The heart never grows better by age; I fear rather worse, always harder. A young liar will be an old one, and a young knave will only be a greater knave as he grows older.

Summary

This quote suggests that as people age, their negative qualities, such as deceitfulness and dishonesty, tend to worsen rather than improve. It implies that characteristics like lying and cunning exhibited in youth are likely to persist and intensify as individuals mature. The quote serves as a cautionary statement about the potential for moral degradation as one grows older, implying that negative traits have a tendency to solidify and become ingrained in a person's character over time.