![SHAKESPEARE, William (1564-1616). Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. Published according to the true Original Copies. The third Impression. And unto this Impression is added seven Playes, never before Printed in Folio. Edited by John Heminge (d. 1630) and Henry Condell (d. 1627), except for Pericles and six spurious plays added by the publisher, Philip Chetwin (d. 1680). London: Printed [by Roger Daniel (190 edition sheets), John Hayes or Thomas Ratcliffe (46 sheets), and Alice Warren (21 sheets)] for P.C. 1664 (first-issue title: Philip Chetwinde, 1663).](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2001/NYR/2001_NYR_09878_0102_000(033320).jpg?w=1)
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SHAKESPEARE, William (1564-1616). Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. Published according to the true Original Copies. The third Impression. And unto this Impression is added seven Playes, never before Printed in Folio. Edited by John Heminge (d. 1630) and Henry Condell (d. 1627), except for Pericles and six spurious plays added by the publisher, Philip Chetwin (d. 1680). London: Printed [by Roger Daniel (190 edition sheets), John Hayes or Thomas Ratcliffe (46 sheets), and Alice Warren (21 sheets)] for P.C. 1664 (first-issue title: Philip Chetwinde, 1663).
THE RICHARD FARMER-BRITWELL COURT COPY OF THE THIRD FOLIO
Median 2o (344 x 225 mm). 516 leaves: COMPLETE (see collation below). Four paper-stocks represented in the second-issue sheets (frontispiece and first title, additional plays), three of which are also found -- as well as at least three more stocks -- in the first-issue sheets (other preliminaries and the main bulk of the book reset from the Second Folio); composition units from all three presses involved share paper-stocks between them. Roman and italic text types 82mm, cursive for headings, various larger romans and cursives in the preliminaries. Double column, 66 lines, headlines and catchwords, pages box-ruled, woodcut head- and tail-pieces and initials, Shakespeare's portrait in third state.
CONTEMPORARY BINDING: English calf gilt, border of double fillets on sides, small tool and double fillets in compartments of spine, red morocco lettering piece "SHAKESPEAR WORKS" (rebacked, preserving most of the old spine, repair to the corners, edges and gilt fillets of the covers). Red morocco pull-off case.
The third collected edition of Shakespeare's plays, known as THE THIRD FOLIO, second issue. It is a reprint of the Second Folio, but also contains seven added plays, of which only Pericles is authentic. The first issue came out without the added plays and with or without the portrait on the 1663 title. The second issue added the seven plays and is known with the frontispiece-portrait captioned by Jonson's verses cancelling the "To the Reader" leaf and the 1664 title cancelling the 1663 title, or with both the cancels and the cancellanda present (as in this copy from the Farmer and Britwell collections and the Ham House - Foyle copy in contemporary morocco [Christie's London, 12 July 2000, lot 455]). Three paper-stocks in the preliminaries and the beginning and final quires of the book reappear in the added plays (all printed by Roger Daniel), indicating that the decision to print the extra quires was hardly delayed. They no doubt added to the cost of the book, and a customer may have been given the choice of their inclusion or omission even after they were made available; early buyers of first-issue copies could no doubt purchase the extra plays separately and their binders might not always trouble with the intended cancellations, but simply added the new title and frontispiece.
FINE ASSOCIATION COPY from the learned library of Richard Farmer, who in the only work published during his lifetime (1767) brilliantly demonstrated that Shakespeare's knowledge of classical history had been obtained at second hand from printed Elizabethan translations. The Third Folio is probably the rarest of the four and hard to find on the market in unrestored condition.
