Shakespeare, William, Hamlet. Romeo and Juliet. A dream on the eve of St. John. Translated by Ignatius Kefalinski.

Vilnius, Nakł i druk F. Glücksberg, 1846.

21.5 cm, pp. [2], 488, [2], portrait in copperplate 1, title page in color lithograph. Half leather binding.

First printing in Polish of Shakespeare's works translated from the original. Translator Ignacy Holovinski, alias Ignacy Kefalinski, in fact a Roman Catholic Archbishop of Mogilev, head of the Roman Catholic churches in Russia and a writer whose work aroused conflicting opinions among historians and literary critics alike, widely commenting on the translations of Shakespeare's most famous dramas, published for the first time in 2 volumes in 1839-1841. The piece on offer was published as volume one of William Shakspeare's Works in 1839, and later by the publisher with a color lithographed title page instead of the collective "Works" page, as well as an errata, and published under an independent title, with the date changed.

Complete piece of a rare edition preserved in excellent condition, the engraving with Shakespeare's portrait deprived by physical rubbing of the signature under the portrait "Shakespeare" written in Cyrillic, probably in the era, the signature in Polish survived; minimal discoloration of the pages (foxing). Copy in half leather binding, original substance of binding mostly preserved, leather spine of binding reconstructed in workshop of Antykwariat Polski.