How did John Milton describe his blindness in The Second Defense of the English People?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Engraved portrait of John Milton by Jacob Houbraken, showing Milton with shoulder-length hair, a lace collar, and period clothing, facing forward in an oval frame. — John Milton John Milton, engraving by Jacob Houbraken, 1741.

In The Second Defense of the English People (1654), John Milton addresses his total blindness, which he had developed shortly after the publication of his earlier Defense of the English People.1

While his opponent in The Cry of the King’s Blood claimed that his loss of sight was a divine punishment for his sins, Milton rejected this interpretation. Instead, he described his blindness as a trial he was enduring with the approval of the Lord. He argued that this affliction was accompanied by a special "inner illumination," a divine gift that he believed distinguished him from others.1