COLLATION: π2 (intended to cancel A1-2, 1r blank, 1v frontispiece of Martin Droeshout's engraved portrait of the author, underneath Ben Jonson's verses To the Reader, 2r second-issue title with woodcut vignette, verso blank); A4 b6 (A1-2 left uncancelled, A1 here folded and inserted to follow its conjugate A4, A1r blank, A1v To the Reader, A2r first-issue title in the state without the portrait, verso blank, A3 editors' dedication to the Earls of Pembroke and Montgomery, A4 editors' note To the great variety of Readers, b1r L. Digges' verses To the Memory of the deceased Authour, b1v anonymous verses Upon the Effigies, and To the Memory of Mr. W. Shakespeare by J.M., b2r-3r To the Memory of my beloved the Author by Ben. Johnson, b3v-4v verses by J.M.S. On worthy Mr. Shakespeare, and his Poems, b5r An Epitaph [by John Milton], b5v Hugh Holland's verses Upon the Lines and Life of the Famous Scenick Poet, b6r The names of the principal Actors, b6v A Catalogue of all the Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies); a6 b4, *-****4, \\hA-\\hB6 \\hC-\\hF4 \\hG6 (Additional Plays, here inserted after the preliminaries, but normally bound at the end: a1r The much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Written by W. Shakespeare, and published in his life time, *1r The London Prodigal, ***1r The History of the Life and Death of Thomas Lord Cromwell, \\hA1r The History of Sir John Oldcastle, the good Lord Cobham, \\hB6r The Puritan: or, The Widow of Watling-street, \\hE2r A York-shire Tragedy, Not so New, as Lamentable and True, \\hF1v The Tragedy of Locrine, the eldest Son of King Brutus); 2A-Z, Aa6Bb8 (Comedies: 2A1r The Tempest, B4v The Two Gentlemen of Verona, D2r The Merry Wives of Windsor, F1r Measure For Measure, H1r The Comedie of Errors, I3r Much adoe about Nothing, L1v Love's Labour's Lost, N1r A Midsummers nights Dream, O4r The Merchant of Venice, Q3r As you like it, S2v The Taming of the Shrew, V1v All's well that ends well, Y2r Twelfe-Night, Z6v blank, Aa1r The Winters Tale, Bb8v blank); Cc-Zz Aaa6 (Histories: Cc1r King John, Dd6r Richard the Second, Ff5v First Part of Henry the Fourth, Hh6v Second Part of Henry the Fourth, Ll2r Epilogue, Ll2v The Actors Names, Ll3r Henry the Fifth, Nn4v first Part of Henry the Sixth, Pp4v second Part of Henry the Sixth, Rr6r third Part of Henry the Sixth, Uu1r Richard the Third, Yy5r Henry the Eighth); Bbb-Zzz Aaaa-Dddd6 Eeee4 (Tragedies: Bbb1r Prologue, Bbb1v Troilus and Cressida, Ddd3v Coriolanus, Fff6v Titus Andronicus, Hhh5v Romeo and Juliet, Kkk6r Tymon of Athens, Mmm4v The Actors Names, Mmm5r Julius Caesar, Ooo4r Macbeth, Qqq2v Hamlet, Sss6r King Lear, Xxx1v Othello, Zzz4v Anthony and Cleopatra, Cccc1r Cymbeline, Eeee4v blank). 516 leaves: COMPLETE. Four paper-stocks represented in the second-issue sheets (frontispiece and first title, additional plays), three of which are also found -- as well as at least three more stocks -- in the first-issue sheets (other preliminaries and the main bulk of the book reset from the Second Folio); composition units from all three presses involved share paper-stocks between them. Roman and italic text types 82mm, cursive for headings, various larger romans and cursives in the preliminaries. Double column, 66 lines, headlines and catchwords, pages box-ruled, woodcut head- and tail-pieces and initials, Shakespeare's portrait in third state.
CONDITION: three creases in frontispiece, minute repair to three extreme outer blank corners in preliminaries; tiny holes, tears or paper flaws in some two dozen leaves (including *1, *8, \\hF2-3, T3, X5, Bb5, Ee4, Ff6, Hh5, Ll2, Pp6, Qq1, Bbb3, Ddd5, Eee1, Ggg4, Iii2, Mmm6, Sss2, Aaaa3), in most cases affecting one or two letters, small repair in blank margin of \\hA2, very slight browning or staining in places, but A LARGE AND FRESH COPY.
PROVENANCE: Lady Augusta Anna Brydges (engraved armorial bookplate dated 1766), daughter of Henry 2nd Duke of Chandos; married her cousin in 1778, died 20th March 1779, bequeathing the folio to her husband: -- Henry John Kearney (signature dated 1785 on title) -- Rev. Richard Farmer (signature on front fly-leaf), 1735-1797, master of Emmanuel College and vice-chancellor and principal librarian of Cambridge University, author of An Essay on the Learning of Shakespeare (Cambridge 1767, third edition: London 1789), sold at King's 7 May 1798, 34th Day, lot 7832 to Nicol -- William Henry Miller of Britwell Court, Burnham, Bucks (signature, pencil notes and shelf-mark on front fly-leaf), 1789-1848, "one of England's greatest book-collectors" (De Ricci), by descent to -- Samuel Christie Miller (d. 1889), to -- Wakefield Christie Miller (d. 1898), to -- S.R. Christie Miller (Sotheby sale 16 December 1919, lot 83, to G.D. Smith), -- Frank Brewer Bemis (bookplate), his set of Shakespeare Folios sold by Dr Rosenbach to -- Morris Wolf (Sotheby sale 6th June 1961, lot 43) -- Caroline Newton (bookplate), the set purchased through Fleming and resold to him -- Abel E. Berland 1970 (bookplate).
