Mr. William Shakespear's comedies, histories, and tragedies : published according to the true original copies : unto which is added, seven plays never before printed in folio, viz. Pericles Prince of Tyre. The London prodigal. The history of Thomas Lord Cromwel. Sir John Oldcastle Lord Cobham. The puritan widow. A Yorkshire tragedy. The tragedy of Locrine.
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. author.; Roberts, Robert, -1702?, printer.; Herringman, Henry, -1704, bookseller.; Brewster, Edward, active 1654-1699, bookseller.; Bentley, Richard, -1697, bookseller.; Francis, Philip, 1708-1773, former owner.; Francis, Philip, 1740-1818, former owner.; Francis, Philip, 1768-1837, former owner.; Francis, Elizabeth, Aunt, former owner.; Francis, Emily Constance, 1851- former owner.; Francis, A. L. (Augustus Lawrence), 1848- former owner.; Francis, Augustus Claude, 1878-1928?, former owner.; Cockerell, Sydney Morris, binder.
1685
Items
Details
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Title
Mr. William Shakespear's comedies, histories, and tragedies : published according to the true original copies : unto which is added, seven plays never before printed in folio, viz. Pericles Prince of Tyre. The London prodigal. The history of Thomas Lord Cromwel. Sir John Oldcastle Lord Cobham. The puritan widow. A Yorkshire tragedy. The tragedy of Locrine.
Uniform title
Plays
Variant title
Fourth folio of Shakespeare
Shakespeare's fourth folio
Shakespeare fourth folio
Shakespeare's fourth folio
Shakespeare fourth folio
Edition
The fourth edition.
Created/published
London : Printed for H. Herringman, E. Brewster, and R. Bentley, at the Anchor in the New Exchange, the Crane in St. Pauls Church-yard, and in Russel-Street Covent-Garden, 1685.
Description
[12], 96, 99-160, 163-254, '243'[i.e. 253]-272, [2]; 328; 303, [1] p. : 1 port. (engraving) ; 38 cm (fol.)
Associated name
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. author.
Roberts, Robert, -1702?, printer.
Herringman, Henry, -1704, bookseller.
Brewster, Edward, active 1654-1699, bookseller.
Bentley, Richard, -1697, bookseller.
Francis, Philip, 1708-1773, former owner.
Francis, Philip, 1740-1818, former owner.
Francis, Philip, 1768-1837, former owner.
Francis, Elizabeth, Aunt, former owner.
Francis, Emily Constance, 1851- former owner.
Francis, A. L. (Augustus Lawrence), 1848- former owner.
Francis, Augustus Claude, 1878-1928?, former owner.
Cockerell, Sydney Morris, binder.
Roberts, Robert, -1702?, printer.
Herringman, Henry, -1704, bookseller.
Brewster, Edward, active 1654-1699, bookseller.
Bentley, Richard, -1697, bookseller.
Francis, Philip, 1708-1773, former owner.
Francis, Philip, 1740-1818, former owner.
Francis, Philip, 1768-1837, former owner.
Francis, Elizabeth, Aunt, former owner.
Francis, Emily Constance, 1851- former owner.
Francis, A. L. (Augustus Lawrence), 1848- former owner.
Francis, Augustus Claude, 1878-1928?, former owner.
Cockerell, Sydney Morris, binder.
Note
This is one of three issues of the fourth folio, each cataloged separately, distinguishable from each other by the names in the imprint. See Greg for more information.
"Of the seven added plays only Pericles is now seriously considered to have any Shakespearian connection"--Pforzheimer.
Signatures: pi² [superscript pi]A⁴ A-Y⁶ Z⁴; 2B-2Z⁶ *3A-*3D⁶ *3E⁸; 3A-4B⁶ 4C²; gatherings 2B-2C mis-signed 'B' and 'C' respectively; *3E1,2 mis-signed 'Eee' and Eee2' respectively.
The preliminary gathering [superscript pi]A, probably the preliminary gathering pi, and the first section of the book, A-Z, were printed by Robert Roberts. See Fredson Bowers, "Robert Roberts, a printer of Shakespeare's Fourth Folio," Shakespeare quarterly, v. 2 (1951), 241-46.
Printed in two columns.
"The life and death of King John" and "The life of Timon of Athens" begin new pagination on 2B1r and 3A1r respectively.
"Of the seven added plays only Pericles is now seriously considered to have any Shakespearian connection"--Pforzheimer.
Signatures: pi² [superscript pi]A⁴ A-Y⁶ Z⁴; 2B-2Z⁶ *3A-*3D⁶ *3E⁸; 3A-4B⁶ 4C²; gatherings 2B-2C mis-signed 'B' and 'C' respectively; *3E1,2 mis-signed 'Eee' and Eee2' respectively.
The preliminary gathering [superscript pi]A, probably the preliminary gathering pi, and the first section of the book, A-Z, were printed by Robert Roberts. See Fredson Bowers, "Robert Roberts, a printer of Shakespeare's Fourth Folio," Shakespeare quarterly, v. 2 (1951), 241-46.
Printed in two columns.
"The life and death of King John" and "The life of Timon of Athens" begin new pagination on 2B1r and 3A1r respectively.
Condition
small running tears on 2K1,2O3
Cited/described in
English short title catalogue (ESTC), R25621
Wing, D.G. Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and British America, and of English books printed in other countries, 1641-1700 (2nd ed.), 2915-2916
Carl H. Pforzheimer Library, 909
Greg, W.W. Bibliography of the English printed drama to the Restoration, p. 1119-1121
Wing, D.G. Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and British America, and of English books printed in other countries, 1641-1700 (2nd ed.), 2915-2916
Carl H. Pforzheimer Library, 909
Greg, W.W. Bibliography of the English printed drama to the Restoration, p. 1119-1121
Linked resources
Blog post about Folger Shakespeare Library S2915 Fo.4 no.38: "How an 18th-century clergyman read his Folio", The Collation (23 April 2015)
Place of creation/publication
Great Britain -- England -- London.
Item Details
Call number
S2915 Fo.4 no.38
Folger-specific note
Imperfect: wanting the engraved portrait (pi2), *3D1 (from Titus Andronicus),*3D6 (from Romeo and Juliet, replaced with duplicate 3D6 from Macbeth); lower portion of title page torn away with complete loss of imprint, making it impossible to confirm Wing S2915 or S2916; a few closed tears and small holes in places (some with loss but not obscuring the meaning). A number of early leaves mounted; numerous later paper repairs. Autograph: Francis, Fulham [Philip Francis, 1768-1837]. Bound in brown goatskin with marbled endpapers, early fly-leaves preserved at front and back, blind stamped with monogram "SC [Sydney Cockerell] 1956." Acquired from Maggs, 2014-11-18. Heavily annotated with over 2000 notes, underlinings, manicules, emphasis marks and corrections by the translator and writer, Rev. Philip Francis (1708-1773). Notes in three hands on fly-leaf: 1) By Sir Philip Francis (1740-1818), son of the annotator: "This book must never go out of my family. It was for many years, the delight of my good father's life to study and correct it. P Francis, Sheen, 8th June 1793." 2) By Philip Francis (1768-1837) of Fulham: "It never shall. I hearby leave, give, bequeath it to all my children as a joint chattel property, on condition that they never sell give or in any manner alienate it. P Francis, Fulham. 24th February 1828." 3) Presumably either Emily Constance Francis (1851-), mother of Augustus Claude Francis, or Augustus Lawrence Francis (1848-1925), his father: "Given me by my dear Aunt Elizabeth Francis [possibly the wife or daughter of the previous Philip Francis]. I bequeath this volume as an heirloom to my dear son Augustus Claude, desiring him to leave it in turn to the member of his family most worthy to posses it. It is my firm conviction, based upon life long study, that the plays are the work of Francis Bacon."
Folger accession
268735