[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) 32.5x21.5 cm. (12¾x8½"), modern full red levant morocco, triple gilt-filet borders on the covers, spine elaborately tooled & lettered in gilt, raised bands, gilt inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, gilt edges; bound by Riviere.
The first printing, first issue in the rare Aspley imprint of 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 that of primary publisher Robert Allott. “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 of William Apsley, which is quite scarce, he being one of the minor partners in the publishing consortium, and the state of Milton’s contribution as “Effigies C”; William Todd’s scholarly analysis revises this to issue 1b of the Effigies leaf. STC 22274; Greg III, pp.1113-1116; PMM 122 (1st Folio). With ink signature of John Burns on the front flyleaf. Pencil note on the back of the front free endpaper notes "Copies with Aspley imprint in this country: H.E. Huntington, Marsden J. Perry copy, H.C. Folger, H. Murdock, & this copy." A bookseller's catalogue entry tipped to the bottom of the leaf notes that "Copies of the second folio with Aspley's imprint are Extremely Rare."