OfYouthandAge
？弗朗西斯·培根 / FrancisBacon
Amanthatisyounginyears， maybeoldinhours， ， youthislikethefirstcogitations， ， aswellasinages.
Andyettheinventionofyoungmen， ismorelivelythanthatofold； andimaginationsstreamintotheirmindsbetter， and， asitwere， ， andgreatandviolentdesiresandperturbations， arenotripeforaction， tilltheyhavepassedthemeridianoftheiryears； asitwaswithJuliusCaesarandSeptimiusSeverus...
Youngmenarefittertoinvent， thantojudge； fitterforexecution， thanforcounsel； andfitterfornewprojects， ， inthingsthatfallwithinthecompassofit， directeththem； butinnewthings， abuseththem.
Theerrorsofyoungmen， aretheruinofbusiness； buttheerrorsofagedmen， amountbuttothis， thatmoremighthavebeendone， ， intheconductandmanageofactions， embracemorethantheycanhold； stirmorethantheycanquiet； flytotheend， withoutconsiderationofthemeansanddegrees； pursuesomefewprinciples， whichtheyhavechanceduponabsurdlycarenottoinnovate， whichdrawsunknowninconveniences； useextremeremediesatfirst； and， thatwhichdoublethallerrors， willnotacknowledgeorretractthem； likeanunreadyhorse， ， consulttoolong， adventuretoolittle， repenttoosoon， andseldomdrivebusinesshometothefullperiod， ； forthatwillbegoodforthepresent， becausethevirtuesofeitherage， maycorrectthedefectsofboth； andgoodforsuccession， thatyoungmenmaybelearners， whilemeninageareactors； and， lastly， goodforexternaccidents， becauseauthorityfollowetholdmen， andfavorandpopularity， ， perhapsyouthwillhavethepre-eminence， asagehathforthepolitic.
