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Why did John Milton return to England earlier than planned in 1639?
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John Milton
John Milton, engraving by Jacob Houbraken, 1741.
John Milton cut his tour of the Continent short in 1639 due to news of the impending civil war in England. While traveling in Italy, he also received word of the death of his closest boyhood friend, Charles Diodati, which further influenced his decision to return home earlier than he had originally planned.1