• Milton's father's prosperity provided his eldest son with a private tutor, Thomas Young, and then a place at St Paul's School in London.
Early life
• Milton matriculated at Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1625 and graduated with a B.A. in 1629, ranking fourth of 24 honours graduates that year in the University of Cambridge.
• He left Florence in September to continue to Rome. With the connections from Florence, Milton was able to have easy access to Rome's intellectual society.
Study, poetry, and travel
• He first went to Calais, and then on to Paris, riding horseback, with a letter from diplomat Henry Wotton to ambassador John Scudamore.
• Once Paradise Lost was published, Milton's stature as epic poet was immediately recognised. He cast a formidable shadow over English poetry in the 18th and 19th centuries; he was often judged equal or superior to all other English poets, including Shakespeare.