Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories & tragedies
Subtitle: published according to the true originall copies
Contributors: Condell, Henry, -1627, editor; Heminge, John, approximately 1556-1630, editor; Droeshout, Martin, 1601- engraver; Jaggard, Isaac, -1627, printer; Blount, Edward, active 1588-1632, printer, bookseller; Smethwicke, John, -1641, bookseller; Aspley, William, -1640, bookseller
Publisher: Printed by Isaac Iaggard and Ed. Blount
Published: 1623
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 993
Subjects: Bibliography; Folios. 1623
Other titles: Mr. VVilliam Shakespeares comedies, histories & tragedies; Comedies, histories & tragedies; Comedies, histories, and tragedies
Work titles: Plays
Notes: First folio ed.; first issue.

Editors' dedication signed: Iohn Heminge. Henry Condell.

Mostly in verse.

With an engraved title-page portrait of the author signed: "Martin· Droeshout: sculpsit· London."

Colophon reads: Printed at the charges of W. Iaggard, Ed. Blount, I. Smithweeke, and W. Aspley. 1623.

Signatures: [superscript pi]A⁶ ([superscript pi]A1+1) [superscript pi][B]²; A-Bb⁶ Cc²; a-g⁶ [superscript chi]gg⁸ h-v⁶ x⁴; [chi]² [par.]-2[par.]⁶ 3[par.]1 aa-ff⁶ gg² Gg⁶ hh⁶ kk-bbb⁶.

"Signatures from Hinman"--ESTC.

The title page is an insert.

"The life and death of King Iohn" begins new pagination on leaf a1r; "The tragedy of Coriolanus" begins new pagination on leaf 2a1r.

Error in pagination: 399 misnumbered 993.

For details on the printing of this item see Charleton Hinman, "The printing and proof-reading of the First Folio of Shakespeare" (Oxford, 1963).

Entered to Blount and I. Jaggard, 8 November [1623].

Predominantly printed in double columns.

No. 30 in Sir Sidney Lee's Census.

Woodcut head- and tail- pieces; woodcut initials.

Rare Book copy: Title inlaid and slightly restored, about 21 leaves repaired.

Rare Book copy: Binding by F. Bedford: Red morocco, richly tooled in gold.

Rare Book copy: Comparison with the Bodleian copy as described by Madan, p. 9: The Columbia Library copy has the leaf of verses facing title. Signatures agree. In text, Comedies: sig. V[subscript 1] is misprinted Vv. Histories: sig. m[subscript 3] is misprinted l[subscript 3], sig. t[subscript 6], upper and lower lines are straight. Tragedies: p. 70, the O is too high in 70, catchword as in 3d stage. Sig. ss[subscript 3], stage direction is "He dis", sig. t[subscript 6], the "d" in catchword is dropped too low, sig. vv[subscript 3], words as in Bodleian copy.

Rare Book copy: Preliminary leaves, nos. 1-4 in the order given by Madan; nos. 5-9 equal respectively nos. 7,8,5,6,9, as given in Madan's list.

STC (2nd ed.) 22273.

English short title catalogue, S111228 http://estc.bl.uk/S111228

Greg, W.W. Bibliography of the English printed drama to the Restoration, III, pages 1109-1112

Carl H. Pforzheimer Library, 905

Rasmussen, E. Shakespeare First Folios.