Letter # 83: "I Do Not Like Thee Dr. Fell"

When English poet Tom Brown (1663-1704) got into trouble while studying at Oxford University, Dr. Fell, the Dean, was about to expel him. But first Dr. Fell set him a test. If Brown passed he would not be ousted. The test was to translate the work of Martial, the most well known of the Roman epigrammatists. Martial's epigram was:
"Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare;
Hoc tantum posso dicere, non amo te."
Brown made a fabulous rendition into English:"I don't like you, Sabidius, and I can't say why; all I can say is I don't like you". These lines were the foundation for the nursery rhyme that Brown was to write later:
"I do not like thee, Doctor Fell,
The reason why I cannot tell;
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not like thee, Doctor Fell."
In my work, I see many people who have become averse to a spiritual outlook on life due to the hurt that parents and teachers or church inflicted. This aversion is often tantamount to “throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”
I’ve had many teachers in my life, some of whom I liked more than others but their negative personalities did not cause me to abandon interest in the subjects that they were trying to teach me.
Tom Brown’s getting into trouble with and his dislike of Dr. Fell did not make him rebel against literature; instead he reveled in it.

God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.

I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: "The Holy Bible" Online version; "The Koran" as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); "The Bhagavad Gita As it Is" as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; "I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.