Chapter 4: 30-41
Page 30
Epictetus
Epictetus (ca. 55–ca. 135) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. As a Stoic philosopher, he focused more on ethics than the early Stoics had. Repeatedly attributing his ideas to Socrates, he held that our aim was to be masters of our own lives. The role of the Stoic teacher, according to Epictetus, was to encourage his students to learn, first of all, the true nature of things, which is invariable, inviolable and valid for all human beings without exceptions. Wikipedia
Some things are in our power, others are not, Epictetus said. We have no control over how the dice of life are cast; what we do control is the hand we play once they are thrown. The failure to observe this distinction leads to unlimited anxiety. If you try to avoid disease, death and poverty, you will live in misery, because none of them, particularly death, are ever under our control. Happiness can emerge only from attention to those things that we do have command over - our thoughts, actions and reactions. Peace comes from living a simple life in which we have disciplined our own thinking and trimmed our desires and aversions to a minimum.
The quote paraphrased by the Rev'd Cherrycoke comes from the Enchiridion (135 A.C.E.) ("handbook"), in which Epictetus promotes the Stoic philosophy of acceptance. It is believed that Epictetus himself wrote nothing and what remains of his thought was transcribed by his pupil Arrian. The twenty-first point reads:
- "Let death and exile and every other thing which appears dreadful be daily before your eyes; but most of all death: and you will never think of anything mean nor will you desire anything extravagantly." [1]
death upon the Whir fore and aft
That is, upon the beating or fluttering of the sails.
Powder-monkey
A boy employed on warships to carry gunpowder from the magazine to the guns.
the snug Shambles of the Seahorse
Shambles, in this context, likely means abattoir, which is a building where animals are butchered.
Phiz
A slang term for the human face, from physiognomy which means the face.
Page 33
Rutabageous Anemia
Can't squeeze blood from a turnip.
Page 36
Unchleigh
Lunch in pig-latin.
Page 40
qui vive
Who goes there? [French, (long) live who? (a sentry's challenge to determine a person's political sympathies) : qui, who + vive, third person sing. present subjunctive of vivre, to live.]
téton dernier
Fr. "latest nipple". Newest Sailor; Newest Suckling.
- Exact (probably non-colloquial) translation of the rural American metaphor hind tit (or teat). The place of lowest status.
