A Collection of Milton's Divorce Tracts and Related Texts, with a critical introduction.

FAIN: FT-51758-03

Sara J. van den Berg
St. Louis University (St. Louis, MO 63103-2097)

A collection of Milton's divorce tracts, the complete text of An Answer to a Book intitled Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (1643), excerpts from other contemporary attacks on Milton's argument, and texts related to subsequent divorce cases that refer to Milton's tracts: the Downing-Forrester Petition to the House of Lords (1714), Thomas Jefferson's notes for Blair v. Blair (1772), and two 19th century cases--Smyth v. Smyth(1826) and Durham v. Durham(1885). A substantial critical introduction will discuss the influence of Milton's argument from 1643 through passage of the Divorce Reform Act of 1969. Note: The University of Denver has chosen Dr. W. Scott Howard, my co-editor in this project, as their junior nominee for a Summer Stipend.