Shakspeare and His Times, 1817 Nathan Drake, M.D. Two volumes Pub. Cadell and Davies, London First edition A two-volume scholarly Shakespearean tome of the Georgian period. Bound with a cloth spine and leather boards by Alexander Banks Jr. (Edinburgh), marbled endpapers, red edges. Roughly quarto-size (12 1/2" x 10 1/2"). Titled with the spelling of William Shakespeare's name favored by many scholars at the time. According to the subheadings, the contents include "The Biography of the Poet; Criticisms on His Genius and Writings; a New Chronology of His Plays; a Disquisition on the Object of His Sonnets; and a History of the Manners, Customs, and Amusements, Superstitions, Poetry, and Elegant Literature of His Age." Good condition. The front and back boards all show a good amount of surface wear (rubbing/scratching). The three front pages in the first volume show waterstaining, and the front pages of the second volume show some foxing. One example of starting to the binding in the first volume.