SHAKESPEARE, William.

£180,000 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. The Fourth Folio, the last and the most grandly produced of the 17th-century editions of Shakespeare's works. The Fourth Folio contains the seven additional plays, of which Pericles is authentic. This copy includes three 18th-century ownership markings, the earliest being that of "Ann Wallis, her book. 1752".The text was set from a copy of the second issue of the Third Folio divided into three portions and sent to three different London printers. The Comedies were printed by Robert Roberts, the Histories and first four Tragedies by Robert Everingham, and the remaining Tragedies by Everingham's former master printer, John Macock; the pagination of the three parts reflects that division. Greg notes that 17 reprinted sheets are found in some copies; these sheets are in their original state.There were three versions of the title page. Roberts printed two from a single type setting, with either three booksellers named, as here, or with four. Macock printed the title for Herringman's copies, "to be sold by Joseph Knight and Francis Saunders", the booksellers to whom Herringman had entrusted his retail business. There is no precedence within the three variants.Provenance: Ann Wallis, her ownership inscription dated 1752 on the blank recto of the frontispiece; W. Walker, 1792, his inscription at the head of the leaf giving the names of the principal actors and the contents; J. T. Robinson, Tynemouth, 1799, his ownership inscription at the head of th

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