8 volumes, 8vo (171 x 95 mm). General title for the set in volume one. (Occasional light spotting, hinges tightened.) Early dark speckled calf, spines in 6 compartments with 5 raised bands, morocco lettering-pieces gilt in 2, others with gilt centerpieces, marbled edges (repair to lower cover of vol.7, a few spots of light rubbing to extremes, spine label chipped on vol.1).

FIRST EDITION OF SHAKESPEARE'S COMPLETE WORKS PRINTED IN SCOTLAND. A controversial publication, Alexander Donaldson (d. 1794), the publisher of this edition, played a pivotal role in shaping British copyright law and "facilitating an expansion in popular Shakespeare publishing in the 19th century" (Murphy, Shakespeare and Scotland p.161).

Scottish printers in the 18th century often competed with their London counterparts by offering cheaper editions, a practice that provoked fierce opposition from English publishers who claimed perpetual copyright over literary texts. Donaldson became the central figure in challenging this monopoly, ultimately establishing a London branch to directly confront English booksellers on their own turf. His legal battle culminated in the landmark 1774 House of Lords ruling in Donaldson v. Beckett, which declared that copyright was not perpetual and that once a work entered the public domain, it could be freely reprinted. This decision transformed the publishing landscape, enabling both Scottish and English printers to produce low-cost editions of canonical works, including Shakespeare. Donaldson partnered with fellow Scotsman Walter Ruddiman in printing this edition; two known title-page states list either Donaldson or Ruddiman, with this set bearing Donaldson’s imprint.

In 1752, Scottish printers Robert and Andrew Foulis began their 16-volume Shakespeare series with the printing of The Tempest. Subsequent plays were issued individually over time, each with its own pagination and title page, concluding with Othello in 1757. While the Foulis edition of The Tempest is recognized as the first Shakespeare work printed in Scotland, the present set represents the first complete collection of Shakespeare’s works published there. VERY RARE: The only set that we could trace at auction sold at Christie's in 1970. Jaggard, p.500.