THE WORKS OF

John Dilton

IN VERSE AND PROSE

PRINTED FROM THE ORIGINAL EDITIONS WITH A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR BY

THE REV. JOHN MITFORD

ADVERTISEMENT.

HE present Edition of the Poetical and Profe Works of Milton has been carefully printed from the Author's copies; the orthography so peculiar in the writings of Milton has been fcrupulously preserved: and if an authority were required for clofely following the text of an author, it is only neceffary to quote the words of the Rev. John Keble; who, in the preface to Hooker, fays, " however both in this question (punctuation) and still more in that of spelling, the Editor acknowledges that he should himself prefer an exact reprint of the original, excepting, of course, palpable errors of the prefs. In one respect especially, i. e. as a fpecimen of language, ancient books lofe very much of their value by the neglect of ancient orthography."

The most authentic likeness of Milton appeared with his History of Britain, which was printed in 1670; it was drawn "from the life," when he was 62 years old, by William Faithorne, and engraved also by him: the portrait which faces the title page of this volume is engraved by William Humphreys, and is a faithful copy from that by Faithorne; the line under the portrait and the name are fac-fimiles of Milton's handwriting, from

a copy of Aratus' Phænomena, now in the British
Museum.

The copyright of Paradise Loft was fold to Sa-

muel Symmons for five pounds; who was to pay a

further five pounds when the firft impreffion,

which was to consist of thirteen hundred copies

fhould be fold and retailed off; and other five

pounds at the end of the second impreffion; and

five pounds more at the end of the third impreffion.

The original agreement, dated 27 April, 1667,

is now in the collection of Samuel Rogers, Efq.

It was once in the poffeflion of the Publisher of

this Edition, and was fold by him for one hundred

guineas. A fac-fimile of this agreement, with

Milton's autograph and seal, appears at p. clxxxix

of this volume.

For the elaborate pedigree of the family of

Milton, which precedes the Life, the publisher is

indebted to the kindness of Sir Charles Young,

Garter King at Arms.

The Life is formed on that which appeared by

the fame writer in the Aldine edition of the Po-

etical Works of Milton, 1831, with some addi-

tions and alterations.

May 1, 1851.