[Milton-L] Re:RE: Uploading Milton's COMMON-PLACE BOOK (Jameela Lares)

[Herbert Berkowitz]

As it happens, I have both the Yale Prose Works Vol I (1970 reprint of 1953 ed) and Ruth Mohl's book, _John Milton and 
his commonplace Book_ (Frederick Ungar Pub. Co. Inc. 1969) at hand.  I have quickly perused the footnotes of the 
Commonplace Book chapter in the Yale, and found a really helpful note on page 345.  In it, Mohl lists all the pages which 
were blank and then tells which ones Viscount Preston wrote notes on.  In her transcription of each page of the 
Commonplace Book, Mohl tells which page (numbered by Milton as he set up the book) is being transcribed, what Milton 
-- or his amanuensis -- wrote oon that page and, in the footnotes, expands on information about the book Milton was 
notating.  She does not include in the transcriptions anything that Preston wrote.  For example, on page 477 (CPW) Mohl 
has transcripted pge 198 in the Commonplace Book.  On page 478 (CPW), she skipped to Milton's numbered page 220, 
because Milton's prenumbered pages 199 -219 were either blank or had Preston's writing.  She says in her introduction 
that Preston's handwriting is easily distinguished from Milton's and also from the recognized amenuenses'.

I had not seen the 1877 printing of the Commonplace Book (excepton the link from Milton-L a day or so ago -- thank you, 
John!);  but just now, in looking in the upload for the pages I hve discussed above, I just found anote for Milton's page 
199 which says "The whole of p. 199 is in Lord Preston's writing."  Perhaps all of his additions are similarly noted.

That is all I have been able to do this morning (it is still only 10:00 a.m. in Alaska!)  but I have very much enjoyed this 
thread.  Since I got my own copy of the 1876 Commonplace Book about five years ago, I have been almost overwhelmed 
by all that it means to us.  I recently read that Thomas Jefferson's commonplace book is full of quotes from Milton; he and 
others who framed the U. S. Constitution borrowed much from Milton, and for that I am glad.

Kathryn Berkowitz, M.A.   Anchorage, Alaska.
_______________________________________
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 05:42:05 -0600 (CST)
From: Jameela Lares <Jameela.Lares at usm.edu>
Subject: RE: [Milton-L] Uploading Milton's COMMON-PLACE BOOK
To: John Milton Discussion List <milton-l at lists.richmond.edu>,
milton-l at richmond.edu
Message-ID: <27770610.1228736525774.JavaMail.oracle at usmapp1.usm.edu>
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John,

This effort of yours is very kind,� but I must warn everyone that the revised Camden Society edition did not distinguish 
between Milton's own text and the pages filled in the interim by Sir Richard Graham, Viscount Preston (1648-1695), 
whose family held the book until its discovery.� Ruth Mohl has provided information on which pages were Graham's, at 
least in YP 1.344-45, and surely also in her monograph on Milton's Commonplace Book.� There may be other 
difficulties with the 1877 as well. Unfortunately I don't have either the Yale Prose or Mohl's monograph with me right now 
, but perhaps someone else can supply the information.

Cheers,�

Jameela Lares
Professor of English
The U. of So. Mississippi
118 College Drive, #5037
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
601 266-6214 ofc
601 266-5757 fax