1685 · London
by Shakespeare, William
London, 1685. A relic of the greatest playwright in world literature: a leaf from each of the four folios, that is, the first four collected editions of Shakespeare’s plays. The leaves comprise the endings - three marked with "finis" and attractive tailpieces - of Henry the Fourth, Henry the Sixth Part II, All’s Well That Ends Well, and Anthony and Cleopatra.
The four folios were the only collected editions of Shakespeare’s plays published in the 17th century. The First Folio of 1623 is of inestimable importance for English literature, being the sole source for 18 of Shakespeare’s plays that would have otherwise been lost. The Second Folio of 1632 included an additional encomium by the young John Milton, his first published poem in English, and modernized some of the spelling and punctuation. “The Second Folio was issued when England under Charles I was drifting into civil war. It helped to keep alive the poetry of Shakespeare during the days of the Commonwealth when play-acting was proscribed as a work of the devil” (Willoughby’s introduction). The Third Folio of 1664 added the play Pericles and six spurious Shakespeare plays. It is the rarest of the folios, due no doubt to a large part of the edition being destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The Fourth Folio completed the great quartet in 1685. It maintained the text of the Third Folio and was in turn used as the basis for the edited texts of the 18th century.
The four leaves comprise:
1. First Folio (1623): Henry the Fourth Part II, pp. 99-100, comprising the end of Act 5 Scene 3 through to the end of scene 5. Prince Hal, ascended to the throne as King Henry V, disowns Falstaff; the play concludes with the promise of military campaigns in France, setting the stage for Henry V.
2. Second Folio (1632): Henry the Sixth Part II, pp. 145-6, comprising the end of Act 5 scene 1 through to the end of scene 3. York and his allies (Edward, Richard, Warwick, and Salisbury) rally their forces to pursue King Henry VI, Queen Margaret, and Clifford.
3. Third Folio (1663-4): All’s Well That Ends Well, pp. 253-4, comprising the end of Act 5 scene 3 and the epilogue. Helena reveals herself alive to the King and Bertram, proving she has fulfilled Bertram's impossible conditions: obtaining his ring and bearing his child; the King approves of the reconciliation.
4. Fourth Folio (1685): Anthony and Cleopatra, pp. 163-4, comprising the end of Act 5 scene 2. Cleopatra and Charmian die, Caesar promises to bury Cleopatra by Anthony.
Four folio leaves, disbound. With custom paper folder dated in print “JSW - 1979”. Housed in a black cloth magnetic folder. Woodcut tailpieces. A few early manuscript corrections. Leaves a little browned, occasional mark or small stain, left margin of First Folio leaf neatly repaired, tiny rust burn to Fourth Folio leaf just touching one letter. In very good condition. (Inventory #: 6855)
The four folios were the only collected editions of Shakespeare’s plays published in the 17th century. The First Folio of 1623 is of inestimable importance for English literature, being the sole source for 18 of Shakespeare’s plays that would have otherwise been lost. The Second Folio of 1632 included an additional encomium by the young John Milton, his first published poem in English, and modernized some of the spelling and punctuation. “The Second Folio was issued when England under Charles I was drifting into civil war. It helped to keep alive the poetry of Shakespeare during the days of the Commonwealth when play-acting was proscribed as a work of the devil” (Willoughby’s introduction). The Third Folio of 1664 added the play Pericles and six spurious Shakespeare plays. It is the rarest of the folios, due no doubt to a large part of the edition being destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The Fourth Folio completed the great quartet in 1685. It maintained the text of the Third Folio and was in turn used as the basis for the edited texts of the 18th century.
The four leaves comprise:
1. First Folio (1623): Henry the Fourth Part II, pp. 99-100, comprising the end of Act 5 Scene 3 through to the end of scene 5. Prince Hal, ascended to the throne as King Henry V, disowns Falstaff; the play concludes with the promise of military campaigns in France, setting the stage for Henry V.
2. Second Folio (1632): Henry the Sixth Part II, pp. 145-6, comprising the end of Act 5 scene 1 through to the end of scene 3. York and his allies (Edward, Richard, Warwick, and Salisbury) rally their forces to pursue King Henry VI, Queen Margaret, and Clifford.
3. Third Folio (1663-4): All’s Well That Ends Well, pp. 253-4, comprising the end of Act 5 scene 3 and the epilogue. Helena reveals herself alive to the King and Bertram, proving she has fulfilled Bertram's impossible conditions: obtaining his ring and bearing his child; the King approves of the reconciliation.
4. Fourth Folio (1685): Anthony and Cleopatra, pp. 163-4, comprising the end of Act 5 scene 2. Cleopatra and Charmian die, Caesar promises to bury Cleopatra by Anthony.
Four folio leaves, disbound. With custom paper folder dated in print “JSW - 1979”. Housed in a black cloth magnetic folder. Woodcut tailpieces. A few early manuscript corrections. Leaves a little browned, occasional mark or small stain, left margin of First Folio leaf neatly repaired, tiny rust burn to Fourth Folio leaf just touching one letter. In very good condition. (Inventory #: 6855)
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