< Back

Milton, John; Blake, William (illus.).
Poems in English, with Illustrations by William Blake. Paradise Lost, Paradise Regain’d, Samson Agonistes [...].
Publisher: Nonesuch Press, London;
Date of Publication: 1926
Stock Code: 15619
Limited edition of 1475 copies only (of which this is number 1161). Octavo. Two volumes, pp., [vi], 283, [1], plus 38 collotypes after illustrations by Blake; [4] blank, [viii], 359, [1], plus 15 collotypes. Title-pages in red and black. Printed on laid paper by Van Gelder. Collated and complete. A special copy bound in burnt ocre full cased vellum; titled in gilt to spine; edges uncut, many unopened; white end-papers. Spines faded, vellum unevenly toned; small area of paper adhering to upper board of vol. 2. Light foxing to endapers of vol. I otherwise internally bright and fresh. A very good set. The first time Blake’s pictures were used to illustrate Milton’s poems (McKitterick et al., 32). The Nonesuch Milton combines the text of the Beeching edition of Milton’s Paradise Lost, Paradise Regain’d, Samson Agonistes, and his miscellaneous verse, with Blake illustrations, many of which had only been reproduced once before. The result was Francis Meynell’s favourite publication from the Nonesuch Press ‘The Blake illustrations are surprisingly right. Everything about the making of the book went easily from the beginning: a pretty sure sign of its success’ (quoted in Dreyfus, 33). £500.00