These little rulers who may rule a year, Who see their pow’r will be for such short time, Seek to abort the fruit of well made plans, Lest it belong … - Pierre Corneille

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These little rulers who may rule a year,
Who see their pow’r will be for such short time,
Seek to abort the fruit of well made plans,
Lest it belong to those who follow them.
As they have little share of public goods,
They try to harvest much for their own selves,
Each man, they know, will gladly pardon them,
In hopes of one day profiting the same:
The people’s state of all states is the worst. — Cinna