And grasps the skirts of happy chance,
And breasts the blows of circumstance.

And grasps the skirts of happy chance,
And breasts the blows of circumstance.

Who does the best that circumstance allows,
Does well, acts nobly, angels could no more.

Who does the best that circumstance allows,
Does well, acts nobly, angels could no more.

Circumstances beyond my individual control.

Circumstances beyond my individual control.

Condition, circumstance, is not the thing;
Bliss is the same in subject or in king.

Condition, circumstance, is not the thing;
Bliss is the same in subject or in king.

And circumstance, that unspiritual god,
And miscreator, makes and helps along
Our coming evils, with a critch-like read more

And circumstance, that unspiritual god,
And miscreator, makes and helps along
Our coming evils, with a critch-like rod,
Whose touch turns hope to dust--the dust we all have trod.

Thus neither the praise nor the blame is our own.

Thus neither the praise nor the blame is our own.

And I endeavour to subdue circumstances to myself, and not myself
to circumstances.
[Lat., Et mihi res, non read more

And I endeavour to subdue circumstances to myself, and not myself
to circumstances.
[Lat., Et mihi res, non me rebus, subjungere conor.]

Man is the creature of circumstances.

Man is the creature of circumstances.

The massive gates of circumstance
Are turned upon the smallest hinge,
And thus some seeming pettiest chance
read more

The massive gates of circumstance
Are turned upon the smallest hinge,
And thus some seeming pettiest chance
Oft gives our life its after-tinge.
The trifles of our daily lives,
The common things, scarce worth recall,
Whereof no visible trace survives,
These are the mainsprings after all.