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Why was John Milton in danger after Charles II was restored to the English throne?

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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.

Following the restoration of Charles II to the English throne in 1660, John Milton was in significant danger because of his active involvement in the government of Oliver Cromwell and his support for the regicide of Charles I.12

As a dedicated pamphleteer and the Commonwealth's secretary for foreign tongues, Milton had served as an apologist for the revolutionary government, writing works such as The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates, which argued for the abolition of tyrannical kingship and the execution of monarchs. His public defense of the Commonwealth against international critics further solidified his status as a target of the new regime.23

Consequently, after the Restoration, Milton was placed under arrest and faced the threat of execution for his role in the regicide and his service to the previous government. He ultimately escaped this fate, likely due to the intercession of influential figures such as his brother Christopher, Andrew Marvell, and William Davenant.14