John Milton Quotes About Age

Quotes about: Age

• [Rhyme is] but the invention of a barbarous age, to set off wretched matter and lame Meter; ... Not without cause therefore some both Italian and Spanish poets of prime note have rejected rhyme, ... as have also long since our best English tragedies, as... trivial and of no true musical delight; which [truly] consists only in apt numbers, fit quantity of syllables, and the sense variously drawn out from one verse into another, not in the jingling sound of like endings, a fault avoided by the learned ancients both in poetry and all good oratory.

  John Milton

  Italian, Numbers, Long

• For stories teach us, that liberty sought out of season, in a corrupt and degenerate age, brought Rome itself to a farther slavery: for liberty hath a sharp and double edge, fit only to be handled by just and virtuous men; to bad and dissolute, it becomes a mischief unwieldy in their own hands: neither is it completely given, but by them who have the happy skill to know what is grievance and unjust to a people, and how to remove it wisely; what good laws are wanting, and how to frame them substantially, that good men may enjoy the freedom which they merit, and the bad the curb which they need.

  John Milton

  Freedom, Men, Skills

  John Milton (1851). “The Prose Works of John Milton: With a Biographical Introduction”, p.245

• O loss of sight, of thee I most complain! Blind among enemies, O worse than chains, dungeon or beggary, or decrepit age! Light, the prime work of God, to me is extinct, and all her various objects of delight annulled, which might in part my grief have eased. Inferior to the vilest now become of man or worm; the vilest here excel me, they creep, yet see; I, dark in light, exposed to daily fraud, contempt, abuse and wrong, within doors, or without, still as a fool, in power of others, never in my own; scarce half I seem to live, dead more than half.

  John Milton

  Grief, Loss, Dark

  John Milton (1853). “The poetical works of John Milton, with life. Complete ed”, p.359

• And may at last my weary age Find out the peaceful hermitage, The hairy gown and mossy cell, Where I may sit and rightly spell Of every star that heaven doth shew, And every herb that sips the dew, Till old experience to attain To something like prophetic strain.

  John Milton

  Stars, Cells, Heaven

  c.1631 Il Penseroso, l.167-74.

• Time will run back and fetch the Age of Gold.

  John Milton

  Running, Time, Age

  'On the Morning of Christ's Nativity: The Hymn' (1645) st. 14

• Rhime 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 and lame Meeter...the troublesom and modern bondage of Rimeing.

  John Milton

  Poetry, Age, Ornaments

  "Paradise Lost". The Verse, 1668.

• It is lawful and hath been held so through all ages for any one who have the power to call to account a tyrant or wicked king, and after due conviction to depose and put him to death.

  John Milton

  Kings, Tyrants, Wicked

  John Milton (1650). “The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates: Proving, that it is Lawfull, and Hath Been Held So Through All Ages, for Any, who Have the Power, to Call to Account a Tyrant, Or Wicked King, and After Due Conviction, to Depose, and Put Him to Death; If the Ordinary Magistrate Have Neglected, Or Deny'd to Doe It. And that They, who of Late So Much Blame Deposing, are the Men that Did it Themselves. Published Now the Second Time with Some Additions, and Many Testimonies Also Added Out of the Best & Learnedest Among Protestant Divines Asserting the Position of this Book”, p.24

• What needs my Shakespeare for his honour'd bones,- The labour of an age in piled stones? Or that his hallow'd relics should be hid Under a star-y-pointing pyramid? Dear son of memory, great heir of fame, What need'st thou such weak witness of thy name?

  John Milton

  Stars, Memories, Son

  John Milton, “On Shakespear”

• Enflamed 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.

  John Milton

  Learning, Men, Bravery

  John Locke, John Milton (1830). “Some thoughts concerning education”, p.277

• How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, stolen on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!

  John Milton

  Time, Years, Wings

  'Sonnet' 7 'How soon hath time' (1645)

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

  John Milton

  Years, Wings, Age

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 9, l. 44

• Among the writers of all ages, some deserve fame, and have it; others neither have nor deserve it; some have it, not deserving it; others, though deserving it, yet totally miss it, or have it not equal to their deserts.

  John Milton

  Deserving It, Missing, Age

• By a certain fate, great acts, and great eloquence have most commonly gone hand in hand, equalling and honoring each other in the same ages.

  John Milton

  Fate, Greatness, Hands

  John Milton (1866). “Treasures from the prose writings of John Milton”, p.389

• 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.

  John Milton

  Dog, Owl, Age

  'Sonnet' 12 'I did but prompt the age' (1673)

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

  John Milton

  Loss, Sight, Enemy

  1671 Samson Agonistes, l.67-79.

• So may'st thou live, till like ripe fruit thou drop Into thy mother's lap, or be with ease Gathered, not harshly plucked, for death mature: This is old age; but then thou must outlive Thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty, which will change To withered weak and grey.

  John Milton

  Mother, Age, Lap

  1665 Michael to Adam. Paradise Lost (published1667), bk.11, l.535-40.

• facebook
• twitter
• googleplus
• email
• linkedin

• facebook
• twitter
• googleplus
• email
• linkedin