Mr. VVilliam Shakespeares comedies, histories, and tragedies. : Published according to the true originall coppies.

RESTRICTED. Available by special permission only.

Mr. VVilliam Shakespeares comedies, histories, and tragedies. : Published according to the true originall coppies.

Plays

The second impression.

London : Printed by Tho. Cotes, for Robert Allot, and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the blacke Beare in Pauls Church-yard, 1632 [i.e. ca. 1641]

[20], 303, [1], 46, 49-100, [2], 69-232, 168, 269-419, [1] p. : 1 port. (engraving) ; 35 cm (fol.)

Colophon: Printed at London by Thomas Cotes, for John Smethwick, William Aspley, Richard Hawkins, Richard Meighen, and Robert Allot, 1632.

Signatures: [superscript pi]A⁶ (±[superscript pi]A2.5) *⁴ A-2B⁶ 2C² a-3c⁶ 3d⁴.

Pollard, A.W. Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (2nd ed.) (STC), 22274e.3
Greg, W.W. Bibliography of the English printed drama to the Restoration, p. 1115-16

Great Britain -- England -- London.

STC 22274 Fo.2 no.42

Folger copy 42 is nominally of the second issue, as formulated by William B. Todd, "Issues and states of the Second Folio and Milton's epitaph on Shakespeare," Studies in bibliography, v. 5 (1952-53), p. 81-108. However, the issue cannot be definitively determined. This copy contains [superscript pi]A([superscript pi]A2) (cancellans title leaf) proper to the second issue, but in place of its conjugate, [superscript pi]A([superscript pi]A5) (cancellans "Effigies" leaf) proper to the second issue, this copy contains [superscript pi]A5 (cancellandum "Effigies" leaf) proper to the first issue (in state Ib); either (or both) of these leaves could be supplied from another copy. The title leaf present is cut down, lacking the last line of the imprint, and is mounted, and the "Effigies" leaf present is extended.

Wants [superscript pi]A1,3,4. Present as prelim. leaves are, in the order bound: facsim. of 1st Folio leaf [superscript pi]A5; [superscript pi]A([superscript pi]A2) (cancellans title leaf proper to the second issue; condition as recorded above); facsim. of 1st Folio [superscript pi]A6; [superscript pi]A5 (cancellandum "Effigies" leaf proper to the first issue; condition as recorded above); [superscript pi]A6; facsim. of 1st Folio [superscript pi]A5+2; *1 (mutilated--the headpiece excised--and patched); and *2-4.

Port. (on title page) in state 3.

Elsewhere this copy wants leaves or contains leaves demonstrably supplied from other copies or contains leaves questionable by reason of their idiosyncratic size or marks of soil: H3, genuine; N1.6, perhaps supplied; R6, likely supplied; 2B4, likely supplied; 2B5, wanting (supplied is the leaf bearing the corresponding text in the 3rd Folio--2B5); b1-5, perhaps supplied; d1,4,6, probably genuine; u1-4, perhaps supplied; u5-y6 (Hen. VIII entire), wanting (supplied are the leaves bearing some of the corresponding text in the 1st Folio--t6, v1,6, and x1-4, with v6 and x1-3 mutilated, affecting text); 2h2-5, perhaps supplied; and 2q3.4, perhaps supplied. Of Cymb.: 3b6, supplied; 3c1, wanting; 3c2-5, perhaps supplied; 3c6, supplied; and 3d1-4 (including the colophon), wanting.

Imperfections affect text on T2, slightly on F3, r1, and 2b4, and very slightly on I3, Q1, b4, p1, 2m1, and 2t4.

Manuscript additions include pencil annotations on 2C2 verso (erased) and 2C3 recto.

Bookplate of Colonel J. J. and Mrs. W. H. Forbes Leith, of Whitehaugh. Bookplate of F. Blackwood Greenshields, of Kerse. Also Greenshields family copy.

A.L.S., Aug. 17, 1886, J. O. Halliwell-Phillipps, Hollingbury Copse, Brighton, to J. B. Greenshields, acknowledging information sent about this copy, affixed to front endpapers, along with clippings from book catalogs describing Shakespeare editions.