Quote

Books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them....I know they are as lively and as vigorously productive as those fabulous dragon's teeth and being sown up and down, may chance to spring up armed men.

John Milton

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John Milton
Age: 65 †
Born: 1608
Born: December 9
Died: 1674
Died: November 8
Poet
Politician
Writer
Things
Teeth
Lively
Men
Absolutely
Dragons
Life
Spring
Contain
Dead
Armed
Vigorously
Books
Censorship
Censoring
Chance
Fabulous
Sown
May
Productive
Potency
Book
Burning
Dragon

More quotes by John Milton

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Necessity and chance Approach not me, and what I will is fate.
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For books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them.
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Earth felt the wound and Nature from her seat, Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe That all was lost.
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I must not quarrel with the will Of highest dispensation, which herein, Haply had ends above my reach to know.
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Nor think thou with wind Of æry threats to awe whom yet with deeds Thou canst not.
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It were a journey like the path to heaven, To help you find them.
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Rhime being no necessary Adjunct or true Ornament of Poem or good Verse, in longer Works especially, but the Invention of a barbarous Age, to set off wretched matter and lame Meeter...the troublesom and modern bondage of Rimeing.
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Our country is where ever we are well off.
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But oh the heavy change, now thou art gone, Now thou art gone and never must return!
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Farewell Hope, and with Hope farewell Fear
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Among the writers of all ages, some deserve fame, and have it others neither have nor deserve it some have it, not deserving it others, though deserving it, yet totally miss it, or have it not equal to their deserts.
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O nightingale, that on yon bloomy spray Warblest at eve, when all the woods are still Thou with fresh hope the lover's heart dost fill While the jolly hours lead on propitious May.
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Eye me, blest Providence, and square my trial To my proportion'd strength.
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And yet on the other hand unless warinesse be us'd, as good almost kill a Man as kill a good Book who kills a Man kills a reasonable creature, Gods Image, but hee who destroyes a good Booke, kills reason it selfe, kills the Image of God, as it were in the eye.
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The planets in their station list'ning stood.
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Suffering for truth's sake Is fortitude to highest victory, And to the faithful death the gate of life.
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Dark with excessive bright.
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Yet hold it more humane, more heav'nly, first, By winning words to conquer willing hearts, And make persuasion do the work of fear.
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And what is faith, love, virtue unassayed Alone, without exterior help sustained?
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Implied Subjection, but requir'd with gentle sway, And by her yielded, by him best receiv'd,- Yielded with coy submission, modest pride, And sweet, reluctant, amorous delay.
John Milton