SHAKESPEARE-continued. Plays: 22195 The first folio. MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S COMEDIES, HISTORIES, & TRAGEDIES. Published according to the True Originall copies, folio a good and sound copy, measuring 121 by 8 inches, red morocco, gilt edges, from Brand Hollis library, £136. 1623 22196 22197 A desirable copy, perfect, with the exception of two leaves, viz.: the verses by Ben Jonson, and the Title with Portrait, supplied in facsimile. the same, first edition, folio, QUITE PERFECT, with the exception of the portrait and verses in exact facsimile, a very fine tall copy of unusual size, measuring 13 by 8 inches, russia, from the Drake library, with book-plate of John Lloyd £300. 1623 the same, folio, with title, portrait, verses, and all preliminary leaves in splendid original condition, untouched by the hand of any modern renovator; a very fine and large copy (12 by 8 inches), red morocco extra, gilt edges, by Bedford, enclosed in a red morocco case, with key, £880. London, Printed by Isaac Iaggard and To people who know in a superficial way that the first folio Shakspeare is a comparatively common book, the price of a fine copy may seem surprisingly large, but not to those who are aware that this is probably THE ONLY COPY, UNDOCTORED, GENUINE, SOUND, AND FINE, WHICH CAN COME INTO THE MARKET FOR PROBABLY ANOTHER QUARTER OF A CENTURY. Even if the Huth library had been sold, as at first announced, it would merely have produced a short and not over-desirable first Shakspeare. Since the beginning of this century, only four perfect and satisfactory copies (besides the above) have been sold, and all but this are now in safe keeping, inaccessible to many eager purchasers on both sides of the Atlantic. When it is considered that this first folio, besides being the first authorized edition of Shakespeare's plays, contains Editiones Principes of no less than 20 pieces [detailed as follows: All's well that ends well; PLAYS-continued. 22198 22199 22200 Comedy of Errors (this may have been printed before, but no edition is known); Coriolanus; Cymbeline; Henry VI, part 1; Henry VI, part 2; Julius Cæsar; King John (an imperfect and pirated edition, considerably varying from the genuine play, had previously appeared); Macbeth; Measure for Measure; Merry Wives of Windsor (an imperfect and varying edition had been previously printed); Taming of a Shrew (not to be confounded with the similar play by another writer previously published); The Tempest; Timon of Athens; Twelfth Night; Two Gentlemen of Verona; Winter's Tale; -to which perhaps we might add Henry IV, part 2;] -we must at once recognize the extraordinary importance of the book, and thus learn to estimate the real value of a fine, unmixed, and unsophisticated copy. As the editiones principes in this volume amount to twenty in number, it may be observed for the benefit of those who are fond of arithmetical illustrations, that a set of separate first editions of any twenty plays of Shakspeare would realize in the market from £3500 t £4000. the FIRST EDITION of the Dramatic Works of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, a reproduction in exact Facsimile of the famous Folio of 1623, by Photo-Lithography, executed under the superintendence of HOWARD STAUNTON, folio (pub. £8. 8s), cloth, £5. 1865 the same, folio, brown calf antique, red edges, £5. 10s parts I, III-XVI (the end), sd. £2. 10s Separate parts (except 1, 2) sold for 5s each. Complete copies are now out of print, and rising in price. 1865 To Shakespeare critics the first is the most necessary edition. Perfect copies of the original issue have become so expensive, that only very wealthy collectors can enjoy the luxury of possessing it. The facsimile will suffice for most buyers. The present work should not be confounded with another republication, not facsimile, but in smaller type and inferior in size to the original, known as Booth's reprint. 22201 FACSIMILE of the Title to the first folio edition, with engraved portrait after Droeshout, £4. 4s PLAYS continued. 22202 The second folio. MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S COMEDIES, HISTORIES, AND TRAGEDIES. Published according to the true Originall Copies. The second impression, folio, the last leaf mended at bottom, other 22303 wise A FINE LARGE GENUINE AND UNDOCTORED COPY, with the portrait, verses, and preliminary leaves in excellent condition (123 by 8 inches), in red morocco extra, borders of gold, gilt edges, by Mackenzie, £48. Tho. Cotes, for Robert Allot, etc. 1632 another copy, folio, portrait, old calf, £84. 1632 Probably the finest copy in existence; it measures 133 by 8 inches, and is in as pure, clean condition as when it issued from the press. The old binding is also in a fine state of preservation. Sir W. Tite's copy sold for £45; G. Smith's for £58; and Daniel's, the largest ever seen, for £148. This edition is remarkable as containing amongst the liminary pieces, that glorious epitaph on Shakspeare, which was the first printed work of MILTON. 