John Aikin, Select Works of the British Poets. With Biographical and Critical Prefaces (London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1820)

From the Advertisement:  "the object of this work, which is entirely new, is to comprise, within a single volume, a chronological series of our classical Poets, from Ben Jonson to Beattie, without mutilation or abridgement, with Biographical and Critical notices of their Authors. The contents of this volume are so comprehensive, that few poems, it is believed, are omitted, except such as are of secondary merit, or unsuited to the perusal of youth. The Work, within these bounds, may be termed a ‘Library of Classical Poetry,’ and may safely be recommended to the heads of Schools in general, and to the libraries of Young Persons"

Information about the collection:  807 pp.; no Shakespeare

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