The Prose Works Of John Milton
-
Volume 3 - Preface by J.A. St John - 1848 Edition - 522 Pages + 40 Pages Publishers Advertising
-
Volume 4 - Translated by Charles R. Sumner - 1853 Edition - 494 Pages + Publishers Advertising
Published by Henry G. Bohn: London
"This pair of mid-Victorian editions from Bohn's Standard Library presents two key volumes of The Prose Works of John Milton, one of England's greatest poets and political thinkers. Volume III, issued in 1848 and edited with a preface, preliminary remarks, and notes by J. A. St John, spans 522 pages plus 40 pages of publisher's advertisements. It gathers Milton's most impassioned tracts on liberty, church reform, and education, including The Likeliest Means to Remove Hirelings Out of the Church, Animadversions upon the Remonstrant's Defence, The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, and Tractate on Education. These pieces vividly reveal Milton's radical intellect and uncompromising Puritan idealism, written amid the upheaval of the English Civil War and Commonwealth. St John's editorial framework helped to re-introduce Milton's prose to nineteenth-century readers as a model of moral seriousness and republican virtue.
Volume IV, published in 1853, contains the first book of A Treatise on Christian Doctrine, translated from Milton's Latin manuscript by Charles R. Sumner, D.D., Lord Bishop of Winchester. Originally discovered long after Milton's death, this theological work reflects his bold attempt to derive a complete system of Christian belief directly from Scripture—an undertaking that challenged orthodoxy in its time. This "new edition, revised and corrected" by Bohn offered a more accessible English version for Victorian readers, complete with contemporary advertising leaves typical of Bohn's series. Together the volumes demonstrate the publisher's commitment to affordable yet scholarly editions of the classics, a cornerstone of mid-nineteenth-century intellectual culture.
The bindings, in embossed brown/green cloth with ornate arabesque decoration and gilt spine titling, exemplify early Bohn Standard Library style—durable yet decorative. Signs of age such as mild edge wear, toning, and scattered foxing are consistent with books of this period, while the ownership inscription "John Kelly, Sydney" adds appealing provenance for Australian collectors. These handsome and historically important volumes would particularly interest admirers of John Milton, scholars of seventeenth-century political and religious thought, and collectors of Victorian editions from Bohn's influential Standard Library series."
General wear, fading, bumped corners etc to covers and spines as shown. Contemporary inscriptions present. Foxing to frontis and prelims otherwise vast majority of both volumes are clean and well presented. Inside hinges split with covers strong and the binding generally is in very good condition. Both are quality copies in good condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.
