For thy Hears to strew the ways,

goes to prove that for here must be taken as 'fore.

Of the Paradise Lost there were two editions issued during
Milton's lifetime, and while the first has been taken as our text,
all the variants in the second, not being simple misprints, have
been recorded in the notes. In one respect, however, in the
distribution of the poem into twelve books instead of ten, it has
seemed best, for the sake of practical convenience, to follow the
second edition. A word may be allowed here on the famous
correction among the Errata prefixed to the first edition: 'Lib.
2. v. 414, for we read wee.' This correction shows not only that
Milton had theories about spelling, but also that he found
means, though his sight was gone, to ascertain whether his rules
had been carried out by his printer; and in itself this fact justifies
a facsimile reprint. What the principle in the use of the double
vowel exactly was (and it is found to affect the other
monosyllabic pronouns) it is not so easy to discover, though
roughly it is clear the reduplication was intended to mark
emphasis. For example, in the speech of the Divine Son after
the battle in heaven (vi. 810-817) the pronouns which the voice
would naturally emphasize are spelt with the double vowel:

Stand onely and behold
Gods indignation on these Godless pourd
By mee; not you but mee they have despis'd,
Yet envied; against mee is all thir rage,
Because the Father, t'whom in Heav'n supream
Kingdom and Power and Glorie appertains,