It is circumstances (difficulties) which show what men are.

It is circumstances (difficulties) which show what men are.

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.

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.

Circumstances beyond my individual control.

Circumstances beyond my individual control.

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.

Thus neither the praise nor the blame is our own.

Thus neither the praise nor the blame is our own.

Men are the sport of circumstances, when
The circumstances seem the sport of men.

Men are the sport of circumstances, when
The circumstances seem the sport of men.

By some fortuitous concourse of atoms.
[Lat., Fortuito quodam concursu atomorum.]

By some fortuitous concourse of atoms.
[Lat., Fortuito quodam concursu atomorum.]

How comes it to pass, if they be only moved by chance and
accident, that such regular mutations and read more

How comes it to pass, if they be only moved by chance and
accident, that such regular mutations and generations should be
begotten by a fortuitous concourse of atoms.