Milton John

1725 · réf. 35104 — London: Printed for Jacob Tonson in the Strand 1725. A fine early edition printed by Tonson who also printed the first illustrated edition. With a fine engraved frontispiece portrait of Milton by R. White and 12 fine copperplate engravings by Burgess and P. P. Bouche after John Baptist Medina B Lens and H. Aldrich. These are the same engraved illustrations that appeared in the first illustrated edition of 1688. 8vo handsomely bound in contemporary full red crushed morocco the covers with fine gilt fillet rules to the borders enclosing a gilt rolled and tooled inner border including floral elements the spine with raised bands gilt stopped the compartments of the spine with fully gilt panels incorporating numerous tooled designs one compartment lettered in gilt marbled endleaves of the period all edges gilt a very pleasing binding of the time. viii 350 46 index and lines of the poem pp. A very handsome binding of the period in the most desired red morocco the book solid and strong and the text-block and illustrations well preserved with some normal mellowing from age some rubbing and a little splitting to the outer hinges though not affecting the inner hinges or the cords some wear to the head and tail of the spine panel still a handsome and rarely encountered fine period binding. VERY EARLY ILLUSTRATED EDITION INCORPORATING THE ORIGINAL FIRST FOLIO EDITION ENGRAVINGS also published by Jacob Tonson. The first illustrated edition is also one of the earliest examples of a book published by subscription and one of the earliest illustrated books in English literature. Five Centuries of Book Illustration 1988 Edward Hodnett calls this "the earliest serious effort to illustrate an important work of English poetry;" and in Francis Barlow: First Master of English Book Illustration he goes further and declares it "the only major English literary work with important engraved illustrations in the seventeenth century." The copperplate engravings have a dramatic power that was only matched 200 years later by John Martin's gloomy mezzotints. In PARADISE LOST Milton revived the heroic verse of Homer and Virgil to frame the tale of Satan and Paradise that has become the best-known epic poem written in English. He had difficulty in finding a publisher because of the plague of 1665 which killed many pressmen and the Great Fire of the following year which destroyed many printing houses—and those publishers who were still operating were wary of the project because of Milton's anti-Restoration sympathies. Simmons to whom he finally came drove a hard bargain and according to the agreement reached and the number of copies sold Milton was paid a total of Å15. Milton’s work survives and is revered to this day as amongst the most significant poetry and prose ever penned and additionally important at a defining moment in the development of the English language. A truly towering figure Milton remains one of the most celebrated and analyzed poets in English literature. Dryden described ‘Paradise Lost’ as ‘one of the greatest most noble and sublime poems which either this age or nation has produced’ while Blake keying in on the poem’s heretical implications described Milton as ‘a true Poet and of the Devil’s party without knowing it.’ This copy with a Life of Milton Postscripts and a celebration of Milton penned by Andrew Marvell who writes a splendid poem on the success of Milton's poem: .Pardon me Mighty Poet !. But I am now convinc'd and none will dare Within Thy labors to pretend a share. Thou hast not miss'd one thought that could be fit; And all that was improper dost omit: So that no room is here for writers left But to detect their ignorance or theft. .Thy verse created like Thy Theme sublime In number weight and measure needs not rhyme. Printed for Jacob Tonson in the Strand hardcover