The Works of William Shakspeare — Chandos Classics, Frederick Warne & Co. (c.1879–1900)

A single-volume complete works of William Shakespeare in the Victorian Chandos Classics series, published by Frederick Warne and Co., London and New York, printed by Morrison and Gibb, Edinburgh. Title page reads: 'The Works of William Shakspeare — Carefully Edited from the Best Texts. With a Memoir, Glossary, etc.' The Chandos Classics series was inaugurated by Frederick Warne in 1868, named after Chandos House at 15 Bedford Street, Strand — the address of Warne's first independent publishing office. The Shakespeare volume alone sold 340,000 copies; across all 154 volumes in the series, over five million copies were sold. Undated on title page (standard for this series); dated post-1879 as confirmed by the Morrison & Gibb printer's imprint (the firm adopted that name only in 1879). Likely 1880s–1890s. Text carefully edited against the First Folio and the Quartos, editor unnamed (standard Victorian practice). Contains 39 plays plus complete poems (Venus and Adonis, Lucrece, Sonnets, A Lover's Complaint, The Passionate Pilgrim, The Phoenix and the Turtle), Shakespeare's Will, and a Memoir of Shakespeare. Last page of text: p.738. Glossary runs pp.739–748. Publisher's catalogue at rear lists the Imperial Poets and 'Cavendish' Library series. Printed on very thin bible/India paper throughout (dictionary-style). Seller noted 'lacking ffep' — front free endpaper (the blank leaf attached inside the front cover) is missing; all text pages present and intact.