[20], 303, [1], 46, 49-100, [2], 69-232, 168, 269-419, [1] pp. (A6, *4, A-2B6, 2C2, a-y6, 2a-3c6, 3d4). Title with engraved portrait by Martin Droeshout. Double column text within typographical rules. Woodcut headpieces and initials. (folio) 13¼x8¾, 19th century full brown morocco with gilt-roll borders, spine tooled in gilt, raised bands, armorial shield of Curzon (“What Curzon Helde, Let Curzon Holde”) on front cover, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt; bound by J. Leighton.

The second folio edition of William Shakespeare’s Works, one of the landmarks of English literature. While essentially a page-for-page reprint of the first, the second folio is famed for its inclusion of Milton's “An Epitaph on the admirable Dramaticke Poet, W. Shakespeare” -- the first appearance in print of any work of Milton's. Gregg notes that, “Though many errors were introduced in the course of reprinting, the text of the present edition shows signs of careful, if unauthorized, revision.” There are five variants of the first issue, three substituting the names and addresses of other publishers for Allott's. “These publishers were all proprietors of one or more of the copyrights of Shakespeare's plays,” observes Jackson, 'but their interests were much less than Allott's and consequently the proportion of copies issued with their names in the imprint was much smaller.” All the variants have the same colophon: “Printed at London by Thomas Cotes, for John Smethwick, William Aspley, Richard Hawkins, Richard Meighen, and Robert Allot, 1632.” This copy has the imprint designated by Robert Metcalf Smith in his exhaustive study as “Allot 4”, and the state of Milton’s contribution as “Effigies C”; William Todd’s scholarly analysis revises this to “Allot b” (2nd state of imprint) and issue 1b of the Effigies leaf. The preliminaries of this copy have been bound out of order, with signature * inserted between A4 and A5 (in the order *2, *3, *4, *1), and the leaves slightly shorter, perhaps supplied from another copy. 10 lines of old ink ms. notes on 2C2v (otherwise blank). Bookplate of Sam. Massey, M.D., on 1A6v. Ink ownership signature of R. Curzon, Parham, 1852, on verso of front free endpaper (this is Robert Curzon, 14th Baron Zouche, a noted traveler, scholar and collector); signature of J. W— Thompson, 1948, to following flyleaf. STC 22274; Greg III, pp.1113-1116; PMM 122 (1st Folio).