Paradise Lost.

£5,000 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

'one of the greatest works of the human imagination' The revised, third edition of Milton's masterpiece Paradise Lost, re-telling in blank-verse the story of the Fall of Man, and the first edition to be published following Milton's death in November 1674. A lovely example expertly repaired and retaining the original rear mottled calf board. Before his death Milton had reorganised the work into 12 books, consciously adopting the division used by Virgil in the Aeneid, and thereby making 'explicit the parallel with the epics of classical antiquity' to which he had always aspired (ODNB). With the oft omitted frontispiece portrait of Milton by William Dolle, as well as the prefatory note on 'The Verse' making the case for 'English Heroic Verse without Rime, as that of Homer in Greek, and of Virgil in Latin', and the short commendatory poem by Milton's friend, the noted metaphysical poet and satirist Andrew Marvel, defending his 'sublime' use of blank verse. Third edition; 8vo (18 x 11.5 cm); engraved portrait frontispiece of Milton by William Dolle, bound without final blanks ff, slightly toned with occasional spotting; contemporary rear mottled calf board, expertly rebacked with replacement upper board, gilt spine, contrasting red morocco lettering-piece, marbled edges, very good; [8], 331, [1]pp. ESTC R19396; Wing M2145; Pforzheimer 719.

• Binding: Hardcover

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