22204 The third folio. MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR'S 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, viz., Pericles, Prince of Tyre. The London Prodigall. The History of Thomas Ld. Cromwell. Sir John Oldcastle. Lord Cobham. The Puritan Widow. A York-shire Tragedy. The Tragedy of Locrine, folio, portrait by Droeshout, with the verses printed upside down above it, red morocco super extra, gilt edges, by F. Bedford, £160. Printed for P. C. 1664 A fine and sound copy measuring 12 by 8 inches, extremely rare, most of the copies having been destroyed in the great fire of London. Although the first folio is undoubtedly a great rarity, this third is much scarcer in reality, a fact confirmed by the fourth being also issued as containing the "seven Plays never before printed in folio." 22205 FRONTISPIECE to the third folio, containing in facsimile an engraving of portrait, with Jonson's verses underneath, £2. 10s 22206 The fourth folio. MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR'S Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. . .the fourth impression, folio, old calf, £25. 1615 PLAYS-continued. Quarto Plays: 22207 Hamlet. THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET Prince of Denmark . . . by William Shakespeare, small 4to. hf. calf, large and good copy R. Young for John Smethwicke, 1637 22208 Henry the Fifth. THE CHRONICLE HISTORY OF HENRY THE FIFT, with his battell fought at Agin Court ... small 4to. hf. red morocco, George Stevens' copy with his signature T. P. 1608 22209 King John. THE FIRST AND SECOND PART of the troublesome Raigne of Iohn King of England. With the discouerie of King Richard Cordelions Base sonne (. . . . the Bastard Fauconbridge) by W. Shakespeare, title repaired and mounted, red morocco extra, gilt edges, by BEDFORD Aug. Mathewes for Thomas Dewe, 1622 22210 King Lear. M. WILLIAM SHAKE-SPEARE, his true Chronicle History of the life and death of King Lear and his three Daughters . . small 4to. good copy olive morocco extra, gilt edges Nathaniel Butter, 1608 Usually called the second edition, but there is no proof that the other edition printed by Butter in the same year is earlier. 22211 Love's Labour Lost. LOUES LABOURS LOST. A wittie and pleasant Comedie. Shakespeare, sm. 4to. hf. red morocco by William W. S. for John Smethwicke, 1632 22212 Merchant of Venice. THE EXCELLENT HISTORY OF THE MERCHANT of VENICE. Shakespeare, sm. 4to. First morocco extra, gilt edges, with the sides 22213 written by W. Edition, maroon Kinnear arms on J. Roberts, 1600 the most excellent Historie of the Merchant of Venice, sm. 4to. title in facsimile, red morocco extra, gilt edges, by BEDFORD M. P. for Laurence Hayes, 1637 22214 Merry Wives of Windsor. A MOST PLEASANT AND EXCELLENT CONCEITED COMEDY, of Sir John Falstaffe and the Merry Wiues of Windsor . QUARTO PLAYS―continued. written by W. Shakespeare, small 4to. very fine and large copy in blue morocco extra, gilt edges NIGHTS DREAME Arthur Johnson, 1619 22215 Midsummer Night's Dream. A MIDSOMMER written by William Shakespeare, small 4to. First Edition, the last four leaves mended, but altogether a very fine and large copy in vellum Iames Roberts, 1600 22216 Othello. THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO, The Moore written by William Shakespeare, sm. 22218 of Venice 4to. red morocco extra, gilt edges, by BEDFORD A. M. for Richard Hawkins, 1630 An edition of primary value as it varies from the quarto of 1622 and the folio of 1623, and followed an independent MS. 22217 Pericles. THE LATE AND MUCH ADMIRED PLAY called Pericles, Prince of Tyre by William Shakespeare, sm. 4to. First Edition, wanting leaves A4 and 11, and having title supplied in reprint, hf. bound Henry Gosson, 1609 the late and much admired Play called Pericles, sm. 4to. good and large copy, unbound Thomas Cotes, 1635 22219 Richard the Third. THE TRAGEDIE of KING RICHARD THE THIRD by William Shake-speare, small 4to. portrait by Hollar inserted, hf. red morocco, a short copy Thomas Creede, 1612 22220 Romeo and Juliet. THE MOST EXCELLENT AND LAMENTABLE TRAGEDIE of Romeo and Juliet . by W. Shake-speare, sm. 4to. title mended and a few letters of imprint supplied in MS., otherwise a large and fine copy in green morocco extra, gilt edges R. Young for John Smethwicke, 1637 22221 Taming of the Shrew. A WITTIE AND PLEASANT COMEDIE called the Taming of the Shrew... by Will. Shakespeare, sm. 4to. vellum gilt, UNCUT, EXCESSIVELY RARE in this state W. S. for Iohn Smethwicke, 1631 In this condition the book may be said to be unique. together, 15 vols. sm. 4to. £525. 1600-37 Such a collection of Shakespeare quartos as this is not to be paralleled in most of the private collections of the country. |