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.
一個人假使不曾虛度生活，年歲不大也可以表現得成熟老練，隻不過這種情況少有發生罷了。深思未必出自風霜，歲月同樣可見年輕，可一般的青年畢竟謀劃不過長輩，智慧也不及他們少年老成的同齡人。
但青年的創造性是更為豐富的，想象力也如湧泉一樣奔放靈活，這似乎更得益於神助。天性剛烈、心懷熱望、情緒敏感的人不曆經中年，行事總是青澀，愷撒和塞維拉斯即為例證……
青年擅長創造卻缺乏判斷，擅長行動卻缺乏商討，擅長革新卻缺乏對經驗的借鑒。日積月累的經驗可以引導他們掌握舊事物，但也會遮蓋他們看見新事物的視線。