--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: License they mean when they cry Liberty…" description: "\"License they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves that, must first be wise and good.\" — John Milton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/john-milton-191_being-wise_license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty_80301.png" --- # License they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves… ![“License they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves that, must first be wise and good.” quote by John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/john-milton-191_being-wise_license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty_80301.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/john-milton-191_being-wise_license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty_80301.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/john-milton-191_being-wise_license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty_80301.png) > “License they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves that, must first be wise and good.” [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. Freedom is only meaningful for those who possess wisdom and virtue; liberty without moral foundation is hollow. **In simple terms:** Liberty requires moral maturity. Key Takeaway Freedom demands ethical responsibility. Themes freedom morality wisdom responsibility virtue Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical maxim When to use this quote - political discourse - education - leadership - activism - civic engagement Key Concepts political philosophy ethical theory Practical Applications - civic education programs - ethical leadership training Questions to Reflect On - What virtues must accompany liberty? - How does wisdom shape the exercise of freedom? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-wise/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [A quick comeback is usually meant as license to be mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-petrow/a-quick-comeback-is-usually-meant-as-license-to-be-mean/) [Steven Petrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-petrow/) > [It is not infrequent to hear men declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/it-is-not-infrequent-to-hear-men-declaim-loudly-upon-liberty-who-if/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [It is not unfrequent to hear men declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/it-is-not-unfrequent-to-hear-men-declaim-loudly-upon-liberty-who-if/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/none-can-love-freedom-heartily-but-good-men-the-rest-love-not-freedom-3/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Truth and understanding are not such wares as to be monopolized and traded in by tickets and statutes and standards. We must not think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/truth-and-understanding-are-not-such-wares-as-to-be-monopolized-and/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [You'll learn something about men and women...the way they're supposed to be. Caring for each other, being happy with each other, being good to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-kirk/you-ll-learn-something-about-men-and-women-the-way-they-re-supposed/) [James T Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-kirk/) > [“You don't have to see it to love it. Just love it for it is good and that is love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-thogolith/you-don-t-have-to-see-it-to-love-it-just-love-it-for-it-is-good-and/) christian Thogolith > [All that is good in Heaven and on Earth is born of love. This war is not just. This war is not good. Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/all-that-is-good-in-heaven-and-on-earth-is-born-of-love-this-war-is/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [“Because this is the love I want. This is a good love, a love that could be right. And if I accept it,if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-younge-ullman/because-this-is-the-love-i-want-this-is-a-good-love-a-love-that-could/) [Danielle Younge-Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-younge-ullman/) > [Be as good to yourself as you are to those you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/be-as-good-to-yourself-as-you-are-to-those-you-love/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [They's a heap more to God's will than death, disapoint-ment, and like thet. Hit's God's will for us to be good and do good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-ann-burns/they-s-a-heap-more-to-god-s-will-than-death-disapoint-ment-and-like/) [Olive Ann Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-ann-burns/) > [“... however good it is, some love isn't meant to be for ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/however-good-it-is-some-love-isn-t-meant-to-be-for-ever/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [“There ought to be some mode of life where all love is good, where one love can't compete with another but adds to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/there-ought-to-be-some-mode-of-life-where-all-love-is-good-where-one/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [Heaven is not located on high, but where the good of love is, and this resides within a person, wherever he or she might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/heaven-is-not-located-on-high-but-where-the-good-of-love-is-and-this/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [TV has been very good to me, and I hope I've been good to it, but I also love film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-anders/tv-has-been-very-good-to-me-and-i-hope-i-ve-been-good-to-it-but-i/) [David Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-anders/) ## 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 Being wise quotes > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [To be smart, spend carefully. To be wise, save regularly. To be genius, give extravagantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-ingram/to-be-smart-spend-carefully-to-be-wise-save-regularly-to-be-genius/) [Chip Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-ingram/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [To be wise was to be above joy and sorrow, fear and pity, ambition and humiliation. It was to hate nothing and to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/to-be-wise-was-to-be-above-joy-and-sorrow-fear-and-pity-ambition-and/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes, And pause awhile from letters, to be wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/deign-on-the-passing-world-to-turn-thine-eyes-and-pause-awhile-from/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I feel I want to be wise with white hair in a tall library in a deep chair by a fireplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-corso/i-feel-i-want-to-be-wise-with-white-hair-in-a-tall-library-in-a-deep/) [Gregory Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-corso/) > [Were anyone wondering how Sen. Harry Reid intended to manage life in the minority, it took one day of the 114th Congress to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-strassel/were-anyone-wondering-how-sen-harry-reid-intended-to-manage-life-in/) Kimberley Strassel > [If we are going to be wise, spiritual people prepared to meet the crises of our age, we must be a studying, learning community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-moreland/if-we-are-going-to-be-wise-spiritual-people-prepared-to-meet-the/) [J.P. Moreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-moreland/) > [Literature provides us with experiences it would not be wise or possible to introduce into our own world and thus enlarges our understanding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-rosenblatt/literature-provides-us-with-experiences-it-would-not-be-wise-or/) [Louise Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-rosenblatt/) > [Learned we may be with another man's learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/learned-we-may-be-with-another-man-s-learning-we-can-only-be-wise/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [None of the modes by which a magistrate is appointed, popular election, the accident of the lot, or the accident of birth, affords, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/none-of-the-modes-by-which-a-magistrate-is-appointed-popular-election/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The goal of a passionate artist is to try and make a masterpiece each and every time, yet be wise enough to know you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donato-giancola/the-goal-of-a-passionate-artist-is-to-try-and-make-a-masterpiece-each/) Donato Giancola > [It almost seems as though this roiling world is conspiring to test our patience at every turn. In fact, it is. With this in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-almost-seems-as-though-this-roiling-world-is-conspiring-to-test/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's always better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-always-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Scents bring memories, and many memories bring nostalgic pleasure. We would be wise to plan for this when we plant a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thalassa-cruso/scents-bring-memories-and-many-memories-bring-nostalgic-pleasure-we/) [Thalassa Cruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thalassa-cruso/) [Browse all 310 Being wise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-wise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "License they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves that, must first be wise and good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Milton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty-for-who-loves-that-must-first/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being wise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty-for-who-loves-that-must-first/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/john-milton-191_being-wise_license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty_80301.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/john-milton-191_being-wise_license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty_80301.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/john-milton-191_being-wise_license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty_80301.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“License they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves that, must first be wise and good.” — John Milton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Milton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "License they mean when they cry...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty-for-who-loves-that-must-first/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty-for-who-loves-that-must-first/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```