A Review of Paradise Lost by John Milton

A picture of the Paradise that was lost forever. 

As the Renaissance Era can include history, art, literature, etc, up until 1700 A. D, I thought I would do a post on a literary work of that time. I thought I'd do a post on a literary work from that time period. The book I am writing of,   is a really good one, especially if you like the Puritans.
 Some of you may know that for many years as a Protestant, my most admired Protestants of the past were the Puritans.
 Since I was a little boy, my Mother read to me the stories of the Puritans and Pilgrims again and again. Even today, the Puritans are my favorite Protestants of any era.
 I am not here of course though to give a post on the strictness of the Puritans, or of their theology. Nor am I here to talk about their influence on America's founding, the Puritan influence on Harvard University and education in general,

for the Americas. Last for this post, I am not here to talk about the Puritans relations to other Protestants, nor am I  here to give on how and why the Puritans faded out. The topic of today's post, is narrowly on the literary work: Paradise Lost. For the prior topics, perhaps I will post in the future.
 I read Paradise Lost by John Milton back in high school. This is still one of my favorite works of the English language. It's sequel, Paradise Regained, is one I plan to read in the future. The book centers around Adam's fall in the garden of Eden, and is written all as a story. It is a long poem, with beautiful lines of an English work.
 John Milton's Paradise Lost was inspired by the poetry of Homer and Virgil. It is considered one of the greatest works of English literature ever.

                                     A typical copy of Milton's work from your local bookstore.


 Last point, to John Milton it was better to burn in hell forever, than to not to see the face of God. How so precious was his wisdom on this matter. 

 ''Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression,  who is the figure of him that was to come.'' -Romans 5: 14

Medieval vrs. Modern Art

Aren't you glad that modern man is much more advanced than those of the past? After all, artwork shows a lot about a people. Medieval and Renaissance Times only had Dante, Chaucer, Sir Thomas Malroy, and Shakespeare for writers, and Leonardo di Venci and Raphael and Michelangelo for painters/ sculptors. We have so much more than the ignorant Medieval man! I mean look at Medieval art compared to that of the Modern sophisticated age.

              My, the wisdom of Charles Darwin! Man truly has come out of his apelike past, has he not?
 Yes, I am being sarcastic. How arrogant can modern man be to think he is beyond such wisdom of many in the past?
 It's interesting to note how many believed the 20th century would be a sort of utopia for the world, and in this century, man would fizzle out from his ''barbaric'' past. The Truth for the matter is, more people died from wars in the 20th century than all the rest combined. So much for a Utopia...
 Yes, I am getting off topic. Point is, Modernism is not nearly as progressive as it's adherents like to pretend. True advancement, socially, and doctrinely can only come about for man by the influence of the Holy Bible.
 The Renaissance was not ushered by secularism, as many would wish to believe, but rather to learn wisdom from the past that had been lost, particularity as concerns the Greek language and the arts. At the same time, the Renaissance was actually inspired by the Crusades, because the Crusaders brought back knowledge of the east, and of the ancient Greeks that had been lost, to the Western World. I have written a poem to end today's post:

 ''Poor, poor, modern man, how I pity you so,
 You think you are so wise when you are so dumb,
 there is much about life you simply do not know,
 You think, far beyond your evolutionary evolving that you to progression have finally now come,
 But oh modern man, how foolish, foolish,  so very foolish are you,
 As your very tongue mocks the Words of Holy Scripture,  hell's gates open for your very soul,
 You reject God, Salvation, and all that is true,
 Unless you should repent, the devils will make merry as hell's flames will soon burn you whole!



 Proverbs 9: 8 ''Rebuke not a scorner lest he hate thee. Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee. ''

Were Medieval People Ignorant?

