Born in 1608, died in 1674; visited Italy in 1638; began his political writings in 1640; Latin Secretary to the Commonwealth in 1649; became totally blind in 1652; spared at the Restoration under the Indemnity Act; published "Paradise Lost" in 1667.
They, who to states and governors of the commonwealth direct their speech, High Court of Parliament, or, wanting such access in a private condition, write that which they foresee, may advance the public good; I suppose them, as at the beginning of no mean endeavor, not a little altered and moved inwardly in their minds—some with doubt of what will be the success, others with fear of what will be the censure; some with hope, others with confidence of what they have to speak. And me perhaps each of these dispositions, as the subject was whereon I
- ↑ The date of this, the most celebrated of Milton's prose works, is November 24, 1644. In disregard of an ordinance of Parliament of the previous year, Milton in July had published without license his pamphlet concerning "Divorce." For this he had been attacked and a search had been made for the printers. In consequence of this he wrote the "Areopagitica," which he described as "a speech for the liberty of unlicensed printing to the Parliament of England." Abridged.
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