John Milton Quotes (574 Quotes)

Th' imperial ensign, which full high advanc'd Shone like a meteor, streaming to the wind.

Revenge, at first though sweet, bitter ere long, Back on itself recoils.

At whose sight all the stars Hide their diminished heads.

Sport, that wrinkled Care derides, And Laughter holding both his sides. Come and trip it as ye go, On the light fantastic toe.

His words, like so many nimble and airy servitors, trip about him at command. Ibid.

Where eldest Night And Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold Eternal anarchy amidst the noise Of endless wars, and by confusion stand For hot, cold, moist, and dry, four champions fierce, Strive here for mast'ry.

Thoughts, whither have ye led me!

My race of glory run, and race of shame, And I shall shortly be with them that rest.

But who is this, what thing of sea or land, Female of sex it seems, That so bedeck'd, ornate, and gay, Comes this way sailing Like a stately ship Of Tarsus, bound for th' isles Of Javan or Gadire, With all her bravery on, and tackle trim, Sails fill'd, and streamers waving, Courted by all the winds that hold them play, An amber scent of odorous perfume Her harbinger.

When the scourge Inexorable and the torturing hour Call us to penance.

O fairest of creation last and best Of all God's works Creature in whom excelled Whatever can to sight or thought be formed, Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet

A gulf profound as that Serbonian bog Betwixt Damiata and Mount Casius old, Where armies whole have sunk the parching air Burns frore, and cold performs th' effect of fire. Thither by harpy-footed Furies hal'd, At certain revolutions all the damn'd Are brought, and feel by turns the bitter change Of fierce extremes,extremes by change more fierce From beds of raging fire to starve in ice Their soft ethereal warmth, and there to pine Immovable, infix'd, and frozen round, Periods of time thence hurried back to fire.

Freely we serve, Because we freely love, as in our will To love or not in this we stand or fall.

Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions for opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making.

As children gath'ring pebbles on the shore. Or if I would delight my private hours With music or with poem, where so soon As in our native language can I find That solace.

Just are the ways of God, And justifiable to men.

Throw hither all your quaint enamell'd eyes That on the green turf suck the honied showers, And purple all the ground with vernal flowers. Bring the rathe primrose that forsaken dies, The tufted crow-toe, and pale jessamine, The white pink, and the pansy freakt with jet, The glowing violet, The musk-rose, and the well-attir'd woodbine, With cowslips wan that hang the pensive head, And every flower that sad embroidery wears.

Bacchus, that first from out the purple grape Crush'd the sweet poison of misused wine.

Solitude is sometimes best society, and short retirement urges sweet return.

Flowers worthy of paradise.

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

Nor jealousy Was understood, the injur'd lover's hell.

Without the meed of some melodious tear.

He knew Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme.

Praising the lean and sallow abstinence.

And so seplchred in such pomp dost lie, That kings for such a tomb would wish to die.

If there be any difference among professed believers as to the sense of Scripture, it is their duty to tolerate such difference in each other, until God shall have revealed the truth to all

Which, if not victory, is yet revenge.

Now conscience wakes despair That slumber'd, wakes the bitter memory Of what he was, what is, and what must be Worse.

A pillar'd shade High overarch'd, and echoing walks between.

Fairy elves, Whose midnight revels by a forest side Or fountain some belated peasant sees, Or dreams he sees, while overhead the moon Sits arbitress.

Smiles from reason flow, To brute deny'd, and are of love the food.

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.

By labour and intent study (which I take to be my portion in this life), joined with the strong propensity of nature, I might perhaps leave something so written to after times as they should not willingly let it die.

A bevy of fair women.

No worthy enterprise can be done by us without continual plodding and wearisomeness to our faint and sensitive abilities

A wilderness of sweets.

O unexpected stroke, worse than of Death!

Through the palpable obscure find out His uncouth way.

Out of my sight, thou Serpent!

Beauty is Nature's coin, must not be hoarded, But must be current.

With thy long levell'd rule of streaming light.

Most men admire Virtue, who follow not her lore.

Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pure of old, When all our fathers worshipp'd stocks and stones.

The Angel ended, and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice, that he awhile Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear.

Methinks I see in my mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam.

A grateful mind By owing owes not, but still pays, at once Indebted and discharg'd.

For contemplation he and valour formed For softness she and sweet attractive grace, He for God only, she for God in him His fair large front and eye sublime declare Absolute rule and hyacinthine locks Round from his parted forelock manly hung Clustering, but not beneath his shoulders broad. Which implied Subjection, but required with gentle sway And by her yielded, by him best received Yielded with coy submission, modest pride, And sweet reluctant amorous delay.... God is thy law, thou mine to know no more Is womans happiest knowledge and her praise.... For nothing lovelier can be found In woman, than to study household good, And good works in her husband to promote.

Or if Virtue feeble were, Heav'n itself would stoop to her.

The Tree of Knowledge grew fast by, Knowledge of Good bought dear by knowing ill