Frequently his nephew, Edward Philips, performed this task
for him. To him Milton was in the habit of showing his work as
it advanced, and Philips states he found it frequently required
correction in orthography and punctuation, by reason of the
various hands which had written it. As summer advanced, he was
no longer favoured by a sight of the poem; inquiring the reason
of which, Milton told him "his vein never happily flowed but from
the autumnal equinox to the vernal; and that whatever he
attempted at other times was never to his satisfaction, though he
courted his fancy never so much."
In the year 1665 "Paradise Lost" was completed, but no steps
were taken towards its publication, as the author, in company
with his neighbours, fled from the dreaded plague. The following
year the citizens were harassed by losses sustained from the
great fire, so that Milton did not seek to dispose of his poem
until 1667; when, on the 27th of April, it was sold to Samuel
Simmons, a publisher residing in Aldersgate Street. The
agreement entered into stated Milton should receive an immediate
payment of five pounds, with the stipulation that he should be
given an equal sum on sale of thirteen hundred copies of the
first edition, and five pounds on disposal of the same number of
the second edition, and yet five pounds more after another such
sale of the third edition. Each edition was to number fifteen
hundred books. Two years after the publication of "Paradise
Lost," its author received the second payment of five pounds;
five years later a third payment was made him; before the fourth
fell due his life had been set free from care.
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