'Is the best thing in the world, a treasure for you, for me, for millions.
But for a creative mind, less than nothing. Almost everything that is
great has been done by youth.'

'It is at least a creed flattering to our years,' said Coningsby, with a
smile.

'Nay,' said the stranger; 'for life in general there is but one decree.
Youth is a blunder; Manhood a struggle; Old Age a regret. Do not suppose,'
he added, smiling, 'that I hold that youth is genius; all that I say is,
that genius, when young, is divine. Why, the greatest captains of ancient
and modern times both conquered Italy at five-and-twenty! Youth, extreme
youth, overthrew the Persian Empire. Don John of Austria won Lepanto at
twenty-five, the greatest battle of modern time; had it not been for the
jealousy of Philip, the next year he would have been Emperor of
Mauritania. Gaston de Foix was only twenty-two when he stood a victor on
the plain of Ravenna. Every one remembers Conde and Rocroy at the same
age. Gustavus Adolphus died at thirty-eight. Look at his captains: that
wonderful Duke of Weimar, only thirty-six when he died. Banier himself,
after all his miracles, died at forty-five. Cortes was little more than
thirty when he gazed upon the golden cupolas of Mexico. When Maurice of
Saxony died at thirty-two, all Europe acknowledged the loss of the
greatest captain and the profoundest statesman of the age. Then there is
Nelson, Clive; but these are warriors, and perhaps you may think there are
greater things than war. I do not: I worship the Lord of Hosts. But take
the most illustrious achievements of civil prudence. Innocent III., the
greatest of the Popes, was the despot of Christendom at thirty-seven. John
de Medici was a Cardinal at fifteen, and according to Guicciardini,
baffled with his statecraft Ferdinand of Arragon himself. He was Pope as
Leo X. at thirty-seven. Luther robbed even him of his richest province at