LOT #45137 |
Sold on Jun 27, 2024 for: Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
John Milton. Paradise lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books. London: Printed [by Samuel Simons], and are to be sold by Peter...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
Milton's great epic poem
John Milton. Paradise lost. A Poem Written in Ten
Books. London: Printed [by Samuel Simons], and are to be sold
by Peter Parker...Robert Boulter...and Matthias Walker, 1667.4to (177 x 130 mm). Full brown morocco gilt, paneled sides with center, corner and other ornaments, spine gilt, edge gilt, by Riviere; cloth folding case.
FIRST EDITION OF MILTON'S GREAT EPIC POEM, PRESUMED FIRST ISSUE, with Amory's state 1(b) of the title-page (the traditional first state), dated 1667 and with Milton's name spelled in full and in larger type than "London" of imprint. "The book made its appearance at an unfortunate time. London had barely recovered from the Plague of 1665 (during which eighty printers had died, wherein is seen another reason for the difficulty in finding a publisher), and the great district devastated by the Fire was still only partly rebuilt. It was not surprising that the 1200 copies which are thought to have made the first edition did not have a brisk sale" (Grolier, English).
The title exists in at least six states, of which the present state had been traditionally recognized as the first. Of the numerous theories attempting to explain the sequence of these variants, the study by Hugh Amory presents a reasonable case for priority belonging to the initial-signed 1668 title, corresponding to how Simons registered the work on 20 August 1667. See Hugh Amory, "Things Unattempted Yet: A bibliography of the first edition of Paradise lost," in: The Book Collector, Spring 1983, pp. 41-66 (1b). The 1667 titles, according to him, were used when the authorized 1668 titles were exhausted.
Condition: Lacking preliminary blank; flaw in the paper at foot of M2 affecting portions of the bottom two lines on both sides; small marginal repair on T4 affecting printed border rule slightly; some line-borders cropped at top; headline on V4 recto also cropped; lower margin repaired on Vv1 affecting the printed border rule at foot.
References: Grolier, English 33; Grolier, Wither to Prior 599; Hayward 72; Pforzheimer 716 (giving priority to the setting with "Milton" smaller than "London" in imprint); Wing M2138.
Provenance: George Goyder (bookplate; sold Sotheby's, 8 October 1973, lot 67, to Traylen for £8,800). From the William A. Strutz Library.
View all of [The William A. Strutz Library ]
Auction Info
2024 June 27 Important English and American Literature: The William A. Strutz Library, Part I, Rare Books Signature® Auction #6295 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
June, 2024
27th
Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 13
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 533
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $1,000,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $5,000,000 per lot.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms