No man ever became wise by chance

No man was ever wise by chance.

Wisdom allows nothing to be good that will not be so forever; no man to be happy but he that needs no other happiness than what he has within himself; no man to be great or powerful that is not master of himself.

If wisdom were offered me with this restriction, that I should keep it close and not communicate it, I would refuse the gift

errare humanum est, sed perseverare diabolicum: 'to err is human, but to persist (in the mistake) is diabolical.

If a man does not know what port he is steering for, no wind is favorable to him