THE SONNETS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, THIRD EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON. Together with A Lover's Complaint and The Phoenix and Turtle.

First edition, first printing. Mid-twentieth century full red polished calf for Henry Sotheran, the boards double-ruled in gilt, with five raised bands, compartments decorated with gilt rose garlands and titles in gilt on a navy morocco label, to the spine, gilt. Floral gilt inner dentelles. All edges gilt. A very good copy or better copy, the binding square and firm, the extremities lightly rubbed, the upper and lower boards a little scuffed. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions. An attractive copy.

The sonnets of William Shakespeare, accompanied by a commentary by Walter Thompson that, unusually, argues that a significant amount of the sonnets attributed to Shakespeare were in fact penned by Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. Wriothesley was a patron of the playwrite, who, in turn, dedicated two poems, 'Venus and Adonis' and 'The Rape of Lucrece' to the Earl. Wriothesley was a prominent, often controversial figure at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, recorded as jousting at the accession day tournament as well as involving himself in duels and fights with fellow courtiers, eventually being briefly imprisoned for marrying Elizabeth Vernon, a lady in waiting, without the queen's permission. He was known for his good looks, vanity and love of poetry. As well as Shakespeare, Wriothesley was the patron of many other writers and accrued dedications from literary figures such as Barnabe Barnes, Gervase Markham, Thomas Nashe and William Burton. The connection between Shakespeare and Wriothesley has been of great interest to scholars through the centuries, producing many popular, often connected theories, such as the notion that a number of Shakeaspeare's sonnets were commissioned by Wriothesley's mother to persuade the stubborn young bachelor to marry; that the sonnets are dedicated to Wriothesley, and that Wriothesley is the 'Fair Youth' of the sonnets. Thompson's argument adds an unorthodox but diverting range of ideas to this body of scholarly work.