The Chalmers Edition of 1805
Just two years after Isaac Reed brought out his "first variorum edition" of Shakespeare, further expanding upon the text of the 1793 Steevens edition (Reed's edition was also known as the "fifth edition" of the Steevens-Johnson text, issued in twenty-one volumes (!)), Alexander Chalmers brought out his own edition of Shakespeare. It is an early reaction, presaging Singer's later edition, to the expansive notes of the Reed (and previous Steevens) editions. In its Preface Chalmers asserts that "It is the first attempt that has been made to concentrate the information given in the copious notes of the various commentators within a moderate space, and with an attention rather to their conclusions than to their premises." Further, lest the potential buyer miss the point, he states that "He [Chalmers, the editor] can only say that in the whole progress of his labours, he endeavoured to place himself in the situation of one who desires to understand his author at the smallest expence of time and thought, and who does not wish to have his attention diverted from a beauty, to be distracted by a contest." Though Chalmers makes these protestations, you will notice that the notes are still occupy a fairly significant portion of space in his edition compared with later nineteenth century editions.
The Chalmers edition, then, is unremarkable for its content, except in its selection of illustrations, which are "A series of engravings, from original designs of Henry Fuseli." That is to say, not by Fuseli himself, but copies of Fuseli's work. Fuseli was a leader in the romantic movement in painting who drew lifelong inspiration from the works of Shakespeare. For a thoroughgoing analysis of Fuseli's Shakespeare-inspired paintings, see Jonathan Bate, The Genius of Shakespeare, pp. 266-276. Indeed, the illustrations in Chalmers' edition are excellent, and worth consulting the volumes for their sake. I have reproduced several of them below.
Chalmers' edition of Shakespeare first appeared in 1805, issued in ten volumes (Murphy's edition number 413, see Shakespeare in Print, p. 342), and re-issued without many of the Fuseli plates, in nine volumes in the same year (Murphy number 414). The edition was reissued in 1811 in nine volumes, also with only of few of the Fuseli plates included (see Murphy, number 439). Murphy also says it was reissued issued in 1812 (number 415), but I have been unable to locate a Chalmers edition of that date that meets his description. According to the DNB, Chalmers also issued another edition of his Shakespeare in 1823, but I have also not been able to locate this edition on the Internet, and it is not described in Murphy, but the Chalmers text was reissued at other times at later dates in the nineteenth century (see the links to the 1838 edition below). It is of no great importance. I have provided links to the 1805 and 1811 editions below from Google Book Search. Note that the 1805 volume I is from the 9-volume edition (Murphy 414), and the volume II has no view in GBS, so consult the 1811 edition for those plays. The order of plays within the volumes of the 1811 edition is different, of course, since it was issued in nine volumes, but the texts of the plays are apparently the same. The Internet Archive also makes several of the 1811 volumes available, and identifies one as the volume II of the 1805 edition, missing from GBS, but it clearly is mislabeled and ought to be considered of the 1811 re-issue.
Links to the 1805 Chalmers EditionRomeo and Juliet
The Plays of William Shakespeare: Accurately Printed from the text of the corrected copy left by the late George Steevens, Esq. with a series of engravings, from original designs of Henry Fuseli, Esq. R. A. Professor of Painting: And a selection of explanatory and historical notes, from the most eminent commentators; a history of the stage, a life of Shakspeare, &c. By Alexander Chalmers, A. M., F. C. and R. Rivngton, etc., London, 1805.
- Vol. I (from the 9-volume edition of 1805, Murphy 414)
- Vol. II (no view at GBS, see the 1811 edition below for these plays)
- Twelfth-Night
- Measure for Measure
- Much Ado About Nothing
- A Midsummer-Night's Dream
- Vol. III (this and the remaining volumes in this section are from the 1805 10-volume edition, Murphy 413)
- Vol. IV
- Vol. V
- Vol. VI
- Vol. VII
- Vol. VIII
- Vol. IX
- Vol. X
Links to the 1811 Reprint of the 1805 Edition
Note: Very few of the illustrative plates of the 1805 edition are present in this edition.
The illustration above is from the 1805 edition, vol. VII, Troilus and Cressida, Act 5 Scene 2, p. 266.
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