John Milton

"... If weakness may excuse, What Murderer, what Traitor, Parricide, Incestuous, sacrilegious, but may plead it All Wickedness is Weakness That plea therefore With God or Man will gain thee no Remission. "

"...A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life. "

"Accuse not nature, she hath done her partDo thou but thine, and be not diffidentOf wisdom, she deserts thee not, if thouDismiss not her, when most thou needest her nigh,By attributing overmuch to thingsLess excellent, as thou thyself perceivest. "

"But wherefore thou alone Wherefore with theeCame not all hell broke loose Is pain to themLess pain, less to be fled, or thou than theyLess hardy to endure Courageous chief,The first in flight from pain, hadst thou allegedTo thy deserted host this cause of flight,Thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive. "

"Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties. "

"He also serves who only stands and waits. "

"He who reigns within himself and rules his passions, desires and fears is more than a King. "

"Here at lastWe shall be freethe Almighty hath not builtHere for his envy, will not drive us henceHere we may reign secure, and in my choiceTo reign is worth ambition though in HellBetter to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven. "

"How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, Stolen on his wing my three-and-twentieth year "

"If we think we regulate printing, thereby to rectfy manners, we must regulate all regulations and pastimes, all that is delightful to man. "

"Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep. "

"None can love freedom heartily but good men the rest love not freedom, but license. "

"The childhood shows the man, As morning shows the day. "

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. "

"Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind. "

"When the waves are round me breaking,As I pace the deck alone,And my eye in vain is seekingSome green leaf to rest uponWhat would not I give to wanderWhere my old companions dwellAbsence makes the heart grow fonder,Isle of Beauty, fare thee well "

"Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions for opinions in good men is but knowledge in the making. "

"Who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe. "