He that has light within his own clear breast
May sit i’ the centre, and enjoy bright day,
But he that hides a dark soul, and foul thoughts
Benighted walks under the midday sun;
Himself his own dungeon.
John Milton (1608-74), Comus (1637).
In his own dungeon
Notes from the Compiler
Objecting to the tyranny of the Church of England under the then Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud (1573-1645), Milton gave himself to poetry and joined the Presbyterians. In 1651 he became totally blind. In his later years, he favoured the complete disestablishment of all the churches. He was essentially an individualistic Puritan Christian who coupled revolutionary ideals with a basic commitment to law and order.
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