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PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF NANCY LONG HOGAN
MILTON, John (1608-1674). Paradise lost. A Poem in Ten Books. London: Printed by S. Simmons, and are to be sold by T. Helder at the Angel in Little Brittain, 1667.
Details
MILTON, John (1608-1674). Paradise lost. A Poem in Ten Books. London: Printed by S. Simmons, and are to be sold by T. Helder at the Angel in Little Brittain, 1667.
An apparently unique variant of the first edition of “one of the greatest works of the human imagination” (ODNB). Milton’s epic poem, which sought to “justifie the wayes of God to men,” brought the entire classical poetic tradition to bear on the founding story of Christianity. The poet introduced as many as three times the number of new words to written English as Shakespeare, among them: satanic, terrific, sensuous, and pandemonium. The bibliography of the first edition and its many title page variants and cancels is a notoriously knotty problem which has been mostly untangled by Hugh Amory, who lists six title pages comprising four separate issues of the first edition, dated 1667, 1668 and 1669. The whole edition was printed by Samuel Simmons for three different sets of booksellers, one of whom was Thomas Helder. While the other two Helder issues are dated 1669 (one thought to be printed late 1668), the present copy bears a cancel title with the earliest possible date of 1667; it is also without the front matter that first appeared only in 1668. This copy is discussed in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, April 1909 when it seems to have been in an earlier binding. Amory, “Things Unattempted Yet” in The Book Collector, Spring 1983, pp. 41-66; Pforzheimer 718; Wing M-2142.
Quarto (179 x 128mm). Box ruled throughout, cancel title page, woodcut initials and ornaments (soft horizontal crease to title). Early 20th-century morocco gilt, edges gilt (light wear). Provenance: Nathaniel Ingersoll Bowditch (1818-1861, abolitionist and son of the famous mathematician of the same name; inscription dated 1844 on front flyleaf) – William I. Bowditch (will, 1818-1909) – William Henry Albers (1880-1954; bookplate) – by descent to the current owner.
An apparently unique variant of the first edition of “one of the greatest works of the human imagination” (ODNB). Milton’s epic poem, which sought to “justifie the wayes of God to men,” brought the entire classical poetic tradition to bear on the founding story of Christianity. The poet introduced as many as three times the number of new words to written English as Shakespeare, among them: satanic, terrific, sensuous, and pandemonium. The bibliography of the first edition and its many title page variants and cancels is a notoriously knotty problem which has been mostly untangled by Hugh Amory, who lists six title pages comprising four separate issues of the first edition, dated 1667, 1668 and 1669. The whole edition was printed by Samuel Simmons for three different sets of booksellers, one of whom was Thomas Helder. While the other two Helder issues are dated 1669 (one thought to be printed late 1668), the present copy bears a cancel title with the earliest possible date of 1667; it is also without the front matter that first appeared only in 1668. This copy is discussed in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, April 1909 when it seems to have been in an earlier binding. Amory, “Things Unattempted Yet” in The Book Collector, Spring 1983, pp. 41-66; Pforzheimer 718; Wing M-2142.
Quarto (179 x 128mm). Box ruled throughout, cancel title page, woodcut initials and ornaments (soft horizontal crease to title). Early 20th-century morocco gilt, edges gilt (light wear). Provenance: Nathaniel Ingersoll Bowditch (1818-1861, abolitionist and son of the famous mathematician of the same name; inscription dated 1844 on front flyleaf) – William I. Bowditch (will, 1818-1909) – William Henry Albers (1880-1954; bookplate) – by descent to the current owner.
Sale room notice
This Lot is Withdrawn.