1876 Rare Book - The Poetical Works of John Milton, Paradise Lost and Regained

Author: John Milton.
Title: The Poetical Works of John Milton.
Publisher: Edinburgh: William P. Nimmo, 1876.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 6.5 x 4.5 inches.
Pages: xxvii-440 pages + publisher's catalogue.
Binding: Attractive and very good, stunning original publisher’s decorative green cloth binding, richly embossed and stamped in black, red, blue, and gilt to both boards and spine, featuring a classical lyre and ornate geometric framing. Gilt title and emblematic motifs along spine, with blind-embossed framing to rear cover (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective, removable mylar cover. All edges gilt. A bright and elegant Victorian binding typical of Nimmo’s fine illustrated series.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, light toning and occasional mild foxing - as shown).
Illustrations: Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece portrait of John Milton and an elaborate pictorial title page signed by P. Dodgson, as well as eleven full-page engravings depicting scenes from Paradise Lost, Comus, L’Allegro, and other poems. The engravings capture the spiritual grandeur and dramatic tension of Milton’s epic universe with classic 19th-century engraving finesse. (Complete).

Estimate: (USD 150 – 200).

The book: A beautiful 19th-century illustrated edition of The Poetical Works of John Milton, published by William P. Nimmo, renowned for his high-quality bindings and tasteful Victorian ornamentation. This 1876 edition includes Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, Comus, and Milton’s minor poems and sonnets — forming the full poetic canon that established Milton as the preeminent voice of English epic and religious poetry. The elaborate binding and fine engravings make this edition both a literary treasure and a decorative masterpiece of Victorian bookmaking.

The author: John Milton (1608 – 1674) was one of England’s greatest poets and intellectuals, best known for his epic Paradise Lost (1667), a monumental retelling of the Fall of Man blending biblical grandeur with humanist philosophy. Blind for much of his later life, Milton dictated his poetry, achieving a sublime fusion of poetic vision, moral reflection, and political conviction. His works continue to shape English literature, theology, and political thought, embodying the spirit of Renaissance humanism and Reformation faith.