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Sold by order of the Trustees of the Firle Estate Settlement
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 the 7 additional plays. London: Printed [by Roger Daniel, John Hayes or Thomas Ratcliffe, and Alice Warren] for P[hilip]. C[hetwind], 1664.
Details
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 the 7 additional plays. London: Printed [by Roger Daniel, John Hayes or Thomas Ratcliffe, and Alice Warren] for P[hilip]. C[hetwind], 1664.
The Third Folio, second issue, augmented with Pericles; the rarest of the four folios. A tall copy, with the addition of one leaf, Ben Jonson’s verses, from the very rare first issue. The Third Folio is a page-for-page reprint of the Second Folio, augmented in this, its second issue by seven additional plays, of which only Pericles is authentic. The other six plays are now regarded as spurious, although all appeared in Shakespeare's lifetime with either his name or initials attached. The first issue came out without the added plays and with or without the portrait on the title-page dated 1663.
Although the name of the publisher, Philip Chetwind (d.1680) appears alone on the title-page, other owners of copyright were Eleanor Cotes, Miles Flesher, William Leake, John Martin, Gabriel Bedell, Thomas Collins and Alice Warren. Robert Allot's widow, Mary, was forced to relinquish her husband's copyrights before marrying Chetwind, but Chetwind successfully contested the assignment and recovered the copyrights on her behalf. The printing itself was divided between Roger Daniel, a second shop perhaps that of John Hayes, and Alice Warren.
A legend has long persisted that a large proportion of this edition was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Even though the pre-fire address of the publisher, Chetwind, is not known, Jackson notes that the legend ‘would seem to be substantiated by the records’ (Pforzheimer III, p. 939). Samuel Pepys records in his Diary purchasing an edition of Shakespeare's plays in 1664; he subsequently sold it when he acquired the newest edition, the Fourth Folio, in 1685.
Median folio (345 x 217mm). 515 leaves, with the additional, uncancelled leaf of Ben Jonson verse from the first issue [i.e., recto blank] and including 4 in facsimiles (title, dedication to the Earls, portrait (in pen-and-ink facsimile), and final leaf). Double column within typographical rule, woodcut headpiece and opening initial to each play, woodcut tailpieces (minor repair in b2-4 and Nn6, tiny hole in A4, very occasional small stain, slightly heavier in Xxx6-Yyy1, repaired tear without loss in T1, tiny burn-hole in a few leaves). Early calf, double fillet border in blind (repaired and restored by Sotheran’s in 1880 ‘under the direction of Reb. W.D. Parish, as recorded in a note on front pastedown). Provenance: Viscount Gage (bookplate, possibly that of Henry Hall Gage, 4th Viscount, 1791-1877) – thence by descent.
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 the 7 additional plays. London: Printed [by Roger Daniel, John Hayes or Thomas Ratcliffe, and Alice Warren] for P[hilip]. C[hetwind], 1664.
The Third Folio, second issue, augmented with Pericles; the rarest of the four folios. A tall copy, with the addition of one leaf, Ben Jonson’s verses, from the very rare first issue. The Third Folio is a page-for-page reprint of the Second Folio, augmented in this, its second issue by seven additional plays, of which only Pericles is authentic. The other six plays are now regarded as spurious, although all appeared in Shakespeare's lifetime with either his name or initials attached. The first issue came out without the added plays and with or without the portrait on the title-page dated 1663.
Although the name of the publisher, Philip Chetwind (d.1680) appears alone on the title-page, other owners of copyright were Eleanor Cotes, Miles Flesher, William Leake, John Martin, Gabriel Bedell, Thomas Collins and Alice Warren. Robert Allot's widow, Mary, was forced to relinquish her husband's copyrights before marrying Chetwind, but Chetwind successfully contested the assignment and recovered the copyrights on her behalf. The printing itself was divided between Roger Daniel, a second shop perhaps that of John Hayes, and Alice Warren.
A legend has long persisted that a large proportion of this edition was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Even though the pre-fire address of the publisher, Chetwind, is not known, Jackson notes that the legend ‘would seem to be substantiated by the records’ (Pforzheimer III, p. 939). Samuel Pepys records in his Diary purchasing an edition of Shakespeare's plays in 1664; he subsequently sold it when he acquired the newest edition, the Fourth Folio, in 1685.
Median folio (345 x 217mm). 515 leaves, with the additional, uncancelled leaf of Ben Jonson verse from the first issue [i.e., recto blank] and including 4 in facsimiles (title, dedication to the Earls, portrait (in pen-and-ink facsimile), and final leaf). Double column within typographical rule, woodcut headpiece and opening initial to each play, woodcut tailpieces (minor repair in b2-4 and Nn6, tiny hole in A4, very occasional small stain, slightly heavier in Xxx6-Yyy1, repaired tear without loss in T1, tiny burn-hole in a few leaves). Early calf, double fillet border in blind (repaired and restored by Sotheran’s in 1880 ‘under the direction of Reb. W.D. Parish, as recorded in a note on front pastedown). Provenance: Viscount Gage (bookplate, possibly that of Henry Hall Gage, 4th Viscount, 1791-1877) – thence by descent.
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Eugenio Donadoni
Senior Specialist, Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts