Milton married in spring 1642, and shortly after, his wife Marie Powell left him and returned to live with her mother. The legal statutes of England did not allow for Milton to apply for a divorce and he resorted to promoting the lawfulness of divorce.
In 1642, Milton tied the knot, but soon after, his wife Marie Powell walked out on him and moved back in with her mother. Given English law at that time, Milton was unable to pursue a divorce, so he campaigned for the notion that divorce was permissible.