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In setting out to complete the task begun by Havens and Wassermann of assessing the motives that led Tonson to publish his "Dryden” miscellanies, we cannot do better than to keep in mind one of the general principles which Havens himself expressed at the beginning of his article: In a body of writing so large as that of the eighteenth century something can be found to substantiate almost any opinion, and a collection of instances used to bolster up a pre-conceived theory may easily pass as the basis of a scientific induction. Hence the completeness of the evidence is all-important, as is likewise the evidence that suggests different conclusions from those adopted. Ironically then, the new evidence to be presented in this dissertation will invalidate many of Havens' conclusions. Havens was intent upon comparing a mid-century poetical collection with one at the beginning of the century so that he might accurately gauge the change in literary tastes. His analyses of his two series of volumes is therefore conditioned (and distorted) by this main aim. Indeed, he unconsciously assumes that Tonson's and Dods1ey's motives were similar in enough respects to justify such a comparison. But they can be proved to be so dissimilar that the comparison loses much of its relevance. Havens was not of course comparing chalk and cheese, but he had a tendency to assume that his two cheeses differed only in taste. Without adducing any new evidence it might be pointed out that Tonson's 1716 duodecimo volumes conservatively retained many poems not because they were still popular but merely because they had been in the earlier octavo series. Nothing was included in Dodsley's volume that was not an expression of contemporary taste. Tonson’s six volumes represent a hatch-patch of the tastes of many people over a period of 32 years; Dodsley's of a more uniform taste within the limits of 10 years. So, in order to compare Tonson's "taste" in 1716 with Dods1ey's in 1748, the levels of taste in the 1716 volumes must be differentiated with some care. The most valuable part of Havens' work is undoubtedly his sensitive critical analysis of Dodsley's collection.

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This thesis examines the political dimension and underlying continuities of John Milton's use of biblical and reformation history in Eikonklastes, Paradise Lost, and Paradise Regain 'd. In Chapter I, the rhetorical tactics of Eikonoklastes-particularly the prefatory material-represent an attempt to outline a different notion of civic and spiritual security, independent of monarchical oversight, and are presented as crucial contexts for the political ambitions of Milton's later epic poetry. The discussion of Paradise Lost as a text deeply interested in the contemporaneous rhetoric of security is contained in the prolegomena and Chapters II and Ill. Chapter II is a consideration of Milton's redaction of Old Testament history in the epic catalogue of Book I, in which I argue that key elements of its interaction with epic convention have been overlooked; this reading offers a more appropriate understanding of Milton's own perception of societal decline and proposes an oppositional commentary on the shortcomings of Restoration England's polity. I argue that Milton's presentation of both Edenic security and prelapsarian prayer in Chapter III are not only distinct to him, in literary and social terms, but are also explicable as interventions on contemporary anxiety over the relationship between Church and State. Finally, in Chapter IV I contend that Paradise Regain 'd is the most authoritative poetic expression of Milton's mature political thinking via a re-examination of its genre, protagonist, and non-traditional banquet temptation. Having established the conspicuous political identity of the poem's content and form, I then discuss how the poem's use of biblical history is structured to oppose contemporaneous appeals to the 'common good' and quiescence at any price.

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The mam aim of the thesis is to explore issues raised by teaching Paradise Lost in Muslim/multi-faith scenarios. Milton's poem was chosen because it is an overtly Christian text that is taught across the globe in Higher Education Institutions to students of different cultural and religious backgrounds. In particular, this study analyses the character of Eve and the narrative of creation as presented in Paradise Lost, and explores them both through feminism and Quranic feminism, as well as by a detailed analysis of present-day teaching methodologies as experienced by academics and students in the UK and Pakistan. The first half of the thesis examines relevant critical approaches to Paradise Lost and deals with my own close readings, while the second half of the thesis investigates the cross- cultural teaching perceptions of academics through interviews and explores Muslim students' experience by the use of questionnaires. No previous research has explored the ways in which Muslim students read and experience Paradise Lost from a religious and cultural perspective, therefore this research as a first full-length study, breaks new ground and examines Pakistani- Muslim and British-Muslim students' attitudes towards this Christian epic. The research focuses on the key issues of Paradise Lost, such as the scenarios pre- and post -fall, the sensuous nudity of Eve, rape, and the concept of redemption, in order to undertake a comparative analysis of Christianity and Islam from the Muslim perspective. As the current political situation between the Muslim and Western worlds has become increasingly fraught, it is critical to look further at the influence of English literature on Muslims in order to deepen trans-cultural and trans-religious understanding and build bridges. The study intends to contribute to that overall aim by suggesting the way in which academics in both the UK and Pakistan could modify the culturally-specific pedagogical approaches when teaching a Christian text to Muslim/multi-faith students. If utilised, this might serve to create a better understanding of the difference between Christian and Islamic literary texts which might, in turn, promote increased reciprocity - not only in academic circles but for the wider political scenario.