Quotes from John Milton

Book X ... Satan arrives at Pandemonium; in full assembly relates, with boasting, his success against Man; instead of applause is entertained with a general hiss by all his audience, transformed, with himself also, suddenly into serpents, according to his doom given in paradise; then, deluded with a show of the forbidden tree springing up before them, they, greedily reaching to take of the fruit, chew dust and bitter ashes...

Him, haply slumbering on the Norway foam, the pilot of some small night-founded skiff, deeming some island, oft, as seamen tell, with fixed anchor in his scaly rind, moors by his side under the lee, while night invests the sea, and wished morn delays.

Horror and doubt distract his troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir the Hell within him; for within him Hell he brings, and round about him, nor from Hell one step, no more than from himself, can fly by change of place.

whose eye Views all things at one view? He from Heaven's height

Which I fly is Hell; myself am Hell; And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep still threatening to devour me opens wide, to which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven

Belial came last, than whom a spirit more lewd, Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love Vice for itself: to him no temple stood Or altar smoked; yet who more oft than he In temples and at altars, when the priest Turns atheist, as did Eli's sons, who filled With lust and violence the house of God. In courts and palaces he also reigns And in luxurious cities, where the noise Of riot ascends above their loftiest tow'rs

Greedily they plucked The fruitage fair to sight, like that which grew Near that bituminous lake where Sodom flamed; This more delusive, not the touch, but taste Deceived. They, fondly thinking to allay Their appetite with gust, instead of fruit Chewed bitter ashes

up they rose As from unrest; and, each the other viewing, Soon found their eyes how opened, and their minds How darkened. Innocence, that, as a veil, Had shadowed them from knowing ill, was gone; Just confidence, and native righteousness, And honour, from about them, naked left To guilty shame; He covered, but his robe Uncovered more.

At length from us may find, who overcomes 649: By force, hath overcome but half his foe.

offices of Love, how we may light'n Each others burden in our share of woe; Since this days Death denounc't, if ought I see, Will prove no sudden, but a slow-pac't evill, A

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.

For now, and since first break of dawne the Fiend,   Meer Serpent in appearance, forth was come,   And on his Quest, where likeliest he might finde   The onely two of Mankinde, but in them   The whole included Race, his purposd prey.

180] Caught in a fiery tempest shall be hurled Each on his rock transfixed, the sport and prey Of racking whirlwinds, or for ever sunk Under yon boiling ocean, wrapped in chains; There to converse with everlasting groans, [185] Unrespited, unpitied, unreprieved, Ages of hopeless end; this would be worse.

rhyme being no necessary adjunct or true ornament of poem or good verse (in longer works especially) but the invention of a barbarous Age, to set off wretched matter ...

Hee boulder now, uncall'd before her stood;   But as in gaze admiring: Oft he bowd   His turret Crest, and sleek enamel'd Neck,   Fawning, and lick'd the ground whereon she trod.

But past who can recall, or don undoe? Not God Omnipotent, nor Fate

254: The mind is its own place, and in it self 255: Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.

pain? where there is then no good 31: For which to strive, no strife can grow up there

pain, that with ambitious mind 35: Will covet more.

47: Equal in strength, and rather then be less 48: Car'd not to be at all; with that care lost 49: Went all his fear:

La fuerza separada de la verdad y de la justicia no es digna de alabanza y sólo merece el desprecio y la ignominia, aunque jactanciosa aspire a la gloria y busque el renombre por la infamia: sea por tanto un eterno silencio su castigo.

El espíritu vive en sí mismo, y en sí mismo puede hacer un cielo del infierno, o un infierno del cielo. ¿Qué importa el lugar donde yo resida, si soy el mismo que era, si lo soy todo, aunque inferior a aquel a quien el trueno ha hecho más poderoso?

From some points of view, the demonic is not that which hides in the shadows, but lives among us, is us, in every choice we make and don't make.

The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him.