Paradise Regain'd. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is added Samson Agonistes
by Milton, John
- Used
- near fine
- first
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Seller
-
Pasadena, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Printed by J. M. for John Starkey at the Mitre in Fleetstree, near Temple Bar, 1671. First edition. Near Fine. A Near Fine copy overall, bound in early 20th century full crushed morocco with simple blind-rules and small gilt fleurons in the corners. Decorative gilt turn-ins and all edges gilt, plain end papers. Leaves measure 175 x 111 mm. Complete with the original license leaf and the errata leaf: [4], 111, [1], 101, [3]. First issue with the misprint on page 67 with "loah" later corrected to "loth." An excellent copy internally, clean and unmarked, but with a handful of short marginal tears and some leaves trimmed a bit tight (no loss to text). One small chip at the crown and slight fading to the spine, otherwise binding in excellent shape. Samson Agonistes with a separate dated title page and new page numbering, but continuous register.
A more hopeful conclusion following the devastation depicted in his epic Paradise Lost, the pairing of Paradise Regain'd and Samson Agonistes offered readers two paths to human salvation. Posed as Adam and Eve were with temptation and the opportunity to defy God's commandment, the Son instead maintains his purity and fulfills his duty to sacrifice himself for humanity's original sin. "Paradise Regain'd dramatizes for the reader the inner workings of the mind of Jesus, his perception, and the interplay of faith and reason in his debates with Satan" (Britannica). Though the Son reveals his humanity and his doubts, his ability to perfectly complete his mission is ultimately possible due to his position as God on Earth. Milton counterbalances this ideal with the very problematic, very human hero of Samson Agonistes. Samson's ego, doubt, and depression are relatable to readers who recognize their inability to fully live up to Christ's example; and Samson's efforts to heal and find grace amid tragedy provide a different model marked by imperfection. "Eyeless in Gaza" and at the depths of his fall from grace, Samson narrates his inner thoughts, experiences, and anguish. In doing so, he is able to regenerate himself and regain his faith, "gradually recovering his trust in God, and becoming a free moral agent capable of one final heroic act" of sacrifice (Langer).
ESTC R299. Near Fine.
A more hopeful conclusion following the devastation depicted in his epic Paradise Lost, the pairing of Paradise Regain'd and Samson Agonistes offered readers two paths to human salvation. Posed as Adam and Eve were with temptation and the opportunity to defy God's commandment, the Son instead maintains his purity and fulfills his duty to sacrifice himself for humanity's original sin. "Paradise Regain'd dramatizes for the reader the inner workings of the mind of Jesus, his perception, and the interplay of faith and reason in his debates with Satan" (Britannica). Though the Son reveals his humanity and his doubts, his ability to perfectly complete his mission is ultimately possible due to his position as God on Earth. Milton counterbalances this ideal with the very problematic, very human hero of Samson Agonistes. Samson's ego, doubt, and depression are relatable to readers who recognize their inability to fully live up to Christ's example; and Samson's efforts to heal and find grace amid tragedy provide a different model marked by imperfection. "Eyeless in Gaza" and at the depths of his fall from grace, Samson narrates his inner thoughts, experiences, and anguish. In doing so, he is able to regenerate himself and regain his faith, "gradually recovering his trust in God, and becoming a free moral agent capable of one final heroic act" of sacrifice (Langer).
ESTC R299. Near Fine.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Whitmore Rare Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 5443
- Title
- Paradise Regain'd. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is added Samson Agonistes
- Author
- Milton, John
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Printed by J. M. for John Starkey at the Mitre in Fleetstree, near Temple Bar
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1671
- Keywords
- Great acts require great means of enterprise...
Terms of Sale
Whitmore Rare Books
15 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives damaged or not matching the description.
About the Seller
Whitmore Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California
About Whitmore Rare Books
We operate a retail shop in "Old Town" Pasadena open normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Errata
- Errata: aka Errata Slip A piece of paper either laid in to the book correcting errors found in the printed text after being...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...