Wing S-2913 and S-2914; Greg III, pp 1116-19; cf Pforzheimer 908 and 909.
THE RICHARD FARMER-BRITWELL COURT COPY OF THE THIRD FOLIO
Median 2o (344 x 225 mm). 516 leaves: COMPLETE (see collation below). Four paper-stocks represented in the second-issue sheets (frontispiece and first title, additional plays), three of which are also found -- as well as at least three more stocks -- in the first-issue sheets (other preliminaries and the main bulk of the book reset from the Second Folio); composition units from all three presses involved share paper-stocks between them. Roman and italic text types 82mm, cursive for headings, various larger romans and cursives in the preliminaries. Double column, 66 lines, headlines and catchwords, pages box-ruled, woodcut head- and tail-pieces and initials, Shakespeare's portrait in third state.
CONTEMPORARY BINDING: English calf gilt, border of double fillets on sides, small tool and double fillets in compartments of spine, red morocco lettering piece "SHAKESPEAR WORKS" (rebacked, preserving most of the old spine, repair to the corners, edges and gilt fillets of the covers). Red morocco pull-off case.
The third collected edition of Shakespeare's plays, known as THE THIRD FOLIO, second issue. It is a reprint of the Second Folio, but also contains seven added plays, of which only Pericles is authentic. The first issue came out without the added plays and with or without the portrait on the 1663 title. The second issue added the seven plays and is known with the frontispiece-portrait captioned by Jonson's verses cancelling the "To the Reader" leaf and the 1664 title cancelling the 1663 title, or with both the cancels and the cancellanda present (as in this copy from the Farmer and Britwell collections and the Ham House - Foyle copy in contemporary morocco [Christie's London, 12 July 2000, lot 455]). Three paper-stocks in the preliminaries and the beginning and final quires of the book reappear in the added plays (all printed by Roger Daniel), indicating that the decision to print the extra quires was hardly delayed. They no doubt added to the cost of the book, and a customer may have been given the choice of their inclusion or omission even after they were made available; early buyers of first-issue copies could no doubt purchase the extra plays separately and their binders might not always trouble with the intended cancellations, but simply added the new title and frontispiece.
FINE ASSOCIATION COPY from the learned library of Richard Farmer, who in the only work published during his lifetime (1767) brilliantly demonstrated that Shakespeare's knowledge of classical history had been obtained at second hand from printed Elizabethan translations. The Third Folio is probably the rarest of the four and hard to find on the market in unrestored condition.
COLLATION: π2 (intended to cancel A1-2, 1r blank, 1v frontispiece of Martin Droeshout's engraved portrait of the author, underneath Ben Jonson's verses To the Reader, 2r second-issue title with woodcut vignette, verso blank); A4 b6 (A1-2 left uncancelled, A1 here folded and inserted to follow its conjugate A4, A1r blank, A1v To the Reader, A2r first-issue title in the state without the portrait, verso blank, A3 editors' dedication to the Earls of Pembroke and Montgomery, A4 editors' note To the great variety of Readers, b1r L. Digges' verses To the Memory of the deceased Authour, b1v anonymous verses Upon the Effigies, and To the Memory of Mr. W. Shakespeare by J.M., b2r-3r To the Memory of my beloved the Author by Ben. Johnson, b3v-4v verses by J.M.S. On worthy Mr. Shakespeare, and his Poems, b5r An Epitaph [by John Milton], b5v Hugh Holland's verses Upon the Lines and Life of the Famous Scenick Poet, b6r The names of the principal Actors, b6v A Catalogue of all the Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies); a6 b4, *-****4, \\hA-\\hB6 \\hC-\\hF4 \\hG6 (Additional Plays, here inserted after the preliminaries, but