113:& naturall sloth which is really unfit for conversation; nor is there that freedom of accesse granted or presum'd, as may suffice to a perfect discerning till too late: and where any indisposition is suspected, what more usuall than the perswasion of friends, that acquaintance, as it encreases, will amend all. And lastly, it is not strange though many who have spent their youth chastly, are in some things not so quick-sighted, while they hast too eagerly to light the nuptiall torch; nor is it therefore that for a modest error a man should forfeit so great a happiness, and no charitable means to release him.
218:, and it is possible that the polygamy comment is in reference to rumours of Milton's pursuit of Miss Davis. This rumour continued to prevail, and Anne Sadleir, in a letter to Roger Williams in 1654, writes, "For Milton's book that you desire I should read, if I be not mistaken, that is he that has wrote a book of the lawfulness of divorce; and if report say true, he had, at that time, two or three wives living."
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The
Doctrine & Discipline of Divorce : Restor'd to the good of both sexes, from the bondage of canon law and other mistakes to the true meaning of Scripture in the Law and Gospel compar'd : wherein also are set down the bad consequences of abolishing or condemning of Sin, that which the
291:
The
Doctrine & Discipline of Divorce : Restor'd to the good of both sexes, from the bondage of canon law and other mistakes to the true meaning of Scripture in the Law and Gospel compar'd : wherein also are set down the bad consequences of abolishing or condemning of Sin, that which the
74:
Milton married in Spring 1642, and shortly after, his wife Marie Powell, left him and returned to live with her mother. The legal statutes of
England did not allow for Milton to apply for a divorce and he resorted to promoting the lawfulness of divorce. Although the laws did not change, he wrote four
153:
Who can be ignorant that woman was created for man, and not man for woman; and that a husband may be inju'd as insufferably in mariage as a wife. What an injury is it after wedlock not to be belov'd, what to be slighted, what to be contended with a point of house-rule who shall be the head, not for
130:
if that mistake have done injury, it fails not to dismisse with recompense, for to retain still, and not to be able to love, is to heap up more injury... He therfore who lacking his due in the most native and humane end of mariage, thinks it better to part then to live sadly and injuriously to that
112:
that for all the wariness can be us'd, it may yet befall a discreet man to be mistak'n in his choice: and we have plenty of examples. The sobrest and best govern'd men are lest practiz'd in these affairs; and who knows not that the bashfull mutenes of a virgin may oft-times hide all the unlivelines
95:
was published on 1 August 1643, and a revised edition followed on 2 February 1644. A second revision was published in 1645. The work was, according to his nephew Edward
Phillips, started from a collection of arguments supporting divorce that would reinforce him emotionally and psychologically while
121:
that desire which God saw it was not good that men should be left alone to burn in; the desire and longing to put off an unkindly solitarines by uniting another body, but not without a fit soule to his in the cheerfull society of wedlock. Which if it were so needfull before the fall, when man was
39:
on 1 August 1643. An expanded second edition was published on 2 February 1644. The editions were published anonymously, and his name was not associated with the text until they were denounced before
Parliament in August 1644. Milton's basic scriptural argument is that
107:
argues for the ability to have a second chance at marriage. In particular, Milton claims, in Book I, Chapter III, that no one can always know the disposition of their spouse before they enter into marriage. In particular, he argues in a very personal way:
144:
when points of difficulty are to be discusst, appertaining to the removall of unreasnable wrong and burden from the perplext life of our brother, it is incredible how cold, how dull, and farre from all fellow feeling we are, without the spurre of
83:
on divorce. Although it is impossible to know why exactly Powell separated from Milton, it is possible that Powell's family, a strong royalist family, caused a political difference that was exacerbated by the
122:
much more perfect in himself, how much more is it needfull now against all the sorrows and casualties of this life to have an intimate and speaking help, a ready and reviving associate in marriage
117:
Milton's argument progresses to merging ideas in
Genesis and the epistles of Paul to argue, in Chapter IV, that the burning described by Paul was a longing to be united with a spouse:
317:
law of God allows and Christ abolisht not; Now the second time Revis'd, and much
Augmented, in Two Books: in Two Books to the Parliament of England, with the Assembly; the Author J.M.
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law of God allows and Christ abolisht not; Now the second time Revis'd, and much
Augmented, in Two Books: in Two Books to the Parliament of England, with the Assembly; the Author J.M.
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separated from his wife. Although he originally sought only a legal separation from his wife, his research convinced him that he could convince the government to legalise divorce.
