Free Paradise Lost (Modern Library Classics) by John Milton, William Kerrigan, John Rumrich, Stephen M. Fallon Page A

possibly published in 1638). Mother, Sara, dies in Horton on April 3.
Lycidas
written in November and published the next year.
1638–9   
Milton tours the Continent from April or May 1638 to July or August 1639. Charles Diodati dies in August 1638.
1639   
Settles in London, where he makes his living as a tutor.
1641   
Earliest antiprelatical tracts—
Of Reformation
(May),
Of Prelatical Episcopacy
(June or July),
Animadversions on the Remonstrant’s Defense
(July)—published.
1642   
Publishes
The Reason of Church Government
(January or February) and
An Apology for Smectymnuus
(April). Marries Mary Powell in June or July. In August she leaves him and the Civil War begins.
1643   
The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
published in August.
1644   
The second edition of
The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
published in February;
Of Education
in June;
The Judgment of Martin Bucer
in August;
Areopagitica
in November.
1645   
Two more divorce pamphlets,
Tetrachordon
and
Colasterion
, published in March. Reconciles with Mary in July or August and moves to a larger house in Barbican in September.
1646   
Poems of Mr. John Milton
published in January, dated 1645. Daughter Anne born July 29.
1647   
(March 13) On or about this date his father dies, leaving Milton the Bread Street house and a moderate estate. (September–October) Moves to a smaller house in High Holborn.
1648   
(October 25) Daughter Mary born.
1649   
(January 30) Charles I executed.
Eikon Basilike
published a week later. (February 13)
The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates
published, with a second edition in September. (March 15) Appointed Secretary for Foreign Tongues and ordered to answer
Eikon Basilike
. (May 11) Salmasius’s
Defensio Regia
arrives in England. (October 6)
Eikonoklastes
published, answering
Eikon Basilike
.
1651   
(February 24) The
Pro Populo Anglicano Defensio
(
A Defense of the English People
) published, answering Salmasius. (March 16) Son John born.
1652   
(February or March) Total blindness descends. Daughter Deborah born May 2. Wife Mary dies on May 5. Son John dies in June.
1653   
Duties as Secretary for Foreign Tongues are reduced by the addition of an assistant. Cromwell installed as Protector in December.
1654   
Defensio Secunda
(
Second Defense of the English People
) published in May.
1655   
Milton is pensioned in April and though he continues to work for the Protectorate, devotes more time to private studies.
Pro Se Defensio
(
Defense of Himself
) published in August.
1656   
(November 12) Marries Katharine Woodcock.
1657   
(October 19) Daughter Katharine born.
1658   
Probably begins work on
Paradise Lost
. Wife Katharine dies on February 3. Daughter Katharine dies on March 17. Cromwell dies in September, succeeded by his son Richard.
1659   
A Treatise of Civil Power
published in February. RichardCromwell resigns in May.
Considerations Touching the Likeliest Means to Remove Hirelings out of the Church
published in August.
1660   
The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth
published in February, with a second edition in April. Charles II proclaimed king in May. Milton arrested and imprisoned between September and November and released in December.
1663   
(February 24) Marries Elizabeth Minshull. Moves to a house in Artillery Walk, near Bunhill Fields.
1665   
Around June, moves to Chalfont St. Giles to avoid the London plague.
1667   
(October or November)
Paradise Lost
published as a poem in ten books.
1670   
(Around November 1)
History of Britain
published.
1671   
Paradise Regained
and
Samson Agonistes
published.
1672   
Artis Logicae
(
The Art of Logic
) published.
1673   
Of True Religion
published. An enlarged edition of
Poems
published, also including
Of Education
.
1674   
Epistolae Familiarum
(
Familiar Letters
) published, including his
Prolusions. Paradise Lost. A Poem in Twelve Books
published around July 1.