“I will not deny but that the best apology against false accusers is silence and sufferance, and honest deeds set against dishonest words.”

—  John Milton

Apology for Smectymnuus (1642)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "I will not deny but that the best apology against false accusers is silence and sufferance, and honest deeds set agains…" by John Milton?
John Milton photo
John Milton 190
English epic poet 1608–1674

Related quotes

Czeslaw Milosz photo

“He who invokes history is always secure.
The dead will not rise to witness against him.You can accuse them of any deeds you like.
Their reply will always be silence.”

Czeslaw Milosz (1911–2004) Polish, poet, diplomat, prosaist, writer, and translator

"Child of Europe" (1946)
Daylight (1953)
Context: He who invokes history is always secure.
The dead will not rise to witness against him.You can accuse them of any deeds you like.
Their reply will always be silence.Their empty faces swim out of the deep dark.
You can fill them with any features desired.Proud of dominion over people long vanished,
Change the past into your own, better likeness.

Isocrates photo

“Guard yourself against accusations, even if they are false; for the multitude are ignorant of the truth and look only to reputation.”

Isocrates (-436–-338 BC) ancient greek rhetorician

Verse 17.
To Demonicus
Context: Guard yourself against accusations, even if they are false; for the multitude are ignorant of the truth and look only to reputation. In all things resolve to act as though the whole world would see what you do; for even if you conceal your deeds for the moment, later you will be found out. But most of all will you have the respect of men, if you are seen to avoid doing things which you would blame others for doing.

Arthur Penrhyn Stanley photo
Abraham Lincoln photo

“If slavery is right, all words, acts, laws, and constitutions against it, are themselves wrong, and should be silenced, and swept away.”

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) 16th President of the United States

1860s, Cooper Union speech (1860)

“Sir king, I have been often accused of harbouring traitorous designs against you, but, as God in heaven is just and true, may this morsel of bread choke me if even in thought I have ever been false to you.”

Godwin, Earl of Wessex Anglo-Saxon nobleman; son of Wulfnoth Cild

The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon (trans. Thomas Forester), Book VI
Godwin supposedly said this just before he choked to death on a piece of bread at the table of King Edward "the Confessor", but the story is very doubtful.
Misattributed

Nadezhda Mandelstam photo

“I decided it is better to scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity.”

Nadezhda Mandelstam (1899–1980) Russian writer and educator

Source: Hope Against Hope

Henry Van Dyke photo
Silvio Berlusconi photo

“I have Italian citizens in too good consideration to think that there are so many voting assholes (literally: "coglioni", rude word for testicles) around which could vote against their own interests. I apologize for the rude but effective language.”

Silvio Berlusconi (1936) Italian politician

Confcommercio meeting in Rome (4 April 2006) as quoted in "In quotes: Berlusconi in his own words" at BBC News (2 May 2006) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3041288.stm
2006

Thomas Merton photo
Tipu Sultan photo

“People who have sinned against such a holy place are sure to suffer the consequences of their misdeeds at no distant date in this Kali age in accordance with the verse: Hasadbhih kriyate karma rudadbhir-anubhuyate (People do [evil] deeds smilingly but suffer the consequences crying).”

Tipu Sultan (1750–1799) Ruler of the Sultanate of Mysore

Tipu expressing grief against Maratha raid on Sringeri temple and matha. Quoted in Annual Report of the Mysore Archaeological Department 1916 pages 10–11 and 73–6 and History of Tipu Sultan https://books.google.com/books?id=hkbJ6xA1_jEC&pg=PA358 by Mohibbul Hasan, p. 358

Related topics