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A most pleasant and excellent conceited comedy, of Sir Iohn Falstaffe, and the merry vviues of VVindsor. : VVith the swaggering vaine of Ancient Pistoll, and Corporall Nym. VVritten by VV. Shakespeare.

Merry wives of Windsor

Pleasant comedy, of the merry wiues of Windsor

[London] : Printed [by William Jaggard] for Arthur Iohnson [i.e. Thomas Pavier], 1619.

[56] p. ; 19 cm (4to)

Partly in verse.
The imprint name is false. Actually one of the "Pavier quartos" printed in 1619 by William Jaggard for Thomas Pavier, intended to be issued as part of what Greg calls "The Collection of 1619. A collection of ten plays, without general title but with signatures continuous through the first three: begins with a joint title to the first two." In order of printing: 1. Henry VI, Part 2 (first part of STC 26101); 2. Henry VI, Part 3 (second part of STC 26101); 3. Pericles (third part of STC 26101); 4. A Yorkshire Tragedy (STC 22341); 5. The Merchant of Venice (STC 22297); 6. The Merry Wives of Windsor (STC 22300); 7. King Lear (STC 22293); 8. Henry V (STC 22291); 9. Sir John Oldcastle (STC 18796); 10. A Midsummer Night's Dream (STC 22303). (Greg, III, p. 1107-8).
Signatures: A-G⁴.

rpm 07/15/96

Pollard, A.W. Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (2nd ed.) (STC), 22300
Greg, W.W. Bibliography of the English printed drama to the Restoration, I, 187(b)
Carl H. Pforzheimer Library, 889
English short title catalogue (ESTC), S111206

Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library STC 22300 copy 1
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library STC 22300 copy 2
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library STC 22300 copy 5
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library STC 22300 copy 6
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library STC 22300 copy 7
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library STC 22300 copy 8
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library STC 22300 copy 3
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library STC 22300 Copy 4 Bd.w. STC 26101 copy 3

Great Britain -- England -- London.

STC 22300 copy 1

cs0900. Red goatskin binding, signed by Hayday. Provenance: armorial bookplate of William Gott (motto "nec temere nec timide")

STC 22300 copy 2

cs0900. Half bound in dark blue goatskin. Provenance: manuscript marking (of provenance?) on A2r: "Joh"; Charles Jennens copy; William P.A. Curzon copy; Howe family library copy

STC 22300 copy 3

cs115. Divided into acts in manuscript (see B3r). Several tail corners are repaired. Burn-hole on D1, affecting text. Brown, blind-stamped goatskin binding, with blue paper doublures. Provenance: Folger purchase from Sotheby sale, March 16, 1903, lot 1263

STC 22300 Copy 4 Bd.w. STC 26101 copy 3

cs0822.7. Manuscript table of contents. Bound with: Shakespeare, William. The whole contention betweene the two famouse houses. London, [1619] -- and six other 1619 Shakespeare quartos (shelf-marks: STC 22303 Copy 5, 18796 Copy 4, 22297 Copy 3, 22291 Copy 4, 22293 Copy 5, and 22341 Copy 4). Contemporary calfskin binding, stamped in gilt with "Edward Gwynn" on front cover; stored in a case. Provenance: Edward Gwynn copy (cf. Jackson, W.A. Records of a bibliographer ... Cambridge, 1967. pp. 115-119); anonymous armorial bookplate (of Goetz Wrisberg?: cf. bookplate in Folger shelf-mark STC 4998; cf. Folger worksheet for STC 4998); Marsden J. Perry copy; inscribed on front free endpaper: ... "From the library of Marsden J. Perry ... Purchased July 22, 1919. A.S.W. Rosenbach"

STC 22300 copy 5

cs135. A made-up copy: A1 and A4 are not conjugate (either leaf is from another copy). Trimmed, affecting headlines. Dark brown goatskin binding, elaborate gilt tooling, with silk (?) doublures, by Riviere (?). With three booksellers' catalogue entries for other copies of this title pasted on the front fly-leaf. Provenance: armorial bookplate of Maurice Jonas (motto "be just and fear not")

STC 22300 copy 6

cs0900. Imperfect: the title leaf is damaged and repaired, affecting the imprint year, which is partially supplied in MS (NB: year in manuscript is '1618'). Following the title leaf is a binder's leaf and a facsimile title leaf. Final page is paginated in manuscript Gathering A is damaged and repaired along the edges. Red calfskin binding. Provenance: James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps copy; bookplate of Warwick Castle, Shakespeare Library

STC 22300 copy 7

cs0361. Re-bound by the Folger Library; formerly in circa 1850 calfskin with: Shakespeare, William. The whole contention between the two famous houses, Lancaster and Yorke. London, [1619] (Folger smk STC 26101 Copy 2) -- and seven other Pavier quartos of 1619 (see type-written description at the end of STC 26101 Copy 2). Each of the leaves is silked; some are stained and with holes, affecting text. Provenance: Thomas Percy, Bishop of Dromore copy; in STC 26101 Copy 2, armorial bookplate of Du Pre Alexander, 2nd earl of Caledon (motto "per mare per terras"); for complete provenance, see record for Folger smk STC 26101 Copy 2

STC 22300 copy 8

cs941. A fragment. Imperfect: wanting leaves B1-3 and bifolia A2.3, C1.4, D1.4, E1.4, and F1.4; blank binder's leaves are bound in place of most of the missing leaves. Leaf E2 is damaged, affecting text. In laced-case vellum binding with yapp edges; previously unbound.