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William J. Rolfe

William J. Rolfe (1827 - 1910)
from the frontespiece of Shakespeariana, October 1889

"Dr. Rolfe's name is a tower of strength in Shakespearian scholarship. Shakespearians everywhere have a final confidence in his approval, and are satisfied that what passes with him, may pass with them." --Shakespeariana, October, 1889.

Rolfe was a highly respected educator and influential editor of Shakespeare and other English literary classics in the latter half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century.  His "Friendly Shakespeare" enjoyed wide sales and distribution.  A biographical outline is provided below.

Article on Rolfe from the October 1889 edition of Shakespeariana, "Shakespeare's American Editors - III, William J. Rolfe."

WILLIAM JAMES ROLFE, whose portrait forms our frontispiece this month, was born in Newburyport, Mass., Dec. 10,1827. His boyhood was mainly passed in Lowell, Mass., where he was fitted for college in the public high school. He entered Amherst College in 1845, but after remaining there some three years, in the course of which he wasvthe " chum " of J. H. Seelye, now President of the college, and W. G. Hammond, now at the head of the Law School in Iowa State University, he gave up his studies in order to become a teacher. After doing some work in Kirkwood Academy, in Maryland, he became Principal of Day's Academy, Wrentham, Mass., where he remained until December, 1852. He then took the mastership of the high school just established in Dorchester, Mass., and remained there until the summer of 1857, when he was invited to Lawrence, Mass., to take charge of the high school there. After four years spent in Lawrence, he removed to Salem, Mass., but after being there a year he was offered the mastership of the high at Cambridge, Mass., where he has continued to reside, though he resigned his position in the school in the summer of 1868. Since that time he has devoted himself to editorial and literary work.

Ever since 1869 he has been one of the editors of the Popular Science News (formerly the Boston Journal of Chemistry), and for several years past he has had charge of the department of "Shakespeariana" in the Literary World, besides contributing1 at intervals to other literary and scientific periodicals.

In 1865, Mr. Rolfe published a Handbook of Latin Poetry (made up of selections from Ovid, Virgil, and Horace), in conjunction with J. H. Hanson, A.M., of Waterville, Me. The Ovid and Virgil were issued as a separate volume in the following year. In 1867 he published an edition of Craik's English of Shakespeare, which has run through many editions. Between 1867 and 1869, in connection with Mr. J. A. Gillet, Teacher of Physics in the Cambridge High School (now professor in the Normal College, New York City), he brought out the Cambridge Course of Physics in six volumes, comprising an elementary and a more advanced text-book in Natural Philosophy, in Chemistry, and in Astronomy. This series has since been completely rewritten by the authors.

In 1870 Mr. Rolfe prepared a school edition of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, which was received with so much favor that he followed it up with editions of the Tempest, Julius Caesar, and Henry VIII. At the time he had no idea of editing more than half a dozen of the plays generally read in schools; but others were called for, and soon it became evident that a complete edition of Shakespeare's works, prepared on the same plan, would find a ready market. This " Friendly Edition " of the great dramatist, as Mary Cowclen Clarke proposed that it be called, was completed after the lapse of thirteen years. And it rapidly became popular and has an extremely large sale.

Dr. Rolfe has published a volume of selections from Gray's poems, and another from Goldsmith's, in style similar to that of the Shakespeares : and beautifully illustrated school editions of Scott's Lady of the Lake, Marmion, and Lay of the Last Minstrel; also a complete edition of Scott's Poems, and of Tennyson's Princess, Enoch Arden, and other selections (four volumes in all), Byron's Childe Harold, two volumes of selections from Browning, the Minor Poems of Milton, and Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome—this last in connection with his son, John C. Rolfe, Ph.D. He has published also three volumes of a series of " English Classics " intended for younger students than those for whom the above-mentioned books were prepared.

Dr. Rolfe received the honorary degree of A.M., at Harvard, in 1859, and the same degree was subsequently given him at Amherst, where he was also enrolled as a regular graduate of the class of 1849 at the suggestion of President Seelye, his old friend and classmate. In 1886 he joined the New York Shakespeare Society, then completing its first year, and in 1887 received the degree of Doctor of Letters from Amherst College. From 1882 to 1887 Dr. Rolfe was President of the Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute, at Cottage City, Mass. Dr. Rolfe's name is a tower of strength in Shakespearian scholarship. Shakespearians everywhere have a final confidence in his approval, and are satisfied that what passes with him, may pass with them. He has a keen eye for error, and such a delightful way of calling one's attention to it, that his fellow-students almost relish a lapse for the pleasure of being corrected by him. All of which means that he is a profound scholar, a warm friend, and a courteous gentleman.

Wikipedia article on Rolfe

William James Rolfe, Litt.D. (1827 - 1910) was an American Shakespearean scholar and educator, born in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

He graduated from Amherst in 1849, and between 1852 and 1868 was head master of high schools at Dorchester, Lawrence, Salem, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Early in his career, he edited selections from Ovid and Virgil and (in collaboration) the Cambridge Course of Physics (six volumes, 1867-68).

His Shakespearean work began with an edition of George Lillie Craik's English of Shakespeare (1867). This led to the preparation of a complete edition - the Friendly Edition - of Shakespeare (forty volumes, 1870-83; new edition, 1903-07).

He also edited a complete edition of Tennyson (twelve volumes, 1898) and verse by many of the other great English poets. He wrote a very useful Satchel Guide to Europe, revised annually for 35 years...He was the father of John Carew Rolfe.

Rolfe's Editions of Shakespeare

I have located a full set of William J. Rolfe's 40-volume Shakespeare editions through Google Book Search. Some, but not a complete set, exist also at the Internet Archive.  Links to titles below, therefore, are to the GB scanned, facsimile editions.  Where IA editions exist, they are linked in square brackets afterwards, labeled "IA," with their own date of publication if it differs.  I have made the main link to the Google Book Search second series editions (published originally from 1903-1907) except in cases where I could not find a second series scan.  In those cases I made it to the first series edition (published originally between 1870-1883, but reprinted many times).  I have followed the default second series link with a link to first series editions where I could find them.  Internet Archive links in square brackets follow Google Book links.  The dates given after the first series links are to the actual publication date on the volume, which in many cases is a reprint date.  Copyright renewals after 1910 belong to John C. Rolfe, son of the editor.

Comedies

Histories

Tragedies

Romances

Attributions

Poetry

Works on Shakespeare and related topics authored by Rolfe

[Google Book Search] [Internet Archive] - only full view items are linked

  • Shakespeare the boy : with sketches of the home and school life, the games and sports, the manners, customs and folk-lore of the time (1896) [GB] [IA]
  • The Elementary Study of English: Hints to Teachers (1896) [GB]
  • Life of Shakespeare (1901)
  • A Life of William Shakespeare (1904) [IA]
  • Shakespeare proverbs; or, The wise saws of our wisest poet, collected into a modern instance. Edited with introd. and notes by William J. Rolfe (1908) [IA]

Works about Shakespeare edited by Rolfe

  • Craik, George L.  "The English of Shakespeare: Illustrated in a Philological Commentary on His Julius Caesar." [GB]

Non-Shakespearean Literary Editions by Rolfe

Travel Books

Articles by/about Rolfe

 
 
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