John Milton

John Milton (1608–1674) was born in London and educated at Christ's College, Cambridge. He wrote prose pamphlets on divorce, censorship and, after the execution of Charles I, a people's right to depose a tyrant, and served as Secretary for Foreign Tongues in Cromwell's government from 1649. He was completely blind by 1652, which did not stop him: Paradise Lost (1667), dictated over several years to a series of amanuenses, appeared after the Restoration had put him briefly in danger of execution for his service to the Commonwealth. Paradise Regained and the tragedy Samson Agonistes followed together in one volume in 1671. He died in London.