PBA Galleries

[4], 219, [1], 219-250, 151-197, 298-343, [7] pp. With frontispiece portrait of Milton engraved in copper by R. White from the painting by William Faithorne, plus 12 copper-engraved plates, most engraved by Michael Burghers or Peter Paul Bouche. (folio) 12¼x7¾, period calf, rebacked with modern calf, leather spine label. First Illustrated Edition, stated Fourth Edition on the title-page.

First illustrated edition of Milton's great epic poem, and a landmark in book production, being the first illustrated edition of a contemporaneous English author. It was published some twenty years after the first edition of 1667. This is one of three imprint variants of this edition. Wing M2146. With ink name of Mary Cullon, 1688, in bottom margin of title-page. Ink ownership signature of F.W. Arkwright on front pastedown noting purchase in 1846, beneath which is his bookplate; beneath the bookplate is the ink note "This book was sold by Mr. F.W. Arkwright at a sale of many of his effects in Warwick in 1888 & was bought from a bookseller in that town by Capt. W.E. Scott in Oct. 1888," with the bookplate of William Erskine Scott on front free endpaper.