Selected Prose

by John Milton, C.A. Patrides (Editor)

Although John Milton is best known for his poems such as Paradise Lost , his prose works, including Areopagitica, The Tenure of Kings, and The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce , are important in their own right. In this selection of Milton’s prose, C.A. Patrides presents the best possible texts of complete works in a format designed to enable students to understand Milton the thinker as well as to judge for themselves the achievements of Milton the artist in prose. First published in 1974, C.A. Patrides ‘s edition of Milton’s prose has proved invaluable to students and scholars of Renaissance literature because it includes mostly the complete texts of Milton’s prose works. Now, in this new and updated edition, Patrides has revised his introduction and his bibliography to reflect advances in Milton scholarship in the past ten years. In addition, the selections have been expanded to include passages from Milton’s theological treatise De doctrina Christiana .

For sale only in the USA and Philippines.

Genres: College

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

People best know John Milton, English scholar, for Paradise Lost , the epic poem of 1667 and an account of fall of humanity from grace.

Beelzebub, one fallen angel in Paradise Lost, of John Milton, lay in power next to Satan.

Belial, one fallen angel, rebelled against God in Paradise Lost of John Milton.


John Milton, polemicist, man of letters, served the civil Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote in blank verse at a time of religious flux and political upheaval.

Prose of John Milton reflects deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self-determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. He wrote in Latin, Greek, and Italian and achieved international renown within his lifetime, and his celebrated Areopagitica (1644) in condemnation of censorship before publication among most influential and impassioned defenses of free speech and the press of history.

William Hayley in biography of 1796 called and generally regarded John Milton, the "greatest ... author," "as one of the preeminent writers in the ... language," though since his death, critical reception oscillated often on his republicanism in the centuries. Samuel Johnson praised, "with respect to design may claim the first place, and with respect to performance, the second, among the productions of the ... mind," though he, a Tory and recipient of royal patronage, described politics of Milton, an "acrimonious and surly republican."

Because of his republicanism, centuries of British partisanship subjected John Milton.

Reviews

[Gille Liath · Rating 2 out of 5]

I convinced myself that I wanted to know more about the personality of the man who wrote the poem which, said Dr Johnson, is not the greatest poem in history 'only because it is not the first'. But having read Johnson's Life of Milton, I already had enough information to realise that, although highly intelligent, he was a bad-tempered and inveterate self-justifier, someone who adopted causes like divorce or republicanism not out of principle but because they suited his convenience at the time. The best thing about my Penguin edition is the cover painting by Blake, depicting a spiritual avatar Milton that never was. My advice, stick to Paradise Lost.

[Christian]

CS Lewis on Milton's prose: "For a certain kind of humor, the prose Milton beats anyone I know. He abuses like an inspired coster - like Falstaff."

Read for Milton, Fall 2016, Villanova. Great stuff, but I didn't finish it this time around.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Milton. There's so much here to sink your teeth into. You just have to really want to work for it, and I think I'm past that point. Maybe one of these days I'll reread.