Man is not the creature of circumstances,
Circumstances are the creatures of men.

Man is not the creature of circumstances,
Circumstances are the creatures of men.

Circumstances alter cases.

Circumstances alter cases.

To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and
convenience of our lives.

To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and
convenience of our lives.

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.]

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.

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.

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.

Accidental and fortuitous concourse of atoms.

Accidental and fortuitous concourse of atoms.

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.