Edition limited to 1000 numbered
and signed copies.]
[Footnote 27: Judge.]
The chief credit for bringing together the materials for the First
Folio, in 1623, is believed to be due to William Jaggard. Some ten
years earlier he had acquired the printing-privileges of certain of
the quartos. Edward Blount, whose name appears as publisher on the
title page with that of Isaac Jaggard, was merely a stationer, so that
the actual printing was solely under the charge of the latter, who
seems, at this time, to have been entrusted with this department of
the business. However, Blount's services may have been valuable since
he had better literary taste than the Jaggards possessed.
In spite of certain evident faults of proportion, the portrait of
Shakespeare engraved by Martin Droeshout for the title page of the
1623 Folio bears internal evidence of being a fairly good likeness,
for the face possesses a marked individuality. There is a belief that
it was taken from the so-called "Flower" portrait, now in the
Shakespeare Memorial Gallery at Stratford-upon-Avon, and which is
conjectured to have been painted in 1609, at least during
Shakespeare's lifetime, possibly by another Martin Droeshout, a
Fleming, uncle of the engraver of the same name. This portrait was
discovered, painted on a panel at Peckham Rye, bearing the inscription
"Will Shakespeare^n, 1609".
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