1697 Works of Mr. John Milton First Edition of Collected Works Finely Bound

The Works of Mr. John Milton, Printed in the Year 1697. John Milton. The first collected edition of Milton s prose works, 568 pages, red moroccan leather fine binding measuring 12.5 x 8", royal 8vo. In fair condition. Leather boards are scuffed at edges and worn/bumped at corners. Head and tail of spine scuffed. Gilt lettering and ruling on spine bright and clean. Scratch marks on front board. Marginalia in pencil throughout textblock. Front and rear gutters cracked. First three pages of text block are becoming loose. Light foxing throughout with some instances of age-staining. Pages 565 to back end papers are loose. Binding intact. Please see photos and ask questions, if any, before purchasing. John Milton (1608 - 1674)was an English poet and intellectual who served as a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under its Council of State and later under Oliver Cromwell. Considered the greatest English author and generally regarded as one of the preeminent writers in the English language John Dryden, an early enthusiast, in 1677 began the trend of describing Milton as the poet of the sublime. Many enlightenment thinkers of the 18th century revered and commented on Milton s poetry and non-poetical works Alexander Pope, Joseph Addison, Thomas Newton and Samuel Johnson amongst the intellectuals who admired his poetry. He is stated as being second to William Shakespeare as the greatest English poet and writer. The first collection of Milton s Prose Works, preceding by one year Toland s edition of 1698. RAREB1697KVYA - 05/20 RAREB1697KVXY - 10/24 - HKREV238.…