The English Drama Purified Volumes I and II by James Plumptre, 1812 first edition.

Edited by James Plumptre, B.D. Presentation copy of first edition, Volumes I and II, 1812. Printed by F. Hodson, Cambridge.

Full title:

The English Drama Purified
Being a Specimen of Select Plays
All the passages that have appeared to the editor
To be objectionable in point of
MORALITY
Are omitted or altered
With Prefaces and Notes

James Plumptre (1771 -1832) was an English clergyman and dramatist, and an early advocate for animal rights. The third son of Robert Plumptre, President of Queens' College, Cambridge, James was educated at Dr. Henry Newcome's school in Hackney and Queens' College, Cambridge, before transferring to Clare Hall, where he was elected a fellow of Clare College in 1793. Plumptre believed the English theater had a role to play in the moral education of the people, and to that end published this bowdlerized edition of popular plays. His own plays include "The Coventry Act: A Comedy", "Osway: a Tragedy", and "The Lakers: a Comic Opera." He also published religious books and hymns, and his journals from the 1790s provide a vivid account of late-18th C England. Plumptre's sermons on animal rights, particularly his discourse on 'The Duties of Man to the Brute Creation,' were not always well-received by his parishioners. But he pushed on, publishing "Three Discourses on the Case of Animal Creation" in 1816.

Volume I is inscribed "With the Editor's kindly regards", i.e. from James Plumptre to Arthur Clarke, whose small bookplate is on the front paste-down of both volumes. There's another name in pencil in the top right corner of the front fly leaf, dated 1816.

Contents Volume I
The Gamester
Jane Shore
George Barnwell Douglas
Lady Jane Gray

Contents Volume II
The Provok'd Husband
The Conscious Lovers
The Good-Natur'd Man
A Word to the Wise
The Clandestine Marriage

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Condition: Good. Each volume lacks dust jacket, as issued. Quarter-bound marbled cover boards with gilt-trimmed brown leather backstrip.

Volume I: Covers: Front cover is loose with backstrip fully detached on one side, with chipping at the head and a large piece missing at the tail; light rubbing, front and back; small shallow scratch on the back; light to moderate edge wear; corners are bumped. All edges stained. Front and back paste-downs and fly leaves are discolored at the corners from adhesives used to attach the corners of the cover boards. Small label of The White House bookstore on the back paste-down. Marginalia on several pages in light pencil. Moderate foxing from title page to page 78, with occasional lighter foxing, else pages are undamaged and complete.

Volume II: Covers: Light rubbing, front and back; light to moderate edge wear; corners are bumped; backstrip is fully attached but missing a large piece at the head. All edges stained. Front and back paste-downs and fly leaves are discolored at the corners from adhesives used to attach the corners of the cover boards. Small bookplate of previous owner on the front paste-down. Occasional light foxing throughout else pages are undamaged and complete.