Ireland, Samuel (Editor) (William Shakespeare forgery)
Miscellaneous Papers and Legal Instruments Under the Hand and Seal of William Shakspeare: Including the Tragedy of King Lear and a Small Fragment of Hamlet, from the Original Mss. in the Possession of Samuel Ireland,of Norfolk Street
London, Cooper and Graham, 1796. 1st Edition. 0 pp. Hardcover. Fair in boards (separated). Wear to edges of boards, backstrip missing. some foxing to pages. Photos sent upon request. This extremely rare volume (the first printing of an octavo edition) of famous Shakespeare forgeries survives over the last 200 years with most of its pages bound together and boards present but separated. In fact, the first 5 pages are separate as well. They consist of the title page, blank page with signature of former owner and tear to upper right corner, frontispiece drawing (crudely executed) of what look to be a coat of arms and similarly crude drawing of Shakespeare with signature forged in each of 4 corners. Also, the first page of the 24-page preface is also separated. The preface is followed by a 3-page list of "Words and Letters supplied that appear to have been wanting in the MS." Following this list is: A letter from Queen Elizabeth to Shakespeare and his short letter in response and "Extracts from Miscellaneous Papers," 3 penned by Shakespeare and one by Jn Hemymge, all money notes. Also, a forged one-page letter and 5 short verses from Shakespeare to "Anna Hatherrewaye", Shakespeare's "Letter to the Earl of Southampton" together with "The Earl of Southampton's Answer", folowed by a "Profession of Faith" by Shakespeare (2 pages). Also, Shakespeare's "Letter to Richard Cowley" and "Deed of Gift to Ireland" and "Tributary Lines to Ireland, followed by "Agreement with John Lowine", "Agreement with Henry Condelle", "Lease to Mich, Fraser and Elizth, his Wife", and "Deed of Trust to John Hemynge." "Tragedye of Kynge Leare" is printed on 156 numbered pages. "Hamelette" is a fragment, only 7 numbered pages. There are 3 splits in the book itself: between the "Agreement with Henry Condelle" and "Lease to Michl, Fraser and Elizth, his Wife", between pp. 64 and 65 of "Kynge Leare", and between the last page and board. Fair.

Library Books / Clayton Fine Books
Professional sellerBook number: dn224
USD 7000.00 [Appr.: EURO 6072.75 | £UK 5190.75 | JP¥ 1017910]