Portrait of John Milton, aged 21
Date
1760
Sitter
John Milton (1608 - 1674, British) , Poet
Creator
Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1727 - 1785, Italian) , Engraver
After
Unknown, Painter
Object type
Image reference
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 180mm
width (print): 160mm
width (print): 160mm
Description
Half-length portrait of John Milton at the age of 21, within an oval frame of olive leaves. He is shown in a falling ruff and a buttoned tunic, his appearance based on an oil painting now in the National Portrait Gallery.
Inscribed below: ‘DRAWN AND ETCHED MDCCLX BY I.B. CIPRIANI A TUSCAN AT THE DESIRE / OF THOMAS HOLLIS F.R. AND A.S S. FROM A PICTURE IN THE COLLECTION OF THE / RIGHT HON. ARTHUR ONSLOW SPEAKER OF THE COMMONS HOUSR OF PARLIAMENT’
‘HOW SOON HATH TIME THE SUTTLE THEEF OF YOUTH / STOLN ON HIS WING MY ONE AND TEWENTIETH YEER / MY HASTING DAYES FILES ON WITH FULL CAREER / BUT MY LATE SPRING NO BUD OR BLOSSIM SHEW’TH / PERHAPS MY SEMBLANCE MIGHT DECEIVE THE TRUTH / THAT I TO MANHOOD AM ARRIV’D SO NEAR / AND INWARD RIPENESS DOTH MUCH LESS APPEAR / THAT SOME MORE TIMLEY-HAPPY SPIRITS INDU’TH / YET BE IT LESS OR MORE OR SOON OR SLOW / IT SHALL BE STILL IN STRICTEST MEASURE EEV’N / TO THAT SAME LOT HOWEVER MEAN OR HIGH / TOWARD WHICH TIME LEADS ME AND THE WILL OF HEAV’N / ALL IS IF I HAVE GRACE TO USE IT SO / AS EVER IN MY GREAT TASK MASTER EYE’
John Milton (1608-1674), English poet, was not a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Inscribed below: ‘DRAWN AND ETCHED MDCCLX BY I.B. CIPRIANI A TUSCAN AT THE DESIRE / OF THOMAS HOLLIS F.R. AND A.S S. FROM A PICTURE IN THE COLLECTION OF THE / RIGHT HON. ARTHUR ONSLOW SPEAKER OF THE COMMONS HOUSR OF PARLIAMENT’
‘HOW SOON HATH TIME THE SUTTLE THEEF OF YOUTH / STOLN ON HIS WING MY ONE AND TEWENTIETH YEER / MY HASTING DAYES FILES ON WITH FULL CAREER / BUT MY LATE SPRING NO BUD OR BLOSSIM SHEW’TH / PERHAPS MY SEMBLANCE MIGHT DECEIVE THE TRUTH / THAT I TO MANHOOD AM ARRIV’D SO NEAR / AND INWARD RIPENESS DOTH MUCH LESS APPEAR / THAT SOME MORE TIMLEY-HAPPY SPIRITS INDU’TH / YET BE IT LESS OR MORE OR SOON OR SLOW / IT SHALL BE STILL IN STRICTEST MEASURE EEV’N / TO THAT SAME LOT HOWEVER MEAN OR HIGH / TOWARD WHICH TIME LEADS ME AND THE WILL OF HEAV’N / ALL IS IF I HAVE GRACE TO USE IT SO / AS EVER IN MY GREAT TASK MASTER EYE’
John Milton (1608-1674), English poet, was not a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Object history
Plate to 'Memoirs of T Hollis', 1780.