A man is either free or he is not. There cannot be any apprenticeship for freedom...

Man's life is well compared 
to a feast, furnished with choice 
of all variety;
To it comes Time; and as a bidden
guest he sets him down, in pomp
and majesty;
The three-fold Age of man the 
waiters be.
Then with an earthen void'er 
(made of clay)
Comes Death, and takes the table
clean away...