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Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Ellis Walker, Epictetus in Poetical Paraphrase 3


III. 

If then thou shouldst suppose those thing are free,
Whose nature is condemn'd to slavery;
Shouldst thou suppose, what is not thine, thy own,
'Twill cost thee many a sigh, and many a groan;
Many a disappointment wilt thou find
Abortive hopes, and a distracted mind,
And oft accuse, nay, curse, both gods and men,
And lay thy own rash foolish fault on them.
But if, what's truly thine, thou truly know,
Not judging that thine own, that is not so,
None shall compell thee, none an hindrance be,
No sorrow shalt thou know, no enemy;
None shall thy body hurt, or name abuse,
Noe shalt thou blame in anger, none accuse,
Nor shalt thou poorly be oblig'd to do,
What thy great soul doth not consent unto.

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