Edward Jones Events in John Milton’s life Events in Milton’s time JM is born in Bread Street (Dec 9) 1608 Shakespeare’s Pericles debuts to and baptized in the church of All great acclaim. Hallows, London (Dec 20). Champlain founds a colony at Quebec. 1609 Shakespeare’s Cymbeline is performed late in the year or in the first months of 1610, most likely indoors at the Blackfriars Theatre. The British establish a colony in Bermuda. Moriscos (Christianized Muslims) are expelled from Spain. Galileo constructs his first telescope. The Dutch East India Company ships the first tea to Europe. A tax assessment (E179/146/470) 1610 Galileo discovers the four largest confirms the Miltons residing in moons of Jupiter (Jan 7). the parish of All Hallows, London Ellen Jeffrey, JM’s maternal 1611 Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is grandmother, is buried in All performed at the Globe Theatre Hallows, London (Feb 26). (May). The Authorized Version (King James Bible) is published. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is performed at court (Nov 1). The Dutch begin trading with Japan. The First Presbyterian Congregation is established at Jamestown. JM’s sister Sara is baptized (Jul 15) 1612 Henry, Prince of Wales, dies. and buried in All Hallows, London Charles I becomes heir to the (Aug 6). throne. 1613 A fire breaks out during a performance of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII and destroys the Globe Theatre (Jun 29). 218 Select Chronology Events in John Milton’s life Events in Milton’s time JM’s sister Tabitha is baptized in 1614 Shakespeare’s Two Noble Kinsmen All Hallows, London (Jan 30). opens at the rebuilt Globe Theatre. Napier publishes tables of logarithms. The Dutch establish New Amsterdam in the area of present day New York City. Fire destroys parts of Stratford- upon-Avon. The first saltworks near Jamestown produce saltpeter, an important ingredient in gunpowder. Tabitha Milton is buried in All 1615 Part 2 of Cervantes’s Don Quixote is Hallows, London (Aug 3). published. JM’s brother Christopher is born Lord and Lady Somerset are (Nov 24 or Dec 1?) and baptized convicted of murdering Sir Thomas in All Hallows, London (Dec 3). Overbury. Between 1615 and 1621, JM George Villiers, the future Duke of begins his formal education at Buckingham, becomes the new St Paul’s. favorite of King James I. Between 1615 and 1624, JM possibly writes “Philosophus ad Regem,” “Apologus De Rustico et Hero,” “Carminia Elegiaca,” “Ignavus Satrapam Dedecet,” and a prose theme on early rising. Eton College surveys the Milton 1617 Henry Briggs publishes the first Bread Street home (Oct 16). table of logarithms to base 10. Between 1617 and 1619, Thomas Widespread flooding in the Young tutors JM. Catalonian region of Spain kills 35,000 inhabitants. An unknown artist, traditionally 1618 The Bohemian Phase of the Thirty reported to be Cornelius Janssen, Years’ War (through 1620) begins. paints JM’s portrait. The Synod of Dort convenes in the Thomasine Webber, the future Netherlands. sister-in-law of JM, is baptized in Sir Walter Ralegh is executed. the church of St Clement Danes, Westminster (Oct 18). 219 Edward Jones Events in John Milton’s life Events in Milton’s time Thomas Young serves as the 1620 Bacon’s Novum Organum is chaplain to the English Merchant published. Adventurers in Hamburg (Apr). A Separatist congregation of JM’s father is appointed a trustee pilgrims establishes a colony in of the Blackfriars Playhouse in Plymouth, Massachusetts. London (Jul 4). Cornelius van Druffell submerges a 270 foot long leather-covered vessel powered by 12 oarsmen 15 feet below the surface of the Thames. JM’s father publishes six musical 1621 The Palatine Phase of the Thirty settings in Thomas Ravenscroft’s Years’ War (through 1623) begins. The Whole Book of Psalms. Oughtred constructs the first slide Richard Powell, JM’s future rule. father-in-law, acquires Forest Hill (Oct 2). A tax assessment (E 179/289/31) 1622 The Congregation for the verifies Richard Powell residing at Propagation of the Faith is Forest Hill (Jan). established as a Catholic missionary organization. Rate books for the parish of 1623 Bernini completes his David. St Martin-in-the Fields, Prince Charles and Buckingham Westminster, establish Edward are unable to negotiate the Prince’s Phillips, JM’s future brother-in- marriage to the Spanish Infanta. law, as a resident (Apr 7). Edward Phillips marries JM’s sister Anne in the parish church of St Stephen, Walbrook, London (Nov 22). JM and his mother, Sara, sign Anne Milton’s marriage settlement (Nov 27). Sometime during this year JM 1624 The Danish Phase of the Thirty paraphrases Psalms 114 and 136. Years’ War (through 1629) begins. England declares war on Spain JM’s nephew John Phillips is 1625 James I dies (Mar 27) and is baptized in St Martin-in-the-Fields, buried in Westminster Abbey Westminster (Jan 16). (May 7). 