MILTON, John. Paradise Regain'd: A Poem. In four books. To which is added Samson Agonistes; and Poems upon several occasions. With a tractate of education. Printed for J. Tonson, at Shakespear's Head, over-against Catherine-Street in the Strand; and for Richard, James, and Bethel Wellington, London, 1730.

Price: US$160.41 + shipping

Condition: Good

Description: The seventh edition, corrected. Single volume. 12mo (17 x 10.5cm), [vi], 352 + etched frontis and illustrated with various head- and tail-pieces throughout. Bound in new half brown leatherette, single blind ruled, with original red morocco label re-pasted to spine, marbled paper boards. New head- and tailbands and marbled endpapers. Edges stained red (uneven fading). Original ffep – with POI in sepia ink – pasted to frontis, forming its recto, frontis cropped, with POI note in sepia ink pasted to leading edge, POI repeated on title page, which similarly appears to have been pasted to another (free) leaf, occasional clarifications to section titles in the same hand. Creasing to prelims, some browning, staining (water and ink) and grubbiness, a little bleeding from edge stain. A robust, sophisticated copy of a later Tolson edition, featuring a (pleasing) motley selection of head- and tail-pieces. Fairly well represented in British research libraries. Good. Jacob Tonson (the Elder, c.1655-1736) was a bookseller and prestigious publisher of Dryden, Aphra Benn, the Earl of Rochester, and Shakespeare, alongside Milton. Indeed, Tonson was "instrumental in creating and nurturing an audience and an appreciation for the poem [Paradise Lost] and for Milton, keeping the poet's reputation alive in a period dominated by a very different literary taste." (ODNB). A canny businessman and shaper of literary taste, he was one of the first booksellers to advertise in newspapers, "created the modern anthology as a genre," as well as co-founding the Kit-Cat Club (ODNB): a bookseller of talent and many legacies.

Seller: Quair Books PBFA, Leeds, United Kingdom

Milton, John. Paradise Regain’d: A Poem.. J. Tonson, 1730.

Price: US$200.00 + shipping

Condition: Fair

Description: Paradise Regain’d: A Poem. In Four Books. To which is added Samson Agonistes; and Poems upon several Occasions. With a Tractate of Education. The Author John Milton. The Seventh Edition, Corrected. Printed for J. Tonson, London, 1730, frontispiece, 352 pp, full leather, 6.5 x 4”, 18mo. In fair condition. Spine is newer, along with fresh end papers. Likely done in the early 20th century? Front board detached. Light wear to extremities with minor scuffing along corners and edges. Light scuffing to surface of leather. Old hand ownership “Cheever’s” on fly at top right corner. Small ink stain at center of fly. Ink has bled onto frontis. Someone has intentionally doodled onto the frontis as well. Old stamp of Geo. C. Shatter on front title. Dampness staining to the margins, some dampness bleeds to the text, but mostly unaffected. Light toning throughout. Binding remains intact. Some minor foxing throughout. Please see photos. Tonson printed Milton’s are highly collectible and, at times, scarce. Jacob Tonson (the Elder, c.1655-1736) was a bookseller and prestigious publisher to Dryden, Apha Benn, the Earl of Rochester, and Shakespeare, alongside Milton. Indeed, Tonson was “instrumental in creating and nurturing an audience and an appreciation for the poem Paradise Lost and for Milton, keeping the poet’s reputation alive in a period dominated by very different literary taste.” Tonson was one of the first booksellers to advertise in newspapers, “created the modern anthology as a genre,” as well as co-founding the Kit-Cat Club.

Seller: ROBIN RARE BOOKS at the Midtown Scholar, Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A.