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John Milton Quotes about Evil

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Evil on itself shall back recoil.

Evil on itself shall back recoil.

Evil, Recoil

John Milton (1829). “Paradise Lost: Paradise Regained”

That virtue therefore which is but a youngling in the contemplation of evil, and knows not the utmost that vice promises to her followers, and rejects it, is but a blank virtue, not a pure; her whiteness is but an excremental whiteness.

Evil, Promise, Vices

1644 Areopagitica: a speech for the liberty of unlicensed printing.

Promiscuous reading is necessary to the constituting of human nature. The attempt to keep out evil doctrine by licensing is like the exploit of that gallant man who thought to keep out the crows by shutting the park gate.

Reading, Men, Evil

1644 Areopagitica: a speech for the liberty of unlicensed printing.

But pain is perfect misery, the worst Of evils, and excessive, overturns All patience.

Patience, Pain, Evil

1665 Paradise Lost (published1667), bk.6, l.461-3.

As therefore the state of man now is, what wisdom can there be to choose, what continence to forbear, without the knowledge of good and evil?

Men, Evil, Good And Evil

1644 Areopagitica: a speech for the liberty of unlicensed printing.

More safe I sing with mortal voice, unchang'd To hoarse or mute, though fall'n on evil days, On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues.

Fall, Voice, Evil

John Milton (1757). “Paradise Lost: A Poem, in Twelve Books”, p.8

What wisdom can there be to choose, what continence to forbear without the knowledge of evil? He that can apprehend and consider vice with all her baits and seeming pleasures, and yet abstain, and yet distinguish, and yet prefer that which is truly better, he is the true wayfaring Christian.

Christian, Evil, Vices

John Milton (2016). “Areopagitica and Other Prose Works”, p.13, Courier Dover Publications

For evil news rides post, while good news baits.

Evil, Bait, News

'Samson Agonistes' (1671) l. 1538

And out of good still to find means of evil.

Mean, Evil, Find Me

'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 1, l. 165

These evils I deserve, and more . . . . Justly, yet despair not of his final pardon, Whose ear is ever open, and his eye Gracious to re-admit the suppliant.

Forgiveness, Eye, Evil

John Milton (1848). “The Poetical Works of John Milton: With a Memoir, and Critical Remarks on His Genius and Writings”, p.131

It was from out the rind of one apple tasted, that the knowledge of good and evil, as two twins cleaving together, leaped forth into the world.

Two, Apples, Evil

'Areopagitica' (1644) p. 12

O visions ill foreseen! Better had I Liv'd ignorant of future, so had borne My part of evil only.

Evil, Ignorant, Vision

John Milton, Henry John Todd (1852). “The Poetical Works of John Milton: With Notes of Various Authors; and with Some Account of the Life and Writings of Milton, Derived Principally from Original Documents in Her Majesty's State-paper Office”, p.508

Evil, be thou my good.

Evil

Paradise Lost bk. 4, l. 110 (1667)

For books are as meats and viands are; some of good, some of evil sub-stance.

Book, Evil, Meat

John Milton (1859). “The prose works of John Milton”, p.173

Evil into the mind of god or man may come and go, so unapproved, and leave no spot or blame behind.

Men, Evil, Mind

John Milton, James BUCHANAN (Grammarian.) (1773). “The First Six Books of Milton's Paradise Lost, Rendered Into Grammatical Construction ... With Notes ... To which are Prefixed Remarks on Ellipsis and Transposition ... By J. Buchanan”, p.321

Sense of pleasure we may well Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine, But live content, which is the calmest life; But pain is perfect misery, the worst Of evils, and excessive, overturns All patience.

Pain, Evil, Perfect

John Milton, Elijah Fenton, Samuel Johnson (1821). “Paradise lost”, p.182

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