God contrives mischief against mankind, but he soundly declares the mere
necessity of the things themselves, to wit, that prosperity and victory
are destined by Fate to cities and armies and commanders who govern
themselves with sobriety, but if they give way to passions and commit
errors, thereby dividing and crumbling themselves into factions, as
those of whom the poet speaks did, they do unhandsome actions, and
thereby create great disturbances, such as are attended with sad
consequences.

For to all unadvised acts, in fine,
The Fates unhappy issues do assign.
(From Euripides.)

But when Hesiod brings in Prometheus thus counselling his brother
Epimetheus,

Brother, if Jove to thee a present make,
Take heed that from his hands thou nothing take,
(Hesiod, "Works and Days," 86.)

he useth the name of Jove to express Fortune; for he calls the good
things which come by her (such as riches, and marriages, and empires,
and indeed all external things the enjoyment whereof is profitable
to only them who know how to use them well) the gifts of Jove. And
therefore he adviseth Epimetheus (an ill man, and a fool withal) to
stand in fear of and to guard himself from prosperity, as that which
would be hurtful and destructive to him.

Again, where he saith,

Reproach thou not a man for being poor;
His poverty's God's gift, as is thy store,
(Hesiod "Works and Days," 717.)

he calls that which befalls men by Fortune God's gift, and intimates
that it is an unworthy thing to reproach any man for that poverty which
he falls into by Fortune, whereas poverty is then only a matter of
disgrace and reproach when it is attendant on sloth and idleness, or
wantonness and prodigality. For, before the name of Fortune was used,
they knew there was a powerful cause, which moved irregularly and
unlimitedly and with such a force that no human reason could avoid it;
and this cause they called by the names of gods. So we are wont to call
divers things and qualities and discourses, and even men themselves,
divine. And thus may we rectify many such sayings concerning Jupiter as
would otherwise seem very absurd. As these, for instance:--

Before Jove's door two fatal hogsheads, filled
With human fortunes, good and bad luck yield.--

Of violated oaths Jove took no care,
But spitefully both parties crushed by war:--

To Greeks and Trojans both this was the rise
Of Mis