Beschreibung:

MILTON, JOHN. Paradise lost. A Poem in Ten Books. London: Printed by S. Simmons, and to be sold by S. Thomson, H. Mortlack, M. Walker, and R. Boulter, 1668. 4to, 184 x 140 mm. (7 1/4 x 5 3/8 in.), contemporary English red goatskin, covers tooled in gilt with double fillet border and triple fillet inner panel with floral tools at corners, spine in six compartments, the second gilt lettered, the remainder with gilt floral centerpiece tools, g.e., upper joint split, extremities of spine chipped with loss at head, board edges somewhat rubbed, trace of removed bookplate on front pastedown; folding chemise and brown crushed morocco two-part pull-off case, light dampstaining, occasional spotting, a few trifling marginal tears . FIRST EDITION, Amory's issue no. 2 (the traditional 4th title), the first issue to include the 7 preliminary leaves, containing "The Printer to the Reader," "The Argument," "The Verse," and the errata statement; woodcut initials, typographical title and head-piece title ornaments. Tipped in at front is a folio leaf (pp. 61-62) from an unidentified volume of Miscellanies , containing verses entitled "On Mr. Milton's Paradise Lost." Hugh Amory, "Things Unattempted Yet," in The Book Collector , vol. 32, no. 1, Spring 1983, pp. 41-66; Wing M-2139. Provenance : Contemporary ownership inscription on upper pastedown, "M Ffolkes F.R.S." -- 18th or 19th-century inscription on front free endpaper, H. Herbert L. [illegible] -- W. Walker, signature dated 1792 on title -- B. Mountenay, 18th-century signature on A2r -- André De Coppet (sale, Parke-Bernet, 16 February 1954, lot 295).