A gold crown sits on a wooden peg wrapped in dark chain links, with brass calipers behind it against green.

Original artwork, not a still

Charles Caleb Colton

No man is wise enough, nor good enough to be trusted with unlimited power.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

This is a warning about power with no limits. No one, however clever or decent, can be safely handed unlimited authority, since the temptation and the lack of checks are the danger. It's a cautionary view of human nature and why restraint on power matters.

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