The Prose Works Author:John Milton General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1848 Original Publisher: Bohn Subjects: Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Literary Criticism / Poetry Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Religion / Christian Theology / General Religion / Christian Theology / Systematic Notes: This... more » is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: DEFENCE OF THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND. AGAINST AN ANONYMOUS LIBEL, ENTITLED "THE ROYAL BLOOD CRYING TO HEAvEN FOR vENGEANCE ON THE ENGLISH PARRICIDES." TRABSLATID FKOM THE LATIH, BY KOBEHT FELLOWBS. A. M., OXOB, Editor's Preliminary Remarks. When the reply to Salmasius made its appearance, a kind of stupor seems to have seized upon the defenders of absolute monarchy throughout Europe. Milton was so much of an orator, and so skilfully and successfully roused the passions of the European public, that no man of character or political eminence would sully his own reputation by attacking him. It was felt that he had the good sense and passionate predilections of mankind on his side. Already was the dawn breaking upon Christendom of that great day, the noon of which has not yet arrived. And Milton, with the spirit of a political propagandist, was making in his works the tour of the civilized world, rousing the Germans and the French, the Italians and the Spaniards to shake off the yoke of centuries and assert their liberty. He imagined he saw them rising and girding their loins for the great enterprise. But it was imagination only. It required two centuries more of thought and toil to imbue the public mind of Christendom with the love of liberty, to awaken it to the consciousness of its birthright, and to confirm it in the belief, that to be subject to...« less