Paradise Lost. A Poem in Twelve Books
MILTON, John
To which is prefixed The Life of Milton and a curious Preface by the Editor.
CLEAN, CRISP COPY OF A SCARCE MILTON
Published: Printed for J Lackington No. 46 Chiswell Street Moorfields, 1788
Stock code: 38595
Price: £420.00
12mo., on laid paper, with engraved portrait frontispiece and 3 engraved plates; contemporary calf, expertly rebacked in calf to style, original red lather label laid down, a remarkably bright, clean, crisp copy.
The frontispiece is Phinn's medallion portrait of the author, first published in Donaldson's edition of the Poetical Works in 1772. The plates (also by Phinn) are placed to head books IV, VIII and IX. This edition includes, in addition to the poem, the Preface (by Lackington), the Life (by Newton) augmented with extracts from Toland and Birch, Barrow's 'In Paradisum Amissam', Marvell's 'On Paradise Lost', a description of the verse and full index. This edition is selected for comment by Professor John T. Shawcross in his address celebrating the acquisition of the Robert J. Wickenheiser collection of Miltoniana by the Thomas Cooper Library of the University of South Carolina (2006), together with an even more elusive companion volume. EXTREMELY SCARCE. ESTC N32815. Not recorded by NCBEL. COPAC lists copies only at Auckland, BL and Harvard.