Paradise Lost by John Milton. Illustrated by Gustave Dore. Edited, With Notes and a Life of Milton, by Robert Vaughan. In Two Volumes. London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, c.1870, folio, a.e.g.
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One of the most beautiful editions of Milton's Paradise Lost, beautifully illustrated by Gustave Dore, and very finely bound in full red morocco. Unfortunately with some loss to the leather of the binding, but remains very attractive indeed. A rare and very desirable edition, undated but printed circa 1870.
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Size: 305 x 393 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
[(2), t.p., v-lxii, 142pp., (2)]; [(2), t.p., pp.143-329, (2)]
Contemporary full red morocco, very finely tooled in gilt to spines and all boards, the boards all with the same design. Bindings rubbed with some discolouration but the gilt remains bright and the books remain highly attractive indeed. Losses at extremities of backstrips to both volumes. Joints rubbed, slightly cracked at extremities, hinges reinforced with cloth, and subsequently the boards are securely attached, the bindings are secure. If placed carefully the bindings stand on the shelf, otherwise they are vertically unstable, probably owing to their dimensions being large thin folios, they are better stored laid flat anyway to avoid the page block sagging. The page blocks are not sagged. All edges gilt, a little dulled but remaining very attractive indeed. Shelf and edge wear with some losses at corners as typical. Original pale yellow endpapers. Without any attached bookplates or ownership inscriptions. Some minor foxing to first and last few leaves, with the most affected being the preliminary blanks and the title pages. Some minor damp staining at the head of the text block in volume one (only), confined to the marginal space, not affecting the text, with the majority of the page block unaffected. Internally very clean, the full text without loss of sense throughout, the occasional small spot of foxing to some leaves.
A beautifully finely bound example of Gustave Dore's important edition of Milton's Paradise Lost, very finely printed with excellent typography - wide margins, large type, excellent paper quality, etc. A truly magnificent edition.
[OCLC 563128919, 522648840].
