Of Youth and Age
？弗朗西斯·培根 / Francis Bacon
A man that is young in years， may be old in hours， if he have lost no time. But that happened rarely. Generally， youth is like the first cogitations， not so wise as the second. For there is a youth in thoughts， as well as in ages.
And yet the invention of young men， is more lively than that of old； and imaginations stream into their minds better， and， as it were， more divinely. Natures that have much heat， and great and violent desires and perturbations， are not ripe for action， till they have passed the meridian of their years； as it was with Julius Caesar and Septimius Severus...
Young men are fitter to invent， than to judge； fitter for execution， than for counsel； and fitter for new projects， than for settled business. For the experience of age， in things that fall within the compass of it， directeth them； but in new things， abuseth them.
The errors of young men， are the ruin of business； but the errors of aged men， amount but to this， that more might have been done， or sooner. Young men， in the conduct and manage of actions， embrace more than they can hold； stir more than they can quiet； fly to the end， without consideration of the means and degrees； pursue some few principles， which they have chanced upon absurdly care not to innovate， which draws unknown inconveniences； use extreme remedies at first； and， that which doubleth all errors， will not acknowledge or retract them； like an unready horse， that will neither stop nor turn. Men of age object too much， consult too long， adventure too little， repent too soon， and seldom drive business home to the full period， but content themselves with a mediocrity of success. Certainly it is good to compound employments of both； for that will be good for the present， because the virtues of either age， may correct the defects of both； and good for succession， that young men may be learners， while men in age are actors； and， lastly， good for extern accidents， because authority followeth old men， and favor and popularity， youth. But for the moral part， perhaps youth will have the pre-eminence， as age hath for the politic.