The faerie queene : disposed into twelue bookes, fashioning XII morall vertues.Spenser, Edmund, 1552?-15991590Copy belonging W.H. Ireland with his forged Shakespeare autographs and ms. annotations, and his tipped-in transcriptions of those annotations. Imperfect: lower portion of t.p. torn away with partial loss of title and imprint and, on verso, Spenser's name, in the dedication; "1590" written in ms. above "London" in imprint; some headlines, signature notations and catchwords shaved; some minor worming. Page 309 misnumbered 319, Welsh and English words in lines 4 and 5 of p. 332 supplied in ms. Cancellans Qq1-4 not present (hence, pagination is [2], 606). Two bookseller descriptions pasted in, one annotated to say that the book had been owned by Wm. Harrison, Esq., of [Saintsbury?] Hall, Lancashire, and sold by Sotheby's in 1881. Ms. annotations. Frontispiece of Edmund Spencer inserted. Armorial bookplates of Robert Lang and Francis Freeling, bookplates of William Berry and Henry Cunliffe.One of three variants of this edition. This one has dedication on title page verso signed 'Ed. Spenser'; first digit of imprint date is under the 'r' of 'for'.Printed by John Wolfe.Quire Qq is intended to cancel 2P6,7, but the latter are usually retained.Signatures: A-2P⁸ 2Q⁴.The first edition of books I-III, with blank spaces left on p. 332; printer's device of John Wolfe with motto "Vbiqve floret" on t.p.text