Milton's handwritten notes reveal prudish censorship in rare tome

Rare annotations made by the renowned English poet John Milton have been identified in a 16th-century copy of Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The annotated volume was discovered in the Phoenix Public Library's Alfred Knight Collection. This significant find is attributed to the collaborative effort of the Arizona Book History Group at Arizona State University and scholars such as Dr. Aaron Pratt from the University of Texas and Professor Jason Scott-Warren from Cambridge University.

The notes, which include an example of prudish censorship by Milton, are only the third known instance of Milton's handwriting in a book and suggest that he was a meticulous reader who interacted closely with his source materials. These insights are particularly valuable considering Milton's influence on English literature, notably through his epic poem Paradise Lost. The annotations were first identified through similarities to Milton's handwriting in two other known books and were further confirmed by academic experts.

The Chronicles, a primary resource for William Shakespeare and other writers of the time, was first published in 1577 with a second edition in 1587. The volume in question, part of a comprehensive history of Great Britain, found its way to Phoenix after being purchased by real estate magnate Alfred Knight in 1942. The discovery of Milton's notes has opened up new avenues for literary scholars to understand his reading habits and influences, reinforcing the Chronicles' significance as a historical and literary resource.