[Milton-L] dictating PL

[Beverley Sherry]

Diane,
 
Milton's nephew Edward Phillips says he "had the perusal of [Paradise Lost] from the very beginning; for some years, as I went from time to time to Visit him, in a Parcel of Ten, Twenty, or Thirty verses at a Time, which being Written by whatever hand came next, might possibly want Correction as to the Orthography and Pointing;" (Darbishire 73)  

We might reasonaby assume from this that Phillips perused, and then did the correcting according to his uncle's instructions. I wish he had been more explicit.

On these matters, see Barbara Lewalski's excellent "Textual Introduction" to her edition of Paradise Lost (Oxford: Blackwell, 2007).

Beverley Sherry

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Diane McColley 
  To: John Milton Discussion List 
  Sent: Friday, March 14, 2008 4:17 AM
  Subject: Re: [Milton-L] dictating PL


  To what extent is it thought that Milton dictated the spelling and punctuation?

  On Mar 13, 2008, at 2:13 AM, J. W. Creaser wrote:


    Try Darbishire,'Early Lives', pp. 33 and 291. Richardson gives some 40 lines a night, but of course he's a generation or two later.
    John Creaser
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Margaret Thickstun 
    To: John Milton Discussion List 
    Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 6:13 PM
    Subject: [Milton-L] dictating PL

    I'm sure I could find this information if I were to look in the biographies, but this path seems easier.  My students asked, "about how many lines of Paradise Lost did Milton compose on a given night?"  Does anyone on the list have a ballpark answer? 

    Thanks.--Margie

    Margaret Thickstun
    Elizabeth J. McCormack Professor of English
    Hamilton College
    198 College Hill Road
    Clinton, NY 13323


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