Areopagitica

by

John Milton

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The Greek goddess of marriage and childbirth. Milton claims that until the Spanish Inquisition and the Council of Trent, there was not an “envious Juno” sitting over the birth of books. Milton’s reference to the goddess of childbirth deepens his argument that books are a living part of their author and therefore should not be killed through censorship.

Juno Quotes in Areopagitica

The Areopagitica quotes below are all either spoken by Juno or refer to Juno. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Religion, Censorship, and Reason Theme Icon
).
Areopagitica Quotes

We have it not, that can be heard of, from any ancient state, or polity, or church, nor by any statute left us by our ancestors elder or later; nor from the modern custom of any reformed city or church abroad; but from the most antichristian council, and the most tyrannous inquisition that ever enquired. Till then books were ever as freely admitted into the world as any other birth: the issue of the brain was no more stifled than the issue of the womb: no envious Juno sat cross-legged over the nativity of any man’s intellectual offspring; but if it proved a monster, who denies, but that it was justly burnt, or sunk into the sea

Related Characters: John Milton (speaker), The English Parliament, The Roman Catholic Church, Juno
Related Symbols: Books
Page Number: 107
Explanation and Analysis:
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Areopagitica PDF

Juno Quotes in Areopagitica

The Areopagitica quotes below are all either spoken by Juno or refer to Juno. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Religion, Censorship, and Reason Theme Icon
).
Areopagitica Quotes

We have it not, that can be heard of, from any ancient state, or polity, or church, nor by any statute left us by our ancestors elder or later; nor from the modern custom of any reformed city or church abroad; but from the most antichristian council, and the most tyrannous inquisition that ever enquired. Till then books were ever as freely admitted into the world as any other birth: the issue of the brain was no more stifled than the issue of the womb: no envious Juno sat cross-legged over the nativity of any man’s intellectual offspring; but if it proved a monster, who denies, but that it was justly burnt, or sunk into the sea

Related Characters: John Milton (speaker), The English Parliament, The Roman Catholic Church, Juno
Related Symbols: Books
Page Number: 107
Explanation and Analysis: