Quotes from John Milton

When nightDarkens the streets, then wander forth the sonsOf Belial, flown with insolence and wine.

Eas'd the putting offThese troublesome disguises which we wear.

It was that fatal and perfidious bark,Built in th' eclipse, and rigg'd with curses dark,That sunk so low that sacred head of thine.

With thee conversing I forget all time,All seasons, and their change; all please alike.Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,With charm of earliest birds.

Inflamed with the study of learning and the admiration of virtue; stirred up with high hopes of living to be brave men and worthy patriots, dear to God, and famous to all ages.

Litigious terms, fat contentions, and flowing fees.

Me miserable! which way shall I flyInfinite wrath, and infinite despair?Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell;And in the lowest deep a lower deep,Still threat'ning to devour me, opens wide,To which the hell I suffer seems a heaven.

Where more is meant than meets the ear.

Thick as autumnal leaves that strow the brooksIn Vallombrosa.

Then to the spicy nut-brown ale.

God so commanded, and left that commandSole daughter of his voice; the rest, we liveLaw to ourselves, our reason is our law.

Mammon, the least erected spirit that fellFrom heaven; for ev'n in heaven his looks and thoughtsWere always downward bent, admiring moreThe riches of heaven's pavement, trodden gold,Than aught divine or holy else enjoyedIn vision beatific.

And the jocund rebecks soundTo many a youth, and many a maid,Dancing in the checkered shade.And young and old come forth to playOn a sunshine holiday.

Mirth, admit me of thy crew,To live with her, and live with thee,In unreproved pleasures free.

Love Virtue, she alone is free,She can teach ye how to climbHigher than the sphery chime;Or, if Virtue feeble were,Heav'n itself would stoop to her.

What though the field be lost?All is not lost; th' unconquerable will,And study of revenge, immortal hate,And courage never to submit or yield.

Abash'd the Devil stood,And felt how awful goodness is, and sawVirtue in her shape how lovely.

I shall temper soJustice with mercy.

The serpent subtlest beast of all the field.

No man who knows aught, can be so stupid to deny that all men naturally were born free.

His sleepWas airy light from pure digestion bred.

Sabrina fair,Listen where thou art sittingUnder the glassy, cool, translucent wave,In twisted braids of lilies knittingThe loose train of thy amber-dropping hair;Listen for dear honor's sake,Goddess of the silver lake,Listen and save.

Let not England forget her precedence of teaching nations how to live.

To reign is worth ambition though in hell:Better to reign in hell than serve in heav'n.