 There are many common misconceptions modern people have of the past, and one of them is that people in Medieval Times, were just ignorant of Science, Religion, language etc. In recent years many historians have taken up for a different and more positive understanding of the period in history we call the Middle Ages.
 First of all and to clarify a few things, let us first understand what the Middle Ages actually were. Medieval is an adjective, referring to anything of that time, while Middle Ages, is the noun, and the period of history itself. Historians agree that the Middle Ages were a Post Classical time, largely after the fall of the western Roman Empire. Most historians agree that the Middle Ages started around either 300 A. D. , with the ushering of Christianity in the Roman Empire,  or 476 A. D. , with the fall of Western Rome. Other historians say the Middle Ages did not start until even later. Likewise historians disagree as to whether the Middle Ages ended with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America in 1492, or with the Protestant Reformation which largely originated with Luther's 95 thesis in 1517,  or if ended in 1648 with the Treaty of Westphalia that ended The Thirty Years' War.  Some extend it even further into the 18th century. What Historians all agree on, is that the Middle Ages was that great period of time in between us and the Roman Empire.
 Many historians now see Medieval and Renaissance as period of History. Whether or not that is the case, is not the subject of this post.
 In short, Medieval people were not ignorant of many of the things that modern people commonly attribute them to be ignorant of. Certainly Medieval people were ignorant of many things, but they were also more familiar with many things than people are today.
 I reccommend watching the particular video from PargerUniversity on the ''Dark Ages'' , as it is a great explanation of the Middle Ages in brief.



The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature by C. S. Lewis is a good place to start for common misunderstandings people have of the Medieval knowledge of the arts. Lewis points out in the book, that Medieval people actually knew much more about books than modern people do now. Lewis, an expert on Medieval poets of the past, shows off perhaps one of his masterpieces in this little work. I am fortunate enough to have a 1st edition. Lewis, who would no doubt come close to Roman Catholicism near the end of his life, never actually became a Catholic. As far as we know, Lewis always rejected the papacy. Why these facts are important, is that no one can accuse Lewis for defending the Middle Ages simply because he was Roman Catholic, for Lewis was not. That said, Lewis and Tolkien actually saw the Middle Ages as a more advanced time than our own.

But Medieval people knew more than the arts. In fact many of the early scientist came out of the Middle Ages. One such scientist was a pope.

The Abacus and the Cross: The Story of the Pope Who Brought the Light of Science to the Dark Ages by Nancy Marie Brown, is a great source to those who undermine the Scientific knowledge of the Middle Ages. 

 Last, the Catechism of the Council of Trent, known originally as the Roman Catechism, actually shows in it's detailed introduction, that contrary to Protestant claims and misconceptions, Medieval Peasants knew the Scriptures much more than is commonly admitted.

 Pope Innocent III and the Greek Church { 1198-1216} by Richard Clearly, is an actual contemporary account translated into English with various notes by it's scholarly author. The book shows again and again, that Pope Innocent had an amazing knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.


                                   The great, and possibly greatest Medieval pope, Pope Innocent III

An interesting last point is that many people point to the common likeness of the Protestant Reformation to the Renaissance. While there are no doubts reforms in both, many people are unaware that Luther actually opposed the Renaissance, as did some Catholics, though many pope, supported it.
 So in short, were Medieval people ignorant? Yes they were ignorant, as is all of humanity, for none of us know the greatness of our God, and in fact, we know less to be true, than that which we know to be true. But in comparison to Modern man, no the Medieval man was no more ignorant. Perhaps people should ask instead, is the modern man the ignorant one?

Proverbs 18 :15: '' A wise heart shall acquire knowledge: and the ear of the seeketh instruction. ''

A Review of Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott was quite a colorful figure, not only was he a novelist, but a Presbyterian Elder that became Scottish Episcopalian near the end of his life. Sir Scott also read frequently from Jane Austin, and was an admirer of her works.
Sir Walter Scott is one of my favorite writers. His works include Ivanoe, The Talisman, Rob Roy, among many others. But of all his works, Ivanhoe is the most well known.
 The story of Ivanhoe is quite well known, even to those that never read the book, so I need not say of it's plot and subplots here. That said I will proceed on a few minor details about the book that I like very much, and of my influence from it.
 I saw the 1950s version of Ivanhoe when I was about seven years old at a friend's house. It was immediately a favorite of mine, and I would read the novel when I was about sixteen. Ivanhoe has always been an inspiration to my love of knighthood in general, and to my own Crusade Novels that I am still working on.
 Ivanhoe covers such themes as antisemitism, racism, pride, courage, loyalty, and witch hunting.
 To me, the story of the Anglo-Saxon knight though, and the English 12th century culture he lives in, with all the historical larger than life figures: King Richard the Lion-heart, King John, and Robin Hood, are not all that is appealing to the story, but also the vivid picture of details Sir Walter Scott gives of even small things, like the tapestries on the castle walls.
 Ivanhoe actually popularized Robin Hood in Modern English literature. Ivanhoe was also written before Howard Pyle's own novel on Robin Hood.
 Ivanhoe is technically not Medieval Literature, as it was not written during Medieval Times. That said, it is certainly one of the greatest novel works of the Medieval Ages. The novel Ivanhoe was especially influential on Dixie. Southern Confederates in years to come, would see themselves as chivalrous knights like as romanticized by Scott's great classic.
 The plot of Ivanhoe is one I am have quite familiarized myself with, and as I said I won't cover here. That said you need to check out, and read it!
 This is defiantly a book I could read every year!

''Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all that ye do be done in love. ''
1 Corinthians 16: 13-14

''Teach your children poetry; it opens the mind, lends grace to wisdom and makes the heroic virtues hereditary. '' -Sir Walter Scott


 I love Ivanhoe, don't miss out on this great work!  Have a good week!

A Review of Canterbury Tales: The Miller's Tale

The Miller's Tale, which is the second tale of the Canterbury Tales is much more crude, humorous, and arguably more folklore, then the previous tale: The Knight's Tale. The story is also much shorter than the knight's tale, and though I did not enjoy the Miller's Tale as much as the Knight's tale, it was another great classic work of the poet, Geoffrey Chaucer.
 The Miller's Tale is about an old and foolish Carpenter, who marries a very young woman. The carpenter's name is John, and his young wife's name is Alison.  This particular young woman, is flirtatious and cunning in her lustful ways, by which she shares her self with different men. For her, a young astronomer names Nicholas, is willing to lead John into a great lie that the whole world will be flooded by water again, as it was with Noah. Nicholas tells John to gather several bathtubs for each of them, and to put food and drink in each for the coming flood, and John foolishly takes the young man's advise at doing so.
 Meanwhile, Alison and Nicholas are in agreement of their relationship one to another, as Nicholas plans to have the old Carpenter, John distracted from it all.
 Then comes Absalom, a lustful priest, who also takes a likening to Alison. The priest begs Alison for a kiss, and the woman does not return it, but puts her rear end to his face instead. Humiliated, Absalom decides to never love another woman again, but seeks revenge upon Nicholas.
 Absalom goes to the blacksmith to have a hot weapon made, which he uses on the rear end's of Nicholas and Alison, who then both flee the Carpenter's home, warning John of the coming flood, as the two race into the streets when their butts feeling burnt.
 The carpenter foolishly never gets anything out of what has happened, not the actions of his lustful wife, or of the lust that two men shared for her. The Theme of the story then, is the foolishness of the Carpenter, who despite being very old, married a cunning woman much younger than himself. From this woman, Alison, came such chaos into the Carpenter's life.
Such is the second tale of Canterbury Tales.

 ''There is a treasure to be desired, and oil of the dwelling of the just, and the foolish man shall spend it.'' -Proverbs 21: 20



''A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.'' -William Shakespeare.

A Review of Canterbury Tales: The Knight's Tale

 The Knight's tale is the longest tale of Canterbury Tales, and chronologically the first. It is told at the inn in Canterbury by a knight who has returned from the Crusades. The story is actually set before Medieval Times though, in Ancient Greece.  As I have just finished reading it, I want to offer just a brief overview of it, as well as my my review of it.
 The story centers around two knights that are in prison during the early stages of the log poem. While there they come to be madly love in woman with the same woman: Emily.  Palamon and Arcite are desperately in love with Princess Emily, and despite their long friendship became rivals for her love. Palamon who had to come to love her first, is ultimately betrayed by his friend Arcite, who becomes drastically in obsession with Emily to the point that he looks old and sick. Arcite come to the point of wishing he would die rather than lose his love.  From this point on, many other things happen that I won't mention in detail here, but the two are eventually brought before a tournament of fighting each other. In the end fate chooses destiny and vengeance, and the knight who actually wins, the battle: Arcite, is brought to his tragic death by an earthquake.
 Some years pass, and Palamon marries Emily.
 All in all, the story has some great morale lessons, including the oaths people make to each other that they don't always keep, and the consequences which follow such actions.  Ultimately, Arcite was driven mad, and eventually to his death after breaking his promise to Palamon, to not let anything come between them.
 I hope you enjoyed my review, and more importantly I hope you check the story out!

Emily sitting, as she is adored by the eyes of Palamon and Arcite. 

''Greater love, has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.'' 

 -John 15: 13