[Shakespeare (William) Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. Published according to the True Originall Copies],
mixed edition, with the majority of leaves from The First Folio, double column of sixty-six lines, within rules, woodcut head- and tail-pieces, 443 ff. only of 454, lacking all 9 preliminary ff., o1 of The second Part of Henry the Sixt and bbb6 (final leaf of Cymbeline with colophon), The Tempest comprising 10 second folio ff., (A1-B4r) all defective at lower corner with considerable loss of text; The Two Gentlemen of Verona comprising 5 second folio ff. (B4v-C2) and 5 first folio ff. (C3-D1), B4v-C2 defective at lower corner with loss to text, C3 slightly defective at lower corner, affecting a few letters; The Merry Wives of Windsor, comprising 10 first folio ff. (D2-E3 & E5&6) and 1 second folio leaf (E4), all but E2 cropped or torn at fore-edge with loss to text; Measure for Measure comprising 6 first folio ff.(F1-F2, F6, G1 & G2) and 6 second folio ff. (F3&F4, G3-G6), all ff. defective, all with loss to text in varying degrees; The Comedie of Errors, 7 second folio ff. (H1-I1), all defective at lower corner with considerable loss to text; Much adoe about Nothing, 11 second folio ff. (I2-L1r), all defective at lower corner with loss to text; Love's Labour's lost, 12 second folio ff. (L1v-M6), all defective at lower corner with loss to text; A Midsommer Nights Dreame, complete with 9 first folio ff. (N1-03v), scattered small ink stains, small water-stain to N1 affecting 2 letters, very small burn hole to O1, affecting 2 letters, ink inscription to N3; The Merchant of Venice, complete with 11 first folio ff. (O4-Q2v), O4-P6 wormed at lower inner margin, O6 with small tear at upper edge, just affecting text; As you like it, comprising 8 first folio ff. (Q3-Q5 & R1-R5) and 4 second folio ff. (Q6, R6, S1&S2r), R1 torn with loss to text, R6, S1&2r torn at lower corner just affecting text and wormed with loss to a several letters, The Taming of the Shrew, comprising 6 second folio ff. (S2v-S6 and V1) and 6 first folio f. (T1-T6), all second folio ff. wormed, affecting text; All's Well that Ends Well, comprising 1 second folio leaf (V1v) and 12 first folio ff. (V2-Y1r), V1v torn at corner with loss, affecting text, all first folio ff. in very good condition; Twelfe Night, Or what you will, comprising 9 second folio ff. (Y2-Y6, Z3-4 & Z6) and 3 first folio ff. (Z1-2 & Z5), Y2-6 & Z3-4 defective at lower corner with loss to text, a few small worm holes affecting text; The Winters Tale, comprising 10 first folio ff. (Aa1-Bb1 & CC1-2) and 4 second folio ff. (Bb2-5), second folio ff. all defective at lower corner, affecting text, first folio ff. slightly cropped at fore-edge, just affecting a few letters; The life and death of King John, 1 second folio leaf (Cc3) and 9 first folio ff. (Aa3-Aa6 & B1-B5r), Aa4&5b B2-4 defective at lower corner, slight loss; The life and death of King Richard the Second, comprising 10 first folio ff. (b6, c2, c5&6, d1-5r), and 2 second folio ff. (c3-4), B6 with ink inscriptions, c3&4 defective at lower corner, affecting text, d1 torn at fore-edge with loss of text, d2 small hole affecting 1 word; The First Part of King Henry the Fourth, comprising 12 first folio ff. (d5v-e6 & f2-f5) and 2 second folio ff. (f1 & f6r), e1 torn at corner with loss, affecting text; The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, comprising 3 second folio ff. (f6v, h, i3) and 11 first folio ff. (g1-g6 & gg2-gg6), all second folio ff. defective at lower corner, loss of text to 2; The Life of Henry the Fift, comprising 12 first folio ff. (h1-6, i1-i5 & k2r) and 3 second folio ff. (i1, i6 & k1), h4, i1, i6 & k1 torn at corner with loss to text; The first Part of Henry the Sixt, complete with 13 first folio ff. (k2r-m2r), k6 & l6 torn with loss to text; The second Part of Henry the Sixt, 13 first folio ff. (m2r-n6 & o2-3v), lacks o1, m3 running title cropped, m6 torn, touching text, n3 small tear with loss, affects text; The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, comprising 12 first folio ff. (o4&5, p1-6 & q1-4r) and 1 second folio leaf (o6), o6 and q1&2 torn with loss of text; The Tragedy of Richard the Third, comprising 14 first folio ff., (q5-s6) and 2 second folio ff. (t1&2), q5&6, r3&4 & t1&2 torn with varying degrees of text loss; The Life of King Henry the Eight, comprising 8 second folio ff. (t3-t6, V6 & x1-4) and 5 first folio leaves (v1-5), all second folio ff. and v1-4 torn with loss of text; The Tragedie of Troylus and Cresida, comprising 14 first folio ff. (gg3, *1-6 & **1-7), and a second folio leaf (gg4), all but *3-6 torn or cropped with text loss; The Tragedy of Coriolanus, 15 first folio ff. (aa1-cc3v), bb3-6 & cc3 torn at upper corner with text loss, upper half of all ff. water-stained; The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus, comprising 5 first folio ff. (cc4-6 & ee1&2) and 7 second folio ff. (dd1-7), cc5 & dd1-7 torn