The front matter contains commendatory verses and epistles dedicatory from contemporaries and admirers of Shakespeare, including Ben Jonson, James Mabbe, Leonard Digges, Hugh Holland, and John Milton.

Printers' names from ESTC and Greg.

For an in-depth examination of bibliographic variants of the third folio, see: McManaway, James G. "New discoveries in the third folio of Shakespeare," in The papers of The Bibliographical Society of America, v. 70, no. 4 (1976), p. 469-480.

Signatures: [superscript pi]Áþ b́œ A-2Áœ B́ı C-4D́œ 4Éþ

Numerous errors in pagination.

Title page vignette; head- and tailpieces; initials.

"The title of this issue is known to exist in two states: in one, the Droeshout portrait (third state) which had been used in the earlier editions is introduced between the fifth lines and the imprint. In the other, that space was left blank."--Pforzheimer

In the copy described herein, the portrait appears on the title page, as described by Pforzheimer, while the verses by Ben Jonson appear opposite, on Áv.

Bartlett, H.C. Shakespeare early editions, 121

Boston Public Library. Barton collection catalogue, p. 2

ESTC R212954

Greg, III, p.1117-8

Pforzheimer, 908

Wing (2nd ed.) S2913

Boston Public Library (Rare Books Department) copy bound in 19th-century red morocco triple-panelled in gilt. The spine is panelled and tooled in gilt with two brown leather labels. All text block edges are gilt. Leaves [superscript pi]A1 and [superscript pi]A2 are trimmed heavily and laid into newer sheets. The margins of [superscript pi]A3 are torn away and replaced, with losses to text that are partially reproduced in facsimile. 4E4 is tipped onto a replacement stub. An early ex-libris inscription has been erased from the head of the title page. Another early ex-libris, perhaps the same, is struck out at the head of p. 1. An early inscription on p. 664 (3K2v) reads: "Soe dire a tragidy was never yet as this of Romeo & Juliet." Marginalia is present, sparsely, throughout, including manuscript corrections to Hamlet (see 3S2r, 3S4v). The armorial bookplate of the Barton Library is present on the front pastedown and a Sotheby's auction description, with the price paid by Barton inscribed in his own hand, is laid onto the verso of the front free endpaper. Thomas Pennant Barton purchased this copy through the Harward sale in December, 1858. It is housed in a green cloth box with a black spine label.