Milton, John

8vo (6 2/16 x 3 1/4 in.; 155 x 95 mm). Part II with separate title and pagination. Engraved frontispiece portrait by William Marshall.; frontispiece detaching and lacking initial blank as usual, small chip from lower margin of B5, E3 with paper flaw, old ownership name on title, but a fine, crisp copy. Contemporary ruled calf; rebacked with spine preserved. Full morocco case by Riviere. 

E. Matthews, Sidon College 1646 (inscription on flyleaf) — Elizabeth Shute (signature on flyleaf) — J. Hart, Oxford (signature on title-page) — John Robertson (signature on title-page) — Herschel V. Jones (bookplate; Anderson Galleries, 30 January 1919, lot 1173) — Dr. Edward Douglas from Rosenbach. acquisition: John F. Fleming, 1963

Wing M 2160; ESTC R202162; Grolier/Wither to Prior 572; Hayward 71; Pforzheimer 722

First collected edition of Milton's poems.  Milton considered the portrait — according to Granger the first published print of the author — such a poor likeness that he insisted on the Greek inscription proclaiming it so to be added underneath. It translates in part, "...laugh at the awkward imitation of the stupid artist..." The present copy is the variant with "S.Paul" in the imprint, but no priority has been established. A work seldom found in a contemporary binding, all but "Lycidas," "Comus" and the epitaph on Shakespeare were printed here for the first time.