Milton's Paradise Lost

1631. Writes two Epitaphs on Hobson, and one on the Marchioness of Winchester. Writes a letter to a friend containing the noble Sonnet On his being arrived at the Age of Twenty-Three.

1632. Is graduated M. A. at Cambridge in July. Retires to his father's house at Horton.

1633. Writes Sonnet To the Nightingale; Song on May Morning; perhaps in this year L'Allegro and Il Penseroso.

1634. Writes Arcades and Comus, acted at Harefield and Ludlow respectively; the latter, Sept. 29, 1634. Latin letter to Alexander Gill, enclosing a translation of the 114th Psalm into Greek hexameters.

1635. Was 'incorporated' as Master of Arts at Oxford, with Jeremy Taylor and others.

1637. His mother dies, April 3. His friend, Edward King, was drowned, August 10. Letters to Diodati, Sept. 2 and Sept. 23. Writes Lycidas in November.

1638. Milton leaves England about the middle of April for the Continent, receiving, just before his departure, a handsome letter of advice and thanks from Sir Henry Wotton. Reaches Florence in September. Goes to Rome about October 1st. Writes epigrams to

Visits Galileo.

Leonora Baroni.

Goes to Naples.

1639. In Rome in January and February. Goes again to Florence. Receives and writes, about this time, letters, odes, sonnets, etc., in Latin and in Italian. Visits Venice. Stops briefly in Geneva. Returns home

to England about Aug. 1, that he may serve the cause of Liberty. Learns of the death of his friend Diodati. Writes his beautiful Epitaphium Damonis in Latin.

1640. Resides for a short time in St. Bride's Churchyard, where he undertakes the education of a few boys. Takes a garden house in Aldersgate Street and continues teaching. Plans sacred dramas, and poems on subjects from British history.

1641. Writes his first pamphlet, entitled Of Reformation in England, in May or June; writes Of Prelatical Episcopacy; also Animadversions on the Remonstrant's Defence.

1642. Writes The Reason of Church Government urged against Prelaty, in which his name first appears upon a title-page. Writes his Apology for Smectymnuus; also, in November, his third Sonnet, entitled When the Assault was intended to the City.

1643. Marries Mary Powell about June 1. His wife leaves him about July 1, to return about Michaelmas; but fails to come back.

1644. Writes Areopagitica, Of Education in a Letter to Mr. Samuel Hartlib, Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, The Judgment of Martin Bucer concerning Divorce; and perhaps, this year, his Sonnet To a Virtuous Young Lady, and the Sonnet to The Lady Margaret Ely. sight is a little impaired.

His

1645. Writes Tetrachordon, Colasterion, two Sonnets On the Detraction which followed upon my writing Certain Treatises. Publishes first edition of his early poems. His wife rejoins him.

1646. Writes Sonnets To Mr. H. Lawes, in Memory of Mrs. Thomson, To Mr. Lawrence, To Cyriack Skinner, and perhaps, at this time, On the New Forcers of Conscience. His first daughter, Anne, is born.

1647. Removes to Barbican, and then to Holborn. March. His second daughter, Mary, is born.

His father dies in

1648. Versifies Psalms lxxx. to lxxxvii. in April. Begins, this year or the next, his History of England. Writes Sonnet To the Lord General Fairfax.

1649. Is appointed Secretary of State. Removes to lodgings at Charing Cross, and afterwards in Scotland Yard. Writes Tenure of Kings and Magistrates, Observations on Ormond's Peace, Eikonoklastes.

1650. Son born and died.

1651. Writes Defensio pro Populo Anglicano, at the risk of losing his eyesight. Takes lodgings in a pretty garden house,' York Street, Westminster. Loses the sight of his left eye.

1652. His third daughter, Deborah, born, and his wife dies May 2d. Sonnets to Cromwell, and to Sir Harry Vane. Becomes nearly blind. 1653. Verifies Psalms i. to viii., August. Sonnet On His Blindness. 1654. Totally blind. Writes Defensio Secunda.

1655. Writes Defence of Himself against Alexander More, in Latin. Writes Sonnet On the late Massacre in Piedmont; Sonnet To Cyriack Skinner Upon his Blindness.

1656. Marries his second wife, Catherine Woodcock, Nov. 12.

1658. His second wife dies in February. Sonnet On His Deceased Wife. Edits Raleigh's Cabinet Council.

1659. Writes A Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes, Considerations touching the Likeliest Means to remove Hirelings, Letter to a Friend on the Ruptures of the Commonwealth, The Present Means and brief Delineation of a Free Commonwealth.

1660. Writes The Ready and Easy Way to establish a Free Commonwealth; Notes on a Sermon by Dr. Griffiths. Is concealed at a friend's house in Bartholomew Close; his prosecution is voted by the Commons; his Ikonoklastes and Defence of the People of England are publicly burnt by the common hangman in August. Life saved by the intercession of Davenant? Arrested. Released December 15th.

1662. Makes the acquaintance of Thomas Ellwood, the Quaker. 1663. Marries his third wife, Elizabeth Minshull, in February.

1665. Milton shows Ellwood the MS. of Paradise Lost. Retires to Chalfont St. Giles, to escape the plague. Paradise Regained is suggested by Ellwood.

1667. Paradise Lost is sold to Samuel Simmons, April 27. Published in ten books.

1669. Published Accidence Commenced Grammar (Latin); also History of England.

1671. Paradise Regained is published; also Samson Agonistes.

1672. Published Artis Logicæ.

1673. Published Of True Religion, Heresy, Schism, and Toleration ; republished Early Poems, with additions.

1674. Second Edition of Paradise Lost, in twelve books. Published Familiar Epistles, and Academic Exercises. Died Nov. 8; was buried Nov. 12, in the chancel of St. Giles, Cripplegate.

In addition to the foregoing works, should be named his Brief History of Muscovy, his Letters of State, his System of Christian Doctrine, and his unfinished Latin Lexicon.