John Milton约翰简介

JohnMilton约翰·弥尔顿IntroductionbornDec.9,1608,London,Eng.diedNov.8?,1674,London?JohnMilton,detailofanengravingbyWilliamFaithorne,1670;intheNationalPortraitGallery,…Englishpoet,pamphleteer,andhistorian,consideredthemostsignificantEnglishauthorafterWilliamShakespeare.MiltonisbestknownforParadiseLost,widelyregardedasthegreatestepicpoeminEnglish.TogetherwithParadiseRegainedandSamsonAgonistes,itconfirmsMilton'sreputationasoneofthegreatestEnglishpoets.InhisproseworksMiltonadvocatedtheabolitionoftheChurchofEnglandandtheexecutionofKingCharlesI.FromthebeginningoftheEnglishCivilWarsin1642tolongaftertherestorationofCharlesIIaskingin1660,heespousedinallhisworksapoliticalphilosophythatopposedtyrannyandstate-sanctionedreligion.HisinfluenceextendednotonlythroughthecivilwarsandinterregnumbutalsototheAmericanandFrenchrevolutions.Inhisworksontheology,hevaluedlibertyofconscience,theparamountimportanceofScriptureasaguideinmattersoffaith,andreligioustolerationtowarddissidents.Asacivilservant,MiltonbecamethevoiceoftheEnglishCommonwealthafter1649throughhishandlingofitsinternationalcorrespondenceandhisdefenseofthegovernmentagainstpolemicalattacksfromabroad.EarlylifeandeducationMilton'spaternalgrandfather,Richard,wasastaunchRomanCatholicwhoexpelledhissonJohn,thepoet'sfather,fromthefamilyhomeinOxfordshireforreadinganEnglish(i.e.,Protestant)Bible.Banishedanddisinherited,Milton'sfatherestablishedinLondonabusinessasascrivener,preparingdocumentsforlegaltransactions.Hewasalsoamoneylender,andhenegotiatedwithcreditorstoarrangeforloansonbehalfofhisclients.Heandhiswife,SaraJeffrey,whosefatherwasamerchanttailor,hadthreechildrenwhosurvivedtheirearlyyears:Anne,theoldest,followedbyJohnandChristopher.ThoughChristopherbecamealawyer,aRoyalist,andperhapsaRomanCatholic,hemaintainedthroughouthislifeacordialrelationshipwithhisolderbrother.AftertheStuartmonarchywasrestoredin1660,Christopher,amongothers,mayhaveintercededtopreventtheexecutionofhisbrother.TheelderJohnMilton,whofosteredculturalinterestsasamusicianandcomposer,enrolledhissonJohnatSt.Paul'sSchool,probablyin1620,andemployedtutorstosupplementhisson'sformaleducation.MiltonwasprivatelytutoredbyThomasYoung,aScottishPresbyterianwhomayhaveinfluencedhisgiftedstudentinreligionandpoliticswhiletheymaintainedcontactacrosssubsequentdecades.AtSt.Paul'sMiltonbefriendedCharlesDiodati,afellowstudentwhowouldbecomehisconfidantthroughyoungadulthood.Duringhisearlyyears,MiltonmayhaveheardsermonsbythepoetJohnDonne,deanofSt.Paul'sCathedral,whichwaswithinviewofhisschool.EducatedinLatinandGreekthere,Miltoninduecourseacquiredproficiencyinotherlanguages,especiallyItalian,inwhichhecomposedsomesonnetsandwhichhespokeasproficientlyasanativeItalian,accordingtothetestimonyofFlorentineswhomhebefriendedduringhistravelabroadin1638–39.MiltonenrolledatChrist'sCollege,Cambridge,in1625,presumablytobeeducatedfortheministry.Ayearlaterhewas“rusticated,”ortemporarilyexpelled,foraperiodoftimebecauseofaconflictwithoneofhistutors,thelogicianWilliamChappell.Hewaslaterreinstatedunderanothertutor,NathanielTovey.In1629MiltonwasawardedaBachelorofArtsdegree,andin1632hereceivedaMasterofArtsdegree.Despitehisinitialintenttoentertheministry,Miltondidnotdoso,asituationthathasnotbeenfullyexplained.PossiblereasonsarethatMiltonlackedrespectforhisfellowstudentswhowereplanningtobecomeministersbutwhomheconsideredill-equippedacademicallyorthathisPuritaninclinations,whichbecamemoreradicalashematured,causedhimtodislikethehierarchyoftheestablishedchurchanditsinsistenceonuniformityofworship;perhaps,too,hisself-evidentdisaffectionimpelledtheChurchofEnglandtorejecthimfortheministry.Overall,MiltonwasdispleasedwithCambridge,possiblybecausestudythereemphasizedScholasticism,whichhefoundstultifyingtotheimagination.Moreover,incorrespondencewithaformertutoratSt.Paul'sSchool,AlexanderGill,Miltoncomplainedaboutalackoffriendshipwithfellowstudents.Theycalledhimthe“LadyofChrist'sCollege,”perhapsbecauseofhisfaircomplexion,delicatefeatures,andauburnhair.Nonetheless,Miltonexcelledacademically.AtCambridgehecomposedseveralacademicexercisescalledprolusions,whichwerepresentedasoratoricalperformancesinthemannerofadebate.Insuchexercises,studentsappliedtheirlearninginlogicandrhetoric,amongotherdisciplines.Miltonauthorizedpublicationofsevenofhisprolusions,composedandrecitedinLatin,in1674,theyearofhisdeath.In1632,aftersevenyearsatCambridge,Miltonreturnedtohisfamilyhome,nowinHammersmith,ontheoutskirtsofLondon.Threeyearslater,perhapsbecauseofanoutbreakoftheplague,thefamilyrelocatedtoamorepastoralsetting,Horton,inBuckinghamshire.Inthesetwolocations,Miltonspentapproximatelysixyearsinstudiousretirement,duringwhichhereadGreekandLatinauthorschiefly.Withoutgainfulemployment,Miltonwassupportedbyhisfatherduringthisperiod.TravelabroadIn1638,accompaniedbyamanservant,MiltonundertookatouroftheContinentforabout15months,mostofwhichhespentinItaly,primarilyRomeandFlorence.TheFlorentineacademiesespeciallyappealedtoMilton,andhebefriendedyoungmembersoftheItalianliterati,whosesimilarhumanisticinterestshefoundgr