May I govern my passion with absolute sway, And grow wiser and better as my strength wears away

May I govern my passions with absolute sway, And grow wiser and better as my strength wears away.

A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

We shall not grow wiser before we learn that much that we have done was very foolish

Strength instead of being the lusty child of passion, grows by grappling with and subduing them.

The ruling passion, be it what it will, The ruling passion conquers reason still.