▁Mil ton ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁truth ▁makes ▁one ▁vulner able ▁to ▁personal ▁attacks ▁and ▁emphas izes ▁that ▁role ▁of ▁personal ▁integrity , ▁especially ▁his ▁own : ▁" as ▁a ▁member ▁incorpor ate ▁into ▁that ▁truth ▁where of ▁I ▁was ▁pers w aded ". ▁Mil ton ▁def ends ▁his ▁own ▁integrity ▁when ▁he ▁later ▁writes : ▁" that ▁indeed ▁according ▁to ▁art ▁is ▁most ▁el o quent , ▁which ▁returns ▁and ▁approaches ▁ne er est ▁to ▁nature ▁from ▁wh ence ▁it ▁came ; ▁and ▁they ▁expres se ▁nature ▁best , ▁who ▁in ▁their ▁lives ▁least ▁w ander ▁from ▁her ▁safe ▁leading , ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁call ' d ▁reg ener ate ▁reason ". ▁This ▁idea ▁is ▁expanded ▁further ▁when ▁he ▁says : ▁he ▁who ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁fr ustr ated ▁of ▁his ▁hope ▁to ▁write ▁well ▁here after ▁in ▁la ud able ▁things , ▁ought ▁him ▁self e ▁to ▁be e ▁a ▁true ▁Po em , ▁that ▁is , ▁a ▁composition , ▁and ▁pat terne ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁and ▁hon ou rable ▁things ; ▁not ▁pres uming ▁to ▁sing ▁high ▁pra ises ▁of ▁hero ick ▁men , ▁or ▁famous ▁C ities , ▁un les se ▁he ▁have ▁in ▁himself e ▁the ▁experience ▁and ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁all ▁that ▁which ▁is ▁pra ise - worth y . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁The ▁Ap ology , ▁like ▁many ▁of ▁Mil ton ' s ▁other ▁tract s , ▁pra ises ▁Parliament ▁and ▁emphas izes ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁reform ers ▁and ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁country