Pavier quartos

List of Pavier quartos in the back of the Edward Gwynn copy (STC 26101 copy 3)

The Pavier quartos, also known as the "False folio," are a group of plays printed in quarto format by William Jaggard for Thomas Pavier in 1619, though some bear earlier false dates. They were sold singly, but also as a bound-together set, hence the nickname "False folio"---the bound-together version has been seen as an attempt at a one-volume edition of Shakespeare's collected plays, preceding the the "First Folio" of 1623. At the time, all were thought to be by Shakespeare. The Folger collection includes one bound-together set in its original binding (the Edward Gwynn copy) which is sometimes referred to in-house as "The Pavier Quartos" despite the Folger actually having many instances of each of the Pavier quartos. The Folger collection also includes the remains of a set of Pavier quartos that were once bound together with an unknown edition of Thomas Heywood's A Woman Killed with Kindness (the Miss Orlebar copy).

W.W. Greg lists the Pavier quartos under the devised title "The Collection of 1619. A collection of ten plays, without general title but with signatures continuous through the first three: begins with a joint title to the first two."

The Pavier quartos are the subject of Zachary Lesser, Ghosts, Holes, Rips and Scrapes: Shakespeare in 1619, Bibliography in the Longue Durée (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press in cooperation with the Folger Shakespeare Library, 2021).

In order of printing

According to W.W. Greg, the Pavier quartos were printed in the following order (given here with the STC number assigned by A.W. Pollard, A Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (2nd ed.) in parentheses):

• Henry VI, Part 2 , as the first part of The Whole Contention Between the Two Famous Houses, Lancaster and York...Divided into Two Parts (first part of STC 26101)
• Henry VI, Part 3 , as the second part of The Whole Contention Between the Two Famous Houses, Lancaster and York...Divided into Two Parts (second part of STC 26101)
• Pericles, in continuous register with The Whole Contention Between the Two Famous Houses, Lancaster and York...Divided into Two Parts but a separate title page (third part of STC 26101)

Folger has 3 complete copies; 5 copies containing only Henry VI, Part 2 and Henry VI, Part 3; 1 copy containing only Henry VI, Part 1; 2 copies containing only Henry VI, Part 2; and five copies containing only Pericles (Hamnet record)

• A Yorkshire Tragedy (STC 22341, not actually by Shakespeare)

Folger has 6 copies (Hamnet record)

• The Merchant of Venice (STC 22297)

Folger has 4 copies (Hamnet record)

• The Merry Wives of Windsor (STC 22300)

Folger has 7 copies plus a fragment (Hamnet record)

• King Lear (STC 22293)

Folger has 6 copies (Hamnet record)

• Henry V (STC 22291)

Folger has 7 copies (Hamnet record)

• Sir John Oldcastle (STC 18796; not actually by Shakespeare)

Folger has 7 copies plus a fragment (Hamnet record)

• A Midsummer Night's Dream (STC 22303)

Folger has 7 copies (Hamnet record)

In order by STC number

The Pavier quartos are numbered in A.W. Pollard, A Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (2nd ed.), as follows:

• Sir John Oldcastle (STC 18796; not actually by Shakespeare)

Folger has 7 copies plus a fragment (Hamnet record)

• Henry V (STC 22291)

Folger has 7 copies (Hamnet record)

• King Lear (STC 22293)

Folger has 6 copies (Hamnet record)

• The Merchant of Venice (STC 22297)

Folger has 4 copies (Hamnet record)

• The Merry Wives of Windsor (STC 22300)

Folger has 7 copies plus a fragment (Hamnet record)

• A Midsummer Night's Dream (STC 22303)

Folger has 7 copies (Hamnet record)

• A Yorkshire Tragedy (STC 22341, not actually by Shakespeare)

Folger has 6 copies (Hamnet record)

• Henry VI, Part 2 (first part of STC 26101, as the first part of The Whole Contention Between the Two Famous Houses, Lancaster and York...Divided into Two Parts)
• Henry VI, Part 3 (second part of STC 26101, as the second part of The Whole Contention Between the Two Famous Houses, Lancaster and York...Divided into Two Parts)
• Pericles (third part of STC 26101, in continuous register with The Whole Contention Between the Two Famous Houses, Lancaster and York...Divided into Two Parts but a separate title page)

Folger has 3 complete copies; 5 copies containing only Henry VI, Part 2 and Henry VI, Part 3; 1 copy containing only Henry VI, Part 1; 2 copies containing only Henry VI, Part 2; and five copies containing only Pericles (Hamnet record)