163:
Early responses to Milton's divorce tracts placed Milton as a polygamist and rumours were spread that his motivation was towards both divorce and polygamy. On 13 August 1644,
243:(1697), describes the idea of Milton approving of divorce and polygamy as common knowledge and traces these views to Milton's problems with his wife. Nicolaus Moller, in his
126:
Milton's argument and stance on divorce continues to the point that he implies that a divorcer could actually be the one who understands and defends marriage the most:
804:
254:
Modern critic
Annabel Patterson believed that the tract "presents a logical case for the reform of divorce law, superimposed on a subtext of emotional chaos".
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as his first tract. The first tract was created during a time of humiliation, and Milton was motivated towards writing on the topic after reading the work of
718:
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251:, claims that "He was a great defender of the liberty of divorce (as he himself divorced himself from six wives one after the other)".
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Milton added an address to
Parliament that dismisses the possibility of self-interest as a motivator for the work, but later writes:
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cherful covnant... he I say who therfore seeks to part, is one who highly honours the married life, and would not stain it.
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He also added an explanation that divorce was not just to help wives, and in the XV chapter of Book II writes:
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The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: Restor'd to the Good of Both Sexes, From the Bondage of Canon Law
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and had possible knowledge of Milton's views on divorce and polygamy. Pierre Bayle, in his
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175:; (or for divorce for other causes then Christ and His apostles mention: Of which a
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any parity of wisdome, for that were somthing reasonable, but out of female pride.
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247:(A study of All Polygamy) (1710), lists Milton twice. An obituary for Milton in
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Vol II ed. Don Wolfe. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959.
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Although Sadleir was neither Williams' nor Milton's friend,
497:. Ed. Thomas Corns. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003.
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Patterson, Annabel. "Milton, Marriage and Divorce" in
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171:If any plead Conscience for the Lawfulnesse of
56:he was just addressing a specific audience of
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747:Judgement of Martin Bucer Concerning Divorce
44:did not abrogate the Mosaic permission for
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868:Methought I Saw my Late Espoused Saint
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105:The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
93:The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
77:The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
18:The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
854:When I Consider How My Light is Spent
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167:read a sermon to Parliament stating:
75:tracts on the topic of divorce, with
27:Book by John Milton published in 1643
481:John Milton among the Polygamophiles
780:The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates
605:On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
488:Complete Prose Works of John Milton
483:. New York: Loewenthal Press, 1974.
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742:Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
241:Dictionaire Historique et Critique
216:Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
214:The book in question was Milton's
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861:On the Late Massacre in Piedmont
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719:The Reason of Church-Government
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249:Allgemeine Schau-buhne der Welt
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229:, who helped Milton write his
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790:Defensio pro Populo Anglicano
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328:– via Internet Archive.
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347:Patterson 2003, pp. 282–283.
278:Patterson 2003, pp. 279–281.
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919:Milton: A Poem in Two Books
458:qtd in Miller 1974, p. 135.
431:qtd in Miller 1974, p. 122.
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201:dedicate it to your selves
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877:
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449:Miller 1974, pp. 122–123.
374:Milton 1959, pp. 251–253.
303:– via Google Books.
908:Edward Phillips (nephew)
709:Of Prelatical Episcopacy
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724:Apology for Smectymnuus
467:Patterson 2003, p. 286.
401:Patterson 2003, p. 282.
383:Patterson 2003, p. 284.
365:Patterson 2003, p. 283.
338:Patterson 2003, p. 281.
70:Milton's divorce tracts
926:Neo-Miltonic syllabics
913:John Phillips (nephew)
886:De Doctrina Christiana
829:The History of Britain
805:The Ready and Easy Way
232:De Doctrina Christiana
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696:Antiprelatical tracts
612:Upon the Circumcision
495:A Companion to Milton
288:Milton, John (1644).
203:... will you grant a
185:deserving to be burnt
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128:
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91:The first edition of
947:Works by John Milton
903:John Milton (father)
440:Miller 1974, p. 122.
419:Milton 1959, p. 324.
410:Milton 1959, p. 226.
392:Milton 1959, p. 253.
356:Milton 1959, p. 249.
967:Books about divorce
957:Book of Deuteronomy
846:Individual sonnets
269:Miller 1974, p. 3.
962:Gospel of Matthew
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670:Paradise Regained
551:Reception history
245:De Polygamia Omni
86:English Civil War
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767:Political tracts
677:Samson Agonistes
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52::1 because in
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239:(1685) and
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177:wicked book
37:John Milton
952:1643 books
941:Categories
566:Early life
474:References
324:25 January
205:Toleration
181:uncensured
64:Background
54:Matthew 19
647:L'Allegro
237:Nouvelles
183:, though
58:Pharisees
48:found in
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561:Politics
556:Religion
299:26 March
207:for all
193:impudent
173:Polygamy
896:Related
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626:Arcades
46:divorce
589:Poetry
539:Topics
295:London
195:as to
189:Author
187:, who
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633:Comus
597:Poems
258:Notes
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42:Jesus
686:1673
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301:2017
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