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John Milton on Character

1608–1674 England

← All quotes by John Milton

12 quotes

Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.

Adam the goodliest man of men since born
His sons, the fairest of her daughters, Eve.

Let his tormentor conscience find him out.

Paradise Regained (1671)

For contemplation he and valor formed,
For softness she and sweet attractive grace.

Left that command
Sole daughter of his voice.

Ascend, I follow thee, safe guide, the path
Thou lead'st me, and to the hand of heav'n submit.

Yet, where an equal poise of hope and fear
Does arbitrate the event, my nature is
That I incline to hope rather than fear,
And gladly banish squint suspicion.

Comus (1637)

Son of Heav'n and Earth,
Attend! That thou art happy, owe to God;
That thou continuest such, owe to thyself,
That is, to thy obedience; therein stand.

Now conscience wakes despair
That slumber'd, wakes the bitter memory
Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue!

Quips and Cranks and wanton Wiles,
Nods and Becks and wreathèd Smiles.

L'Allegro (1631)

O Conscience, into what abyss of fears
And horrors hast thou driven me, out of which
I find no way, from deep to deeper plunged.

Unrespited, unpitied, unreprieved.

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: John Milton (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.