220 Select Chronology Events in John Milton’s life Events in Milton’s time Mary Powell, JM’s future wife, is Charles I ascends the throne baptized in the parish church of (Mar 30) and marries the Catholic St Nicholas, Forest Hill (Jan 24). Henrietta Maria of France by proxy (May 1). JM is admitted to Christ’s College, Cambridge (Feb 12) An outbreak of the plague kills and matriculates at the University thousands in London (Jul 8). (Apr 9). JM’s niece Anne Phillips is 1626 Charles I is coronated at baptized in St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster Abbey (Feb 2) and Westminster (Jan 12). dissolves Parliament (Jun 15). JM composes “Elegia I” (Apr?), England engages in war with “Elegia II” and “Elegia III” France (through 1629). (Sep/Oct?), “In Obitum Praesulis Eliensis” (Oct?), “In Obitum Procancellarii Medici” (Oct–Nov?), “In Proditionem Bombardicam” (four epigrams on the Gunpowder plot [Nov?]), “In Inventorem Bombardae” (Nov?), and “In Quintum Novembris” (Nov). JM writes Thomas Young in 1627 Buckingham fails to liberate Hamburg and encloses “Elegia IV” besieged Huguenots near La (Mar 26). Rochelle. JM signs an indenture in London for property in St Martin-in-the- Fields, Westminster (May 25). JM signs a loan in London from his father to Richard Powell for 300 pounds (Jun 11). Powell will pay JM interest twice a year on this loan until he defaults on June 12, 1644. JM’s niece Anne Phillips is buried 1628 William Harvey publishes De Motu in St Martin-in-the-Fields, Cordis describing the first accurate Westminster (Jan 22). account of the human circulatory system. JM composes “On the Death of a Fair Infant” (Jan 23–Mar?). Czech educator John Comenius publishes Didactica Magna, Thomas Young accepts the living at which advocates teaching in Stowmarket in Suffolk and returns the vernacular and universal to England (Mar 27). education for men and women. 221 Edward Jones Events in John Milton’s life Events in Milton’s time JM’s niece Elizabeth Phillips is Buckingham is assassinated. baptized in St Martin-in-the-Fields, William Laud becomes Bishop of Westminster (Apr 9). London (Jul 4). JM composes At a Vacation Exercise, An Oration, and Prolusion 6 (all in July). JM’s nephew John Phillips is 1629 Parliament passes resolutions buried in St Martin-in-the-Fields, against religious innovations and Westminster (Mar 15). taxes. JM writes “Elegia Quinta” Charles I dissolves Parliament and (Mar/Apr?), completes B.A. (July), begins the “Personal Rule” (Mar 2). and composes Prolusion 2 (Oct) The British establish a colony in and “On the Morning of Christ’s the Bahamas. Nativity” and “Elegia Sexta” (both in Dec). The Treaty of Susa concludes England’s war with France. During this year, JM composes On 1630 Van Dyck completes his Samson Shakespeare, probably Sonnets 1–6, and Delilah. Canzone, and “The Passion” (Mar), The Swedish phase of the Thirty “Elegia Septima” (May), “Lines Years’ War (through 1635) begins. appended to Elegia Septima” and “Song: On May Morning” (both in A remedy for malaria is introduced May?). into Europe. JM’s nephew Edward Phillips is An outbreak of the plague born most likely in August in the devastates Venice and surrounding parish of St Paul’s, Hammersmith, parts of Italy killing 500,000. but neither the month nor the The Treaty of Madrid concludes place has been definitively settled. England’s war with Spain. JM writes “On the University 1631 The symbol for multiplication (“×”) Carrier” (two poems) and is introduced. “Hobson’s Epitaph” (Jan–Mar). John Donne dies. JM’s brother Christopher is Vesuvius erupts and kills 3,000 admitted to Christ’s College, (Dec 13). Cambridge (Feb 15). A drought across much of Asia JM’s niece Elizabeth Phillips is causes widespread famine. buried in St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster (Feb 19). A parish rate book (PAF/1/212) establishes JM’s father as a resident of St Paul’s, Hammersmith (Apr 30). 222 Select Chronology Events in John Milton’s life Events in Milton’s time JM composes “An Epitaph on the Marchioness of Winchester” (Apr), Naturam non pati senium (Jun?), De Idea Platonica quemadmodum (Jun?), “L’Allegro” (?), “Il Penseroso” (?). JM’s brother-in-law Edward Phillips is buried in St Martin-in- the-Fields, Westminster (Aug 25). JM’s nephew John Phillips is born most likely in October in Hammersmith, but neither the month nor the place has been definitively settled. Anne Milton Phillips marries 1632 Galileo publishes his Dialogue Thomas Agar in the parish of Concerning the Two Chief World St Dunstan in the East, London Systems. (Jan 5). Rembrandt completes The Anatomy JM completes M.A. (Jul 3) and Lesson of Dr Nicholas Tulp. subsequently returns to his A plague outbreak in France kills parents’ home in Hammersmith.