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| Milton's Bust In the Backyard Garden |
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| Milton's Cottage at Chalfont St.Giles |
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| The Bust of John Milton In the window |
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| John Milton (1608--1673) |
Next to Shakespeare, John
Milton won world-wide acclaim as the greatest poet. His epic poem " Paradise Lost" is
the product of his voluminous learning and total dedication and made England
assert her own place in the realm of epic poetry on par with that of
Greece and Italy. One would not find words to appreciate the
fortitude and immense sense of dedication of Milton who had taken up this
most arduous task after he became totally blind and had been in the
most trying circumstances deprived of every means of support and
motivation..
I was fortunate enough to see the only existing cottage
where Milton had spent a few months
and where he undertook the completion of his famous epic. The
cottage was located in the interior part of a typical English village called
Chalfont St. Giles in Buckingham shire. From Sunbury-on-Thames, we traveled through a main way with leafy branches arching above, which gave a
panoramic view through dark woods just like our erstwhile journey through
woods to Studley Castle(a big hotel) a few days ago.
At last we located our destination when we saw a wooden
signboard "Milton's Cottage". When we gently knocked at the
door, the custodian. a tall old gentleman, welcomed us with a beaming smile on
his face. There were a few visitors inside. He asked us to look at the
signatures of the royal family members who had visited the cottage
and extended their support. Queen Victoria donated twenty pounds as
Jubilee Fund in 1887. In 1934 Elizabeth, the Queen-Mother, visited this cottage and
made a public appeal for the restoration of the cottage. After restoration,
this cottage was opened by the Duke of Glouscester. Her Majesty, Queen
Elizabeth, paid a visit on 14th July, 1987 to commemorate the Centenary
Celebrations of the Milton Cottage Trust.
In the cottage we saw a small room at the entrance leading to
a big room which serves as a drawing room and as dining room as well. A little
to the left there was a kitchen. Behind the drawing room there was a study room
where Milton used to sit and dictate poetry to his daughters.There was a high-backed
wooden chair called Milton's chair used by the great poet during his stay here.
In the middle of the room we saw a voluminous 17th century old edition of
Milton's poems and writings. On the wall we saw a framed copy of the Royal
Proclamation of Charles II ordering Milton's pamphlets to be burnt in
public on the charge of his anti-Royalist views. There was another old
document neatly framed wherein we found the signatures and thumb impressions of the people who supported the Republican
cause and later most of whom were tried, imprisoned or exiled and were
deprived of properties. A receipt signed by Milton's last wife Elizabeth Mynshull , was seen in the frame hung from the wall. Though these papers
may seem to be common, they are rare collections which take us back to
those tumultuous times and remind us how people in defence of principles
sacrificed their valuable belongings and staked even their precious
lives. Milton had served as Latin Secretary to the Republican Leader, Oliver
Cromwell, and was later imprisoned for his rebellious writings against the
king. Just because of his old age and blind condition his life was spared when
his contemporary and friend Andrew Marvell intervened and obtained an order of
remission from the Parliament.
The
bust of Milton was seen in the window along with portraits of the poet done by
various artist The books written by contemporary Quakers of the neighborhood
were also kept in another room along with other collections. Milton's Prose
works and political pamphlets were also displayed there. The autobiography of
Charles Ellwood, Milton's Latin disciple and a Quaker by faith,was another
important document . In that book Charles Ellwood narrated how after going
through the manuscript of the book"Paradise Lost"(Published in 1667),
he asked Milton what the author had to say about the Paradise found.
This query made Milton compose another small epic "Paradise
Regained"(published in 1671).
Milton's cottage was
opened to the public as a reading room in 1887. Later it was converted as a
museum to protect the precious relics and documents connected with the life of
the great poet. In the backyard there was a spacious garden with different
varieties of plants,herbs and flowers, the names of which were mentioned
by the poet in his lyrics and poems.Under a shady arbor, a marble bust of
the epic poet was erected as if to gratify the poetic soul with the fresh
vernal gifts of Nature glorified by him in his beautiful lyrics like"Lallegro",
"Il Penseroso" and "Comus".At one place there is a
water fountain surrounded by bushes. The lines from Lycidas (The pastoral elegy
written by Milton to mourn the death of hid friend Edward
King) "weep no more shepherds, for thy gentle comrade Lycidas is not
dead" were labelled there, indirectly suggesting the eternal life of the
immortal poet, Milton, "The organ voice of England."
The custodian kept a few books and some pamphlets
giving information about Milton's life. On enquiry he informed us that John
Milton, who spent most part of his life near Bunhill Fields in London, came to
Chalfont St.Giles in 1665 just to escape from the dread of plague raging in
that year. His Latin student,Thomas Ellwood , suggested this cottage which was owned
by Colonel George Fleetwood. Having been deprived of the support of his
Republican friends and his position as Latin Secretary to Oliver Cromwell, the
poet devoted himself entirely to complete his epic "Paradise Lost"
which he had earlier planned to write as a drama. His stay at this place also
incidentally became a cause for taking up the Paradise Regained" a sequel
to his magnum Opus "Paradise Lost".
Thus ended our memorable
trip to Milton's cottage which gave us some idea about the surroundings and
living conditions of the poet who fought bravely against all odds to accomplish
his poetic mission as a champion of freedom and stood by his principles both in
politics and in religion as well, with his unshakable faith in divine
providence.
Sep.11th 2013. Somaseshu Gutala
