John Milton Quotes
Innumerable as the stars of night, Or stars of morning, dewdrops which the sun Impearls on every leaf and every flower.
Thus with the year Seasons return, but not to me returns Day, or the sweet approach of ev'n or morn, Or sight of vernal bloom, or summer's rose, Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine.
Swinish gluttony never looks to heaven amidst its gorgeous feast; but with besotted, base ingratitude, cravens and blasphemes his feeder.
For neither man nor angel can discern hypocrisy, the only evil that walks invisible, except to God alone.
Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were, in the eye.
And pomp, and feast, and revelry, With mask, and antique pageantry, Such sights as youthful poets dream On summer eves by haunted stream.
Hence, loathèd Melancholy, Of Cerberus and blackest Midnight born, In Stygian cave forlorn, 'Mongst horrid shapes, and shrieks, and sights unholy.
I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs By the known rules of ancient liberty, When straight a barbarous noise environs me Of owls and cuckoos, asses, apes and dogs.
The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide: They hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.
And I will place within them as a guide My umpire conscience, whom if they will hear Light after light well used they shall attain, And to the end persisting, safe arrive.
Here we may reign secure; and in my choice To reign is worth ambition, though in hell: Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.
Implied Subjection, but requir'd with gentle sway, And by her yielded, by him best receiv'd,- Yielded with coy submission, modest pride, And sweet, reluctant, amorous delay.
And, when night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.
The sun to me is dark And silent as the moon, When she deserts the night Hid in her vacant interlunar cave.
So Satan, whom repulse upon repulse Met ever, and to shameful silence brought, Yet gives not o'er though desperate of success.
And now without redemption all mankind Must have been lost, adjudged to death and hell By doom severe.
What better can we do than prostrate fall before Him reverent, and there confess humbly our faults, and pardon beg with tears watering the ground?
I will not deny but that the best apology against false accusers is silence and sufferance, and honest deeds set against dishonest words.
Anarchy is the sure consequence of tyranny; for no power that is not limited by laws can ever be protected by them.
If it come to prohibiting, there is aught more likely to be prohibited than truth itself.
From morn To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,- A summer's day; and with the setting sun Dropp'd from the Zenith like a falling star.
Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined; Till at his second bidding darkness fled, Light shone, and order from disorder sprung.
All hope is lost of my reception into grace; what worse? For where no hope is left, is left no fear.
In God's intention, a meet and happy conversation is the chiefest and noblest end of marriage.
Earth felt the wound; and Nature from her seat, Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe That all was lost.
But all was false and hollow; though his tongue Dropp'd manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, 4 to perplex and dash Maturest counsels.
