"The lessons of their early youth regulated the conduct of their riper years"

William Godwin suggests that the foundational experiences and teachings acquired in childhood profoundly influence the behaviors and decisions individuals make in adulthood. These early lessons are not simply transient instructions but serve as lasting moral and intellectual frameworks that shape character and guide actions. The "conduct of their riper years" connotes the mature judgments and behaviors people exhibit in adulthood, often attributed to the seeds sown during formative years. What is learned early, values, ethics, habits, sets boundaries and directions for future