normally bound at the end: a1r The much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Written by W. Shakespeare, and published in his life time, *1r The London Prodigal, ***1r The History of the Life and Death of Thomas Lord Cromwell, \\hA1r The History of Sir John Oldcastle, the good Lord Cobham, \\hB6r The Puritan: or, The Widow of Watling-street, \\hE2r A York-shire Tragedy, Not so New, as Lamentable and True, \\hF1v The Tragedy of Locrine, the eldest Son of King Brutus); 2A-Z, Aa6Bb8 (Comedies: 2A1r The Tempest, B4v The Two Gentlemen of Verona, D2r The Merry Wives of Windsor, F1r Measure For Measure, H1r The Comedie of Errors, I3r Much adoe about Nothing, L1v Love's Labour's Lost, N1r A Midsummers nights Dream, O4r The Merchant of Venice, Q3r As you like it, S2v The Taming of the Shrew, V1v All's well that ends well, Y2r Twelfe-Night, Z6v blank, Aa1r The Winters Tale, Bb8v blank); Cc-Zz Aaa6 (Histories: Cc1r King John, Dd6r Richard the Second, Ff5v First Part of Henry the Fourth, Hh6v Second Part of Henry the Fourth, Ll2r Epilogue, Ll2v The Actors Names, Ll3r Henry the Fifth, Nn4v first Part of Henry the Sixth, Pp4v second Part of Henry the Sixth, Rr6r third Part of Henry the Sixth, Uu1r Richard the Third, Yy5r Henry the Eighth); Bbb-Zzz Aaaa-Dddd6 Eeee4 (Tragedies: Bbb1r Prologue, Bbb1v Troilus and Cressida, Ddd3v Coriolanus, Fff6v Titus Andronicus, Hhh5v Romeo and Juliet, Kkk6r Tymon of Athens, Mmm4v The Actors Names, Mmm5r Julius Caesar, Ooo4r Macbeth, Qqq2v Hamlet, Sss6r King Lear, Xxx1v Othello, Zzz4v Anthony and Cleopatra, Cccc1r Cymbeline, Eeee4v blank). 516 leaves: COMPLETE. Four paper-stocks represented in the second-issue sheets (frontispiece and first title, additional plays), three of which are also found -- as well as at least three more stocks -- in the first-issue sheets (other preliminaries and the main bulk of the book reset from the Second Folio); composition units from all three presses involved share paper-stocks between them. Roman and italic text types 82mm, cursive for headings, various larger romans and cursives in the preliminaries. Double column, 66 lines, headlines and catchwords, pages box-ruled, woodcut head- and tail-pieces and initials, Shakespeare's portrait in third state.
CONDITION: three creases in frontispiece, minute repair to three extreme outer blank corners in preliminaries; tiny holes, tears or paper flaws in some two dozen leaves (including *1, *8, \\hF2-3, T3, X5, Bb5, Ee4, Ff6, Hh5, Ll2, Pp6, Qq1, Bbb3, Ddd5, Eee1, Ggg4, Iii2, Mmm6, Sss2, Aaaa3), in most cases affecting one or two letters, small repair in blank margin of \\hA2, very slight browning or staining in places, but A LARGE AND FRESH COPY.
PROVENANCE: Lady Augusta Anna Brydges (engraved armorial bookplate dated 1766), daughter of Henry 2nd Duke of Chandos; married her cousin in 1778, died 20th March 1779, bequeathing the folio to her husband: -- Henry John Kearney (signature dated 1785 on title) -- Rev. Richard Farmer (signature on front fly-leaf), 1735-1797, master of Emmanuel College and vice-chancellor and principal librarian of Cambridge University, author of An Essay on the Learning of Shakespeare (Cambridge 1767, third edition: London 1789), sold at King's 7 May 1798, 34th Day, lot 7832 to Nicol -- William Henry Miller of Britwell Court, Burnham, Bucks (signature, pencil notes and shelf-mark on front fly-leaf), 1789-1848, "one of England's greatest book-collectors" (De Ricci), by descent to -- Samuel Christie Miller (d. 1889), to -- Wakefield Christie Miller (d. 1898), to -- S.R. Christie Miller (Sotheby sale 16 December 1919, lot 83, to G.D. Smith), -- Frank Brewer Bemis (bookplate), his set of Shakespeare Folios sold by Dr Rosenbach to -- Morris Wolf (Sotheby sale 6th June 1961, lot 43) -- Caroline Newton (bookplate), the set purchased through Fleming and resold to him -- Abel E. Berland 1970 (bookplate).
Wing S-2913 and S-2914; Greg III, pp 1116-19; cf Pforzheimer 908 and 909.