Quotes from John Milton

Meanwhile the Adversary of God and man, Satan with thoughts inflamed of highest design, Puts on swift wings, and towards the gates of hell Explores his solitary flight.

The superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of antiquity and many deeds of the past, in order to strengthen his character thereby.

Opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making.

What need a man forestall his date of grief, And run to meet what he would most avoid?.

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

For neither Man nor Angel can discern Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks Invisible, except to God alone, By his permissive will, through Heaven and Earth: And oft, though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps At wisdom's gate, and to simplicity Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill Where no ill seems...

What hath night to do with sleep?

...there does a sable cloud Turn forth her silver lining on the night...

Grace was in all her steps heaven in her eye In every gesture dignity and love.

Man hath his daily work of body or mind Appointed.

Come to the sunset tree! The day is past and gone; The woodman's axe lies free, And the reaper's work is done.

The work under our labour grows, Luxurious by restraint.

Yet hold it more humane, more heav'nly, first, By winning words to conquer willing hearts, And make persuasion do the work of fear.

Hide me from day's garish eye, While the bee with honied thigh, That at her flowery work doth sing, And the waters murmuring With such consort as they keep, Entice the dewy-feathered sleep.

O loss of sight, of thee I most complain! Blind among enemies, O worse than chains, Dungeon, or beggary, or decrepit age!

Time will run back and fetch the Age of Gold.

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.

Unless an age too late, or cold Climate, or years, damp my intended wing.

Sabrina fair, Listen where thou art sitting Under the glassy, cool, translucent wave, In twisted braids of lilies knitting The loose train of thy amber-dropping hair.

But oh the heavy change, now thou art gone, Now thou art gone and never must return!

Know thy birth! For dost thou art, and shalt to dust return.

Wild above rule or art, enormous bliss.

In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread, Till thou return unto the ground; for thou Out of the ground wast taken; know thy birth, For dust thou art, and shalt to dust return.

With thee goes Thy husband, him to follow thou art bound; Where he abides, think there thy native soil.