DEEP: Database of Early English Playbooks

1632 Shakespeare, William Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies

Reference Information

DEEP #: 5085
Greg #: n/a
STC/Wing #: 22274c
Record Type: Collection
Play Type: Collection of Adult Professional Plays
Genre (Annals): n/a
 
Book Edition: 2
Play Edition: n/a
Format: Folio
Leaves: 454
Date of First Publication: 1623
Date of First Production: n/a
Company of First Production: n/a
Company Attribution: n/a
 
Total Editions: 2 folios
 
Variants: There are five issues of this collection, varying in the imprint. Issue 1: lists Allot as publisher, and its imprint exists in four main states: STC 22274 reads "to be fold at his shop at the signe of the Blacke Beare" in "Pauls Church-yard"; STC 22274a reads "to be fold at the signe"; in STC 22274e.3, the original sheet πA2.5 was replaced by a cancel, which is printed on thicker paper and probably dates from 1641, after Thomas Cotes died; it corrects "fold" to "sold", lists the sign for Allot's shop as "the blacke Beare", and is otherwise the same as STC 22274; STC 22274e.5 also contains a cancel sheet πA2.5 similar to STC 22274e.3; it lists the sign for Allot's shop as "the blacke Beare" in "Pauls Church yard," and also contains variant states with either "according" or "accodring." Issue 2: STC 22274b lists Aspley as publisher at the Parrot in Paul's Churchyard. Issue 3: STC 22274c lists Hawkins as publisher in Chancery Lane, near Sergeant's Inn; in its two states, the imprint reads either "shop in Chancery" or "shop Chancery." Issue 4: STC 22274d lists Meighen as publisher at the Middle Temple Gate in Fleet Street. Issue 5: STC 22274e lists Smethwick as publisher in St. Dunstan's Churchyard. See also STC 22274; 22274a; 22274b; 22274d; 22274e; 22274e.3; 22274e.5
 
Collection contains: The Tempest; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; The Merry Wives of Windsor; Measure for Measure; The Comedy of Errors; Much Ado About Nothing; Love's Labor's Lost; A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice); As You Like It; The Taming of the Shrew; All's Well That Ends Well; Twelfth Night, or What You Will; The Winter's Tale; King John; Richard the Second; 1 Henry the Fourth; 2 Henry the Fourth; Henry the Fifth; 1 Henry the Sixth; 2 Henry the Sixth (The First Part of the Contention of the Two Famous Houses of York and Lancaster); 3 Henry the Sixth (The True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York and the Good King Henry the Sixth); Richard the Third; Henry the Eighth (All Is True); Troilus and Cressida; Coriolanus; Titus Andronicus; Romeo and Juliet; Timon of Athens; Julius Caesar; Macbeth; Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; King Lear; Othello, the Moor of Venice; Antony and Cleopatra; Cymbeline, King of Britain

Title-Page Features

Title: [in single column] COMEDIES, | HISTORIES, and | TRAGEDIES.
Author: MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARES
Performance:
Illustration: Engraved portrait on title page, signed "Martin Droeshout sculpsit London"
Imprint: Published according to the true Originall Copies. The second Jmpression. LONDON, Printed by Tho. Cotes, for Richard Hawkins, and are to be sold at his shop in Chancery Lane, neere Serjeants Inne. 1632. [var: "shop Chancery"]

Paratextual Material

Dedication: "The Epistle Dedicatorie" to: William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke; and Philip Herbert, 1st Earl of Montgomery (4th Earl of Pembroke); from: John Heminges; and Henry Condell [πA3r; misprinted A2]
Commendatory Verses: 7: by unsigned (2) [πA5r]; by "L. Digges"; "I. M." [πA6r]; by "Ben: Ionson"; "I. M. S."; "Hugh Holland"; [*2r]
To the Reader: "To the Reader" (verses) signed "B. I." (Ben Jonson) [πA1v]; "To the great variety of Readers" signed "John Heminge. Henry Condell." [πA4r]
Actor List: "The Names of the Principall Actors in all these Playes" [*1r]
Other Paratexts: "A Catalogue of all the Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies contained in this Booke" (including Troilus and Cressida) [*4v]

Stationer Information

Colophon: Printed at London by Thomas Cotes, for John Smethwick, William Aspley, Richard Hawkins, Richard Meighen, and Robert Allot, 1632. [3d4r]
Printer: Cotes, Thomas
Publisher: Hawkins, Richard
Imprint Location: W.10c (Fleet St. - Chancery Lane near Serjeants' Inn)
Entries in Stationers' Register: Nov 8, 1623: Entered to Edward Blount and Isaac Jaggard: "Mr. William Shakspeers Comedyes Histories, & Tragedyes soe manie of the said Copies as are not formerly entred to other men.".
Aug 4, 1626: Transferred from the widow of Thomas Pavier to Edward Brewster and Richard Bird: "Mr. Paviers right in Shakesperes plaies or any of them".
Jun 19(?), 1627: Transferred from the widow of Isaac Jaggard to Thomas Cotes and Richard Cotes: "her parte in Shackspheere playes."
Jul 1, 1637: Transferred from the widow of Robert Allott to John Legat (2) and Andrew Crooke (1) (by order of a court): "saluo Iure cuiuscunque ... Shakespeares workes their Part."
 
Additional Notes: The variant issues and states of this edition correspond in STC and Greg as follows: STC 22274=Greg *; STC 22274a=Greg †; STC 22274b=Greg §; STC 22274c=Greg **; STC 22274d=Greg ††; STC 22274e=Greg ‡; STC 22274e.3=first '1632' reissue; STC 22274e.5=second '1632' reissue.