To sigh, yet not recede; to grieve, yet not repent!

To sigh, yet not recede; to grieve, yet not repent!

Repentance follows hasty counsels.
[Lat., Velox consilium sequitur poenitentia.]

Repentance follows hasty counsels.
[Lat., Velox consilium sequitur poenitentia.]

Whoever . . . prefers the service of princes before his duty to
his Creator, will be sure, early read more

Whoever . . . prefers the service of princes before his duty to
his Creator, will be sure, early or late, to repent in vain.

He [Cato] used to say that in all his life he never repented but
of three things. The first read more

He [Cato] used to say that in all his life he never repented but
of three things. The first was that he had trusted a woman with
a secret; the second that he had gone by sea when he might have
gone by land; and the third, that had passed one day without
having a will by him.

To err is human; but contrition felt for the crime distinguishes
the virtuous from the wicked.
[It., D'uomo read more

To err is human; but contrition felt for the crime distinguishes
the virtuous from the wicked.
[It., D'uomo e il fallir, ma dal malvagio il buono
Scerne il dolor del fallo.]

But with the morning cool repentance came.

But with the morning cool repentance came.

Great is the difference betwixt a man's being frightened at, and humbled for his sins.

Great is the difference betwixt a man's being frightened at, and humbled for his sins.

O ye powers that search
The heart of man, and weigh his inmost thoughts,
If I have read more

O ye powers that search
The heart of man, and weigh his inmost thoughts,
If I have done amiss, impute it not!
The best may err, but you are good.

What then? What rests?
Try what repentance can. What can it not?
Yet what can it when read more

What then? What rests?
Try what repentance can. What can it not?
Yet what can it when one cannot repent?
O wretched state? O bosom black as death!
O limed soul, that struggling to be free
Art more engaged!