One of the best editions of Milton's Prose Works is in the Bohn Library, five volumes, edited by St. John.
The Poetical Works, edited by Masson, appeared in 1890 in three volumes. Buching of Oxford issued in 1900 reprints of the first editions under the title, Poetical Works After the Original Texts.
Among famous essays on Milton may be named those by Dr. Johnson, Macaulay, Lowell and Trent. Dr. Hiram Corson's Introduction to Milton's Works will be found valuable, as will also Osgood's The Classical Mythology of Milton's English Poems. In Hale's Longer English Poems there are chapters on Milton which are full of good suggestions.
BUNYAN'S "PILGRIM'S PROGRESS"
The Pilgrim's Progress, which has been translated into seventy-one languages and has passed through more editions than any other book except the Bible, originally appeared in 1678, a second edition came out in the same year and a third edition in 1679. Bunyan made numerous additions to the second and third editions. The second part of Pilgrim's Progress appeared in 1684.
Bunyan's literary activity was phenomenal when it is remembered that he had little early education. In all he produced sixty books and pamphlets, all devoted to spreading the faith to which he devoted his life. Among the best known of his works besides Pilgrim's Progress is The Holy War, The Holy City, Grace Abounding in the Chief of Sinners, The Life and Death of Mr. Badman.
The best short life of Bunyan is that by James Anthony Froude in English Men of Letters Series (New York, 1880). Macaulay's essay on Bunyan ranks with his noble essay on Milton. Other lives are those by Southey, Dr. J. Brown and Canon Venables.
BOSWELL'S JOHNSON
The first edition of Boswell's Johnson appeared in 1791 and made a great hit. There was a call for a second edition in 1794 and Boswell was preparing a third edition in 1795 when he died. This uncompleted third edition was issued by Edward Malone in 1799, who also superintended the issue of the fourth, fifth and sixth editions. Malone furnished many notes and he also received the assistance of Dr. Charles Burney, father of the author of Evelina, and others who knew both Boswell and Johnson. An edition in 1822 was issued by the Chalmers, who contributed much information of value. All these materials with much new matter went into the edition of John Wilson Croker in 1831. Croker was cordially hated by Macaulay and the result was the bitter criticism of Croker's edition of Boswell's great work that is now included among the famous essays of Macaulay. Bohn brought out Croker's edition in ten volumes in 1859, and it has been reproduced in this country by the John W. Lovell Company in four volumes. Carlyle's Essay on Boswell's Johnson is one of the best pen pictures of the old Doctor and his biographer that has ever been written.
Percy Fitzgerald's Life of Boswell (London, 1891) is good and Rogers' Boswelliana gives many anecdotes of the writer of the best biography in the language. Dr. Johnson and Mrs. Thrale, by A. M. Broadley, furnishes much curious information about the relations of the old Doctor with the woman who studied his comfort for so many years. It is rich in illustrations from rare portraits and old prints and in reproductions of letters (New York: John Lane Company, 1909).