Paradise Lost: A Poem in Ten Books.

MILTON, John.

$45,000.00

Item Number: 119536

London: Printed by S. Simmons, and are to be sold by T. Helder, at the Angel in Little Brittain, 1669.

First edition of Milton’s masterpiece, “one of the greatest works of the human imagination” (DNB). Small octavo, bound in full contemporary sprinkled calf, smooth spine gilt, red morocco lettering-piece gilt. Title-page and text within ruled border; woodcut headpieces and initials opening each book. (Without blank A1 after cancel title, F3 with paper flaw affecting rule border and shoulder notes, tiny mostly marginal wormhole to a few leaves.) Provenance: Elizabeth Gordon (signature on title verso dated 1686); Robert Chilton Pearson (bookplate); Patrick & Julie Pearson (bookplate). With the cancel title-page corresponding to Amory’s fourth issue, title page with “Angel” in the imprint in italic, and no note from the printer to the reader.  Amory’s subissue 4† with signature Z in the original setting with “illustrous” in line 109 of the seventh book, and with Vv reset reading “far” in line 2 ov Vvlr. Hugh Amory “Things Unattempted Yet” in The Book Collector, Spring 1983, pp. 41-66; see ESTC R13352; Grolier Wither to Prior 603; Pforzheimer 718; Wing M-2142. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. An exceptional example, rare and desirable.

First published in 1667, “Paradise Lost is generally conceded to be one of the greatest poems in the English language; and there is no religious epic in English which measures up to Milton’s masterpiece… Milton performed an artist’s service to his God” (Magill, 511, 515). The present issue includes "Milton's synopsis of each book ("the Arguments" of Books 1-10), his defense of "the Verse," and a list of errata, adding sixteen pages of preliminary matter to the book. Simmons's note to the reader states that he had procured this explanation from Milton because readers of the poem had "stumbled" on first encountering it, asking "why the Poem Rimes not." Milton's strident defense of blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) is printed in large type that fills two pages. His chosen meter, although no longer fashionable by 1667, was the dominant mode of Shakespeare's plays and is the closest to the natural rhythms of English speech. Samuel Johnson later commented sarcastically that, "finding blank verse easier than rhyme, [Milton] was desirous of persuading himself that it is better" [Morgan Library]. Simmons issued the first edition over the course of several years, adding an updated title page with seven variations bearing dates of 1667, 1668 and 1669. Bibliographer Hugh Amory argued that the 1668 title page was issued earlier than the one bearing the date 1667.