John Milton’s Morning Milking

Eugene Delacroix’s Milton Dictates the Lost Paradise to His Three Daughters (c. 1826).

“Hee rendered his Studies and various Works more easy & pleasant by allotting them their several portions of the day. Of these the time friendly to the Muses fell to his Poetry; and hee waking early (as is the use of temperate men) had commonly a good Stock of Verses ready against his Amanuensis came. Which if it happened to bee later than ordinary, hee would complain, saying hee wanted to bee milkd.”

—Anonymous, The Life of Mr. John Milton (c. 1686)