The book made its appearance at an unfortunate time. London had barely recovered from the Plague of 1665 (during which eighty printers had died, wherein is seen another reason for the difficulty in finding a publisher), and the great district devastated by the Fire was still only partly rebuilt. It was not surprising that the 1200 copies which are thought to have made the first edition did not have a brisk sale; these were not exhausted for at least eighteen months, and a second impression was not put out for four years. The copies of the first printing may be divided into several classes, according to the title-pages they bear. These all differ from one another in several more or less important particulars, but the text of the work is identical in all cases, except for a few typographical errors. Two titles, supposed to be the earliest, were _Licenſed and Entred according | to Order_, and have the imprint: _London | Printed, and are to be ſold by Peter Parker | under Creed Church neer Aldgate; And by | Robert Boulter at the Turks Head in Biſhopſgate-ſtreet; | And Matthias Walker, under St. Dunſtons Church | in Fleet-ſtreet, 1667._ On these the poem is seen to be by "John Milton," and the only difference between them lies in the type used for Milton's name, one being of a smaller size than the other. A third title-page, having a similar imprint but dated 1668, has "The Author J. M." A fourth has "The Author John Milton," the license has given place to a group of _fleurs-de-lis_, and the imprint reads: _London, | Printed by S. Simmons, and to be ſold by S. Thomſon at | the Biſhopſ-Head in Duck-lane, H. Mortlack, at the | White Hart in Weſtminſter Hall, M. Walker under | St. Dunſtans Church in Fleet-ſtreet, and R. Boulter at | the Turks-Head in Biſhopſgate ſtreet, 1668._ Two new title-pages were used in 1669, differing only in the type. The imprint reads: _London, | Printed by S. Simmons, and are to be ſold by | T. Helder at the Angel in Little Brittain. | 1669._ Beside these there are others. Early bibliographers claimed that eight or even nine variations existed, but later investigation has failed to verify more than six.