SHAKESPEARE'S HOLINSHED: The first and second volumes of Chronicles, comprising 1. The description and historie of England, 2. The description and historie of Ireland, 3. The description and historie of Scotland: first collected and published by Raphaell Holinshed, William Harrison, and others. [WITH:] The third volume of Chronicles, beginning at duke William the Norman, commonlie called the Conqueror; and descending by degrees of yeeres to all the kings and queenes of England in their orderlie successions: first compiled by Raphaell Holinshed, an by him extended to the yeare 1577. Now newlie recognised, augmented, and continued (with occurrences and accidents of fresh memorie) to the yeare 1586.

London: London: printed [by Henry Denham] in Aldersgate street at the signe of the Starre, 1587. 2nd Edition . Hardcover. Very Good. Second edition; large folio; 3 volumes bound into 2 physical volumes. Vol. 1: [10], 250; [4], 202, [2]pp. Vol. 2: 61, [13], 183, [1]; 421, 424-430, 436-438, 431-433, 439-445, 450-464, [56]pp. Vol. 3: [8], 1080, 1080-1327, [2], 1332-1371, 1371-1421, 1490-1491, 1536-1555, 1574-1592, [62]pp. Mismatching set. Volumes 1-2 bound in 17th century reversed calf (somewhat worn with a few old repairs, hinges cracked, corners and spine ends worn with minor loss), blind rolls to margins of boards, spine with five raised bands, gilt-lettered red leather spine label to second compartment and additional hand-written leather spine label to third compartment, housed in attractive custom-made clam-shell box in red half leather over marbled boards with five raised spine bands and gilt lettering direct to spine in second compartment. Unobtrusive creasing and wear to opening and closing leaves, lower outer quarter of title page missing and sometime laid down, lacks preliminary blanks together with divisional titles to History of England, Ireland and Scotland, title-page to 'Second Volume of Chronicles' and preceding blank, "The Epistle Dedicatorie to S. William Brooke", the "Names of the Authors", the "Table of Chapters" and the fold-out plate of the Map of Edinburgh [i.e. lacks 10 leaves in all without loss to substantive text], with occasional contemporary ink marginalia and early ink inscriptions of Joseph Brooke (1733) to front free endpaper and Edward Gostwyk to top of title page. Volume 3 bound in contemporary full leather (somewhat worn with minor loss of leather to board corners), expertly respined over six raised spine bands with gilt lettered title direct to spine in second compartment and gilt lettered date/regnal year direct to foot of spine. Lacks title page, preliminaries and first 4 pages of text [ie. first 6 leaves A-A6 missing] but otherwise complete, including dated colophon on closing leaf. Very early ink inscriptions on opening blanks, a few marginal annotations in an indecipherable early hand, very feint marginal dampstaining on a few rear leaves, last leaf remargined just touching colophon, rearmost two leaves somewhat creased and torn with mostly marginal loss. Two bookplates to front pastedown including 18th century ownership label of Thomas Weld, Britwell, Oxfordshire. Overall a clean and attractive copy of this celebrated monumental history printed in black (gothic) typeface and with attractive woodcut capitals and head and tail pieces. Holinshed's Chronicle needs little introduction given its influence on literature and especially on Shakespeare. The present set provides an original example of the 2nd edition text Shakespeare used as the basis for his History plays. STC (2nd edn) 13569. ESTC S122178.