Paradise Lost A Poem in Twelve Books. The fifth edition, adorn'd with sculptures. MILTON, John Early Books,Illustrated Books,Poetry

Full Description: MILTON, John. Paradise Lost. A Poem in Twelve Books. The fifth edition, adorn'd with sculptures. London: Printed by Richard Bently and Jacob Tonson, 1691. The fifth edition and the second illustrated edition. Quarto (12 3/8 x 7 5/8 inches; 314 x 194 mm). [4], 336 pp. Complete with thirteen engraved plates including a frontispiece portrait of Milton, signed R. White, and twelve plates, one to accompany each of the twelve books. Most of the 12 illustrations are engraved by Michael Burghers or Peter Paul Bouche. These plates are the same plates found in the fourth edition of 1688 which is the first illustrated edition. Full paneled speckled calf, rebacked with original spine laid down. Red morocco spine label, lettered in gilt. Some rubbing and bumping to boards. A bit of light soiling to leaves I4-K4. Leaf Rr2 with a marginal closed tear, just touching one letter. Overall a very good copy. Discussing the 1688 fourth edition/first illustrated edition, in his Five Centuries of Book Illustration (p. 63), Edward Hodnett describes this as "the earliest serious effort to illustrate an important work of English poetry." ESTC R42173. Wing M2149 HBS 69482. $4,500.