[The Poetical Works of John Milton by John Milton]@TWC D-Link bookThe Poetical Works of John Milton PREFACE by the Rev 2/60
I have not thought it necessary to note mere differences of spelling between the two editions but a word may find place here upon their general character.
Generally it may be said that, where the two editions differ, the later spelling is that now in use.
Thus words like goddess, darkness, usually written in the first edition with one final s, have two, while on the other hand words like vernall, youthfull, and monosyllables like hugg, farr, lose their double letter.
Many monosyllables, e.g.som, cours, glimps, wher, vers, aw, els, don, ey, ly, so written in 1645, take on in 1673 an e mute, while words like harpe, windes, onely, lose it.
By a reciprocal change ayr and cipress become air and cypress; and the vowels in daign, vail, neer, beleeve, sheild, boosom, eeven, battail, travailer, and many other words are similarly modernized.
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