[Shakespeare (William)] [Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies], second folio edition, [by Tho.Cotes

[Shakespeare (William)] [Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies], second folio edition, lacks A1-*3 (i.e. 'To the Reader', title, preliminaries), A1-4 (pp.1-8 from The Tempest), t3 & 4 (pp.189-192 from Richard III), 3c6-3d4 (pp.411-419 from Cymbeline, i.e. final 5ff.), preliminary leaf *4 ("Upon the Lines and Life of...W. Shakespeare" by Hugh Holland) present but extensively creased, browned and torn with very small text loss (but with a third of the leaf torn away) and laid down on f. with ''A Catalogue...'' in facsimile on verso, some missing prelims and all text at end supplied in a variety of facsimile leaves (including title with good facsimile of Shakespeare's portrait by Droeshout), A5-6 and last few ff. mounted on stubs, L2, y4-5 & 2f2 short tears into text without loss, Y1 longer repaired tear to foot, some ff. margins frayed occasionally causing loss of text (see in particular D3-4 & Sig. T), the odd small repair affecting text, l4 portion torn away at foot with loss to final 2 lines verso, lower corners frayed from Sig. 3a with loss to catchwords and a few letters, 3c2 to end (i.e. 4 remaining last ff.) margins frayed with loss of many lines of text, trimmed at head, very occasionally into ruled border and shaving headline to K3, a few ink annotations or corrections, longer ink note to I2v, lightly browned, some soiling, some water- and other staining, modern antique-style calf, richly gilt, upper cover slightly stained, little rubbed, particularly to lower cover, joints cracked at head and foot but holding, preserved in a drop-back box, [STC 22274; Pforzheimer 906, issue not determined], folio (c.314 x 195mm.), [by Tho.Cotes, for Robert Allot], [1632].*** The second folio edition of Shakespeare's plays, this copy, albeit with the odd defect, with the majority of plays complete. "For though his Line of life went soone about,/ The Life yet of his Lines shall never out" (Hugh Holland, preliminary poem on *4).Provenance: Edward Vaughan (early ownership name on *4).