more excellent and divine. Whose way (to speed and prosper in it)
must be through a way, that is not easily comprehended.

XVII. Who can choose but wonder at them? They will not speak well
of them that are at the same time with them, and live with them;
yet they themselves are very ambitious, that they that shall follow,
whom they have never seen, nor shall ever see, should speak well of them.
As if a man should grieve that he hath not been commended by them,
that lived before him.

XVIII. Do not ever conceive anything impossible to man,
which by thee cannot, or not without much difficulty be effected;
but whatsoever in general thou canst Conceive possible and proper
unto any man, think that very possible unto thee also.

XIX. Suppose that at the palestra somebody hath all to-torn thee
with his nails, and hath broken thy head. Well, thou art wounded.
Yet thou dost not exclaim; thou art not offended with him.
Thou dost not suspect him for it afterwards, as one that watcheth
to do thee a mischief. Yea even then, though thou dost thy best to save
thyself from him, yet not from him as an enemy. It is not by way of any
suspicious indignation, but by way of gentle and friendly declination.
Keep the same mind and disposition in other parts of thy life also.
For many things there be, which we must conceit and apprehend,
as though we had had to do with an antagonist at the palestra.
For as I said, it is very possible for us to avoid and decline,
though we neither suspect, nor hate.

XX. If anybody shall reprove me, and shall make it apparent
unto me, that in any either opinion or action of mine I do err,