WAEC - Literature In English (2019 - No. 35)

When remedies are past, griefs are ended

By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.

To mourn a mischief that is past and gone

Is the next way to draw new mischief on.

What cannot be preserved when fortune takes,

Patience her injury a mock'ry makes.

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief;

He robs himself that spends a bootless grief

When remedies are past, griefs are ended

By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.

To mourn a mischief that is past and gone

Is the next way to draw new mischief on.

What cannot be preserved when fortune takes,

Patience her injury a mock'ry makes.

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief;

He robs himself that spends a bootless grief

When remedies are past, griefs are ended

By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.

To mourn a mischief that is past and gone

Is the next way to draw new mischief on.

What cannot be preserved when fortune takes,

Patience her injury a mock'ry makes.

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief;

He robs himself that spends a bootless grief

From the novel; Othello

The underlined expression means ________

one is bound to lose something in life

keep smiling even while being robbed

it is useful not to bemoan one's loss

the thief loses either way