pforzheimer issues, with “Printed by W. Stansby”; Poëtaster title page, first (of three) Pforzheimer issues, with “Printed by W. Stansby, for M. Lownes. 1616” and with all Quire Yy6 (525-40) small-paper points; last two pages of the Golden Age with song headed “Astraea” preceding that headed “Pallas” (Pforzheimer 559). With engraved allegorical title by William Hole, historiated woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces throughout. With occasional mispagination; several leaves with blank verso (F1, F6), blank recto (F2, F7), without loss of text. Pforzheimer 559-560. See STC 14751. Greg I:163(d), 176(b), 181(b), 186(b)*, 216(b), 256(b), 304(b)*, 303(b), 296(b). Grolier 100, English. John Barrymore’s own copy, with his bookplate, signed by him and additionally annotated by him with bibliographic information on the front fly leaf. The Philadelphia-born Barrymore was the most famed and “most conspicuous member of America’s ‘Royal Family’ of actors” (ANB). “For much of his career Barrymore combined stage and film work, achieving acclaim in two Shakespearian roles which he essayed: Richard III (New York, 1920) and Hamlet (New York 1922, tour 1923, London 1925)” (Oxford Companion to Shakespeare, 38-9). These stellar performances continue to be “talked of in hushed voices as creations near to the sublime” (Thomson, 55). Throughout a 40-year career that included acclaim for films such as Twentieth Century (1934), Grand Hotel (1932) and Cukor’s Romeo and Juliet (1936), “Barrymore was arguably the most influential and idolized actor of his time. Appearing in more than 40 stage productions, 60 films, and 100 radio programs, the charismatic Barrymore was famous for his ability to flesh out and energize even the sketchiest roles” (ANB).

Text fresh and clean with expert archival remargining of general title page, minor expert restoration to blank corners of final text leaf; expert repairs to front joint and spine ends, slight toning to spine. A splendid near-fine copy with an especially significant and memorable association.