at lower edge with text loss; The Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet, comprising 12 first folio ff. (ee3-gg2) and 1 second folio leaf (Gg1), ee3-6, ff2&3 & gg1-3 with corners torn, affecting text; The Life of Tymon of Athens, 11 second folio ff., all defective at lower corner with text loss; The Tragedie of Julius Caesar, comprising 1 second folio leaf (hh6v) and 11 first folio ff. (kk1-ll5), kk1&5 torn with loss of text; The Tragedie of Macbeth, comprising 10 first folio ff. (ll6-nn3) and 1 second folio leaf (nn4), mm1 stained at inner margin, affecting several letters, Nn1&4 torn at lower margin, affecting text; The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke, 16 second folio ff. (pp3-rr5), all defective at lower corner with loss of text; The Tragedie of King Lear, 14 second folio ff. (rr6-vv1r), all defective at lower corner with loss of text; The Tragedy of Othello, the Moore of Venice, comprising 8 second folio ff. (vv1-vv4, uu2 & yy1-3) and 8 first folio ff. (tt1-6, uu1 & vv6r), all second folio ff. and yy4 defective at corner with loss of text; The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra, comprising 6 first folio ff. (vv6v, x1, x6, y3-4 & zz1) and 9 second folio ff. (x2, zz1-3, y1-2, y5-6, zz2), vv6v, x1, all except y4 torn or holed to varying degrees, with loss of text; The Tragedy of Cymbeline, comprising 6 first folio ff. (zz6 & aaa1-5) and 9 second folio ff. (aaa6 & bbb1-5), lacks bbb6 (final leaf with colophon), all second folio ff. defective at lower corner with loss of text, zz6 worn at lower corner, just affecting catchword, aaa1 torn at lower corner with loss, affecting catchword, aaa3&5 cropped at fore-edge, affecting text; all ff. soiled to some degree, all margins shaved affecting some headlines and some frames, browned, numerous ink signatures of the Love family, various other signatures and some ink marks, A.L.s. from John Sibthorne mounted on front pastedown, 4pp. 19th century manuscript index on front free endpapers, bound in 19th century burgundy morocco, blind-tooled floral borders to covers, spine gilt, upper hinge broken, rubbed and scuffed, gilt stamp 1623 at tail of spine, [Pforzheimer 905; PMM 122; STC 22273], 308 x 192mm., folio in sixes, [London, Printed by Isaac Jaggard, Ed. Blount at the Charges of W. Jaggard, Ed. Blount, I. Smithweeke, and W. Apsley, 1623]; sold not subject to return.
***"Can we conceive of ourselves without Shakespeare?" - Harold Bloom.The First Folio, issued seven years after Shakespeare's death was a collaboration between The Kings Men and the publishers William Jaggard and Thomas Pavier. Its production was fraught with complications as they had to negotiate for the use of play-house manuscripts, and with the printers of the quarto editions to purchase the rights to some of the plays. This first collected edition contains thirty-six plays, eighteen of which are printed for the first time and the resulting volume was a commercial success. Copies sold for between fifteen shillings and a pound, depending on whether or not the book was bound. Probably six hundred copies were printed of which it is estimated that less than three hundred are in existence today in varying condition. Henry Folger bought eighty-two copies (of which only thirteen are complete) over a period of thirty-five years between 1893 and 1928 thus making it relatively scarce. Therefore although the survival rate is impressive, copies of the First Folio in any state are rarely found on the market.The First Folio "is incomparably the most important work in the English Language and will always be valued and revered accordingly." - William Jackson. The Carl H. Pforzheimer Library Catalogue, 1940. Provenance, the first five ownership inscriptions are on First Folio leaves:1. "Randle Jones his Book lent me", [mid to late 17th century].2. Thomas Down, [late 17th century].3. "John Love, Judith Love, Kath. Love, Herbert Love & Harry Love, Anno Domini 8th Oct. 1713", inscription on verso of gg8 & signature of Herbert Love on h1, almost certainly all in Herbert Love's hand.4. ?Ens. Hasted, perhaps contemporary with the above.5. Ian Strucke, with faint inscription,6. Sibthorpe (John, of Epworth Terrace, Upper Leeson Street, Dublin) Autograph Letter signed to "My dear Henry", 2pp., 8vo, Dublin, 31st January 1866, You may recollect the Old Shakespear belonging to Thomas Sibthorpe, which was sacrificed at the Auction. I happened today to mention it to a man from whom Thomas buys Books, and he called this evening to say he could get it for me I have bought & intend it for you." Also pencil inscription: "?Henry Poole, discard. The gift of his dear father John Sibthorpe Dublin Feb 15th 1866 This book was formerly in the possession of the late Dr Thos. Sibthorpe MD. After his death it was with his entire library sold by order of the heir; and having been discovered by an itinerant bookseller was purchased from him by my father in law Mr John Sibthorpe." .
