The quote,“Who best can suffer, best can do…” is a line taken from John Milton’s 1671 poem “Paradise Regained“, a sequel to his epic poem “Paradise Lost“.
(The Poetical Works Of John Milton, With A Memoir And Critical Remarks On His Genius And Writings By James Montgomery, In Two Volumes, Vol. II, Paradise Regained And Other Poems, London: Henry G. Bohn, 1861, Paradise Regained, Book III, Line 194 & 195, P. 47) source
(The quote is also found Paradise Regained By John Milton, Global Language Resources, Inc., 2001, P. 28) source
(Another source of he quote is found here.)
Who Best can Suffer, Best can Do Meaning
It simply means those who can bear the brunt of adversities or any difficulties can hold out or pull through.
In other words, people who can stand sufferings or something unpleasant, they have the resilience or the the capacity to recover from it.
“Paradise Regained” wrote by English poet John Milton, comprises of four books and has 2,065 lines.
It is much shorter, more direct poem and written in simpler language as compared to his previous work, “Paradise Lost“.
It’s easier to understand than “Paradise Lost“, which is bombastic and verbose.
“Paradise Regained” is about reversal, negation, and undoing of fate.
To be more precise, it’s about regain or get back humans to God, after they have sinned in the Garden of Eden.
Milton wrote about Christ’s victory over sin and Satan as a restorative salvation opportunity for mankind to once again be in relationship with God through Christ.
Jesus overcomes Satan’s temptations, and Samson Agonistes, in which Samson first succumbs to temptation and then redeems himself.
Here are some more quotes taken “Paradise Regained“:
“The childhood shows the man, As morning shows the day.” – John Milton
(Paradise Regained By John Milton, With Select Notes Subjoined; To Which Is Added, A Complete Collection Of His Miscellaneous Poems, Both In English And Latin, London: F. C. & J. Rivington, J. Nicholas And Sons, G. Wilkie, Etc., 1817, Book IV, P. 76) source
(The quote is also found in: Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, Comus, And Arcades By John Milton, London: John Sharpe, 1823, Book IV, 196-225) source
“Hard are the ways of truth, and rough to walk…” – John Milton
(Paradise Regained By John Milton, With Select Notes Subjoined; To Which Is Added, A Complete Collection Of His Miscellaneous Poems, Both In English And Latin, London: F. C. & J. Rivington, J. Nicholas And Sons, G. Wilkie, Etc., 1817, Book I, P. 20 ) source
(The quote is also found in: Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, Comus, And Arcades By John Milton, London: John Sharpe, 1823, Book I, 475-502, P. 30) source
“Deep-versed in books and shallow in himself…” – John Milton
(Paradise Regained By John Milton, With Select Notes Subjoined; To Which Is Added, A Complete Collection Of His Miscellaneous Poems, Both In English And Latin, London: F. C. & J. Rivington, J. Nicholas And Sons, G. Wilkie, Etc., 1817, Book IV, P. 79) source
(The quote is also found in: Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, Comus, And Arcades By John Milton, London: John Sharpe, 1823, Book IV , 316-345) source
“For Beauty stands In the admiration only of weak minds Led captive.” – John Milton
(Paradise Regained By John Milton, With Select Notes Subjoined; To Which Is Added, A Complete Collection Of His Miscellaneous Poems, Both In English And Latin, London: F. C. & J. Rivington, J. Nicholas And Sons, G. Wilkie, Etc., 1817, Book II, P. 34) source
(The quote is also found in: Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, Comus, And Arcades By John Milton, London: John Sharpe, 1823, Book II, 21 -245, P. 39) source
“Envy, they say, excites me, thus to gain Companions of my misery and woe!” – John Milton
(Paradise Regained By John Milton, With Select Notes Subjoined; To Which Is Added, A Complete Collection Of His Miscellaneous Poems, Both In English And Latin, London: F. C. & J. Rivington, J. Nicholas And Sons, G. Wilkie, Etc., 1817, Book I, P. 18) source
(The quote is also found in: Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, Comus, And Arcades By John Milton, London: John Sharpe, 1823, Book I, 385-414, P. 27) source
“But why should man seek glory, who of his own Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs.” – John Milton
(Paradise Regained By John Milton, With Select Notes Subjoined; To Which Is Added, A Complete Collection Of His Miscellaneous Poems, Both In English And Latin, London: F. C. & J. Rivington, J. Nicholas And Sons, G. Wilkie, Etc., 1817, BookIII , P. 53) source
(The quote is also found in: Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, Comus, And Arcades By John Milton, London: John Sharpe, 1823, Book III, 113-142, P. 54) source