A Very Desirable Unrestored Copy of Milton's History of Britain

THE HISTORY OF BRITAIN, THAT PART ESPECIALLY NOW CALL'D ENGLAND. FROM THE FIRST TRADITIONAL BEGINNING, CONTINU'D TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST.

MILTON, JOHN.

(London: Printed by J. M[acock]. for James Allestry, at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul’s Church-Yard, 1670). 205 x 155 mm. (8 x 6 1/8"). 2 p.l., 308 pp., [28] leaves. FIRST EDITION, First Issue (with Allestry imprint).

Contemporary sprinkled calf, covers ruled in blind, raised bands, red morocco label. Engraved frontispiece portrait by William Fairthorne dated 1670. Front pastedown with modern ex-libris of Kenneth Rapoport; front flyleaf with old four-inch patch of paper pasted on (not a repair), and with pencilled monetary sums in a 19th century hand. Shawcross 306; Wickenheiser 333; Pforzheimer 710; Wither to Prior 609; Wing M-2119; ESTC R13663. ◆Cracks to approximately half of both joints, spine leather a little dry, a couple minor abrasions and trivial scratches to boards, but the binding entirely solid and pleasing in its unrestored state. Just a touch of browning to head of leaves, isolated tiny rust spots, other negligible imperfections, but A FINE, FRESH COPY, clean and bright internally. A very desirable copy because entirely original and with only minor defects.

Written between 1649 and 1655, this history of early Britain is an accurate, concise, and readable lesser but still significant work by one of Britain's greatest authors. According to Day, Milton's text "displayed more critical scholarship toward the early source materials than did any of his predecessors, such as Stow and Speed. Milton separates the mythical and fanciful material, which he proffers not as fact but as raw material for poetry." Printer James Allestry died shortly after the book was issued, and his successor Spencer Hickman replaced the original title page with a cancel title bearing his name. The presence of the Allestry imprint establishes our copy as one of the earliest issues. The portrait by William Fairthorne--one of the best-known images of Milton--was engraved from the artist's original drawing. While copies of this work appear on the market with some regularity, they are not often in the desirable state seen here. (ST18265)

Price: $2,750.00