--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But all was false and hollow; though his…" description: "\"But all was false and hollow; though his tongue Dropp'd manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, 4 to perplex and dash Maturest counse..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/john-milton-191_hollow_but-all-was-false-and-hollow-though-his_1524247.png" --- # But all was false and hollow; though his tongue Dropp'd… ![“But all was false and hollow; though his tongue Dropp'd manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, 4 to perplex and dash Maturest counsels.” quote by John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/john-milton-191_hollow_but-all-was-false-and-hollow-though-his_1524247.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/john-milton-191_hollow_but-all-was-false-and-hollow-though-his_1524247.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/john-milton-191_hollow_but-all-was-false-and-hollow-though-his_1524247.png) > “But all was false and hollow; though his tongue Dropp'd manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, 4 to perplex and dash Maturest counsels.” [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deceptive words can make falsehood seem rational, confusing wise counsel. **In simple terms:** Lies can appear logical and mislead. Key Takeaway Question the truth behind persuasive speech. Themes deception reasoning wisdom Mood cautionary reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - political debate - advertising - personal manipulation Key Concepts rhetoric philosophy ethics Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards guard against clever falsehoods? - How do we discern genuine reason? 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And of all the bad men who have lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-religion-does-not-make-us-better-people-it-will-make-us-very-much/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-the-divine-call-does-not-make-us-better-it-will-make-us-very-much/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More by John Milton > [Love-quarrels oft in pleasing concord end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/love-quarrels-oft-in-pleasing-concord-end/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [What better can we do than prostrate fall before Him reverent, and there confess humbly our faults, and pardon beg with tears watering the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/what-better-can-we-do-than-prostrate-fall-before-him-reverent-and/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [And, when night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/and-when-night-darkens-the-streets-then-wander-forth-the-sons-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [And, re-assembling our afflicted powers, consult how we may henceforth most offend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/and-re-assembling-our-afflicted-powers-consult-how-we-may-henceforth/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Yet hold it more humane, more heav'nly, first, By winning words to conquer willing hearts, And make persuasion do the work of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/yet-hold-it-more-humane-more-heav-nly-first-by-winning-words-to/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [O nightingale, that on yon bloomy spray Warblest at eve, when all the woods are still; Thou with fresh hope the lover's heart dost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/o-nightingale-that-on-yon-bloomy-spray-warblest-at-eve-when-all-the/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [The debt immense of endless gratitude, So burthensome, still paying, still to owe; Forgetful what from him I still receivd, And understood not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/the-debt-immense-of-endless-gratitude-so-burthensome-still-paying/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be sin to know, Can it be death? And do they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/knowledge-forbidden-suspicious-reasonless-why-should-their-lord-envy/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [There is no truth sure enough to justify persecution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/there-is-no-truth-sure-enough-to-justify-persecution/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [These eyes, tho' clear To outward view of blemish or of spot, Bereft of light, their seeing have forgot, Nor to their idle orbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/these-eyes-tho-clear-to-outward-view-of-blemish-or-of-spot-bereft-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [New Presbyter is but Old Priest writ Large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/new-presbyter-is-but-old-priest-writ-large/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [And what is faith, love, virtue unassayed Alone, without exterior help sustained?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/and-what-is-faith-love-virtue-unassayed-alone-without-exterior-help/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [This is servitude, To serve th'unwise, or him who hath rebelled Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, Thyself not free, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/this-is-servitude-to-serve-th-unwise-or-him-who-hath-rebelled-against/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Let us seek Death, or he not found, supply With our own hands his office on ourselves; Why stand we longer shivering under fears,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/let-us-seek-death-or-he-not-found-supply-with-our-own-hands-his/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [They are the troublers, they are the dividers of unity, who neglect and don't permit others to unite those dissevered pieces which are yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/they-are-the-troublers-they-are-the-dividers-of-unity-who-neglect-and/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) [Explore all 966 John Milton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) ## More Hollow quotes > [The hollow horn plays wasted words, proves to warn that he not busy being born is busy dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-hollow-horn-plays-wasted-words-proves-to-warn-that-he-not-busy/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I've buried six Guardian Angels who have been shot and killed in the line of duty. I was stalked myself, had a gunman go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sliwa/i-ve-buried-six-guardian-angels-who-have-been-shot-and-killed-in-the/) [Curtis Sliwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sliwa/) > [Those who cannot work with their hearts achieve but a hollow, half-hearted success that breeds bitterness all around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-who-cannot-work-with-their-hearts-achieve-but-a-hollow-half/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [August, the summer's last messenger of misery, is a hollow actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/august-the-summer-s-last-messenger-of-misery-is-a-hollow-actor/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Grief loves the hollow; all it wants is to hear its own echo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/grief-loves-the-hollow-all-it-wants-is-to-hear-its-own-echo/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [The very opposite of freedom is cliche, and nothing is less free, more inert with convention and hollow brutality, than a row of four-letter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-very-opposite-of-freedom-is-cliche-and-nothing-is-less-free-more/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [Hemingway sucks. If I set out to write that way, it would have been been hollow and lifeless because it wasn't me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/hemingway-sucks-if-i-set-out-to-write-that-way-it-would-have-been/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [It's like being possessed: like a psychic or a medium. I felt like a hollow temple filled with many spirits, each one passing through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/it-s-like-being-possessed-like-a-psychic-or-a-medium-i-felt-like-a/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I wanted a line in a poem to be the hollow ney of the dervish orchestra whose plaintive wail is a call to God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-michaels/i-wanted-a-line-in-a-poem-to-be-the-hollow-ney-of-the-dervish/) [Anne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-michaels/) > [We are all busy. It's easy to find excuses for not reaching out to others, but I imagine they will sound as hollow to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/we-are-all-busy-it-s-easy-to-find-excuses-for-not-reaching-out-to/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [We are the hollow men We are the stuffed men Leaning together...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/we-are-the-hollow-men-we-are-the-stuffed-men-leaning-together/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [This is not the person I wanted to become: Hatred has carved a permanent place inside me, a hollow where things are so easily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/this-is-not-the-person-i-wanted-to-become-hatred-has-carved-a/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [But the pop-up suburb has an incomplete feel to it like something that just wasn't right, wasn't quite real, almost like a movie set.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frasier/but-the-pop-up-suburb-has-an-incomplete-feel-to-it-like-something/) [Anne Frasier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frasier/) > [You could hollow out a big pumpkin and wear it on your head for the entire week of your birthday. 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