John Milton

John Milton was a poet. Mary Shelley listed him alongside other luminaries of the 17th century. (AUDIO: The Witch from the Well)

Adric once read his poetry while in the TARDIS. (PROSE: Logopolis)

Father Julian quoted a line from Milton to Catherine Broome. (PROSE: Companion Piece)

Behind the scenes

• The Witch from the Well does not actually specify his first name, but it's a logical conclusion based on the context. He is mentioned by Mary Shelley among other famous people of the 17th century. There are only two famous Miltons from that time, father and son, and both were named John Milton. While the author of Paradise Lost is more famous than his father, a composer, there is no ambiguity as to the name of the page. Further, Mary also mentions Henry Purcell as a representative composer of the century. The intent to cover different arts — literature, painting and music — implies that she means the poet John Milton rather than his father.
• The title of the audio story Paradise Frost is an allusion to John Milton's most famous poem, Paradise Lost. In its list of members of the Pageant, The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel) mentions the characters "Chaos and Old Night", who originated in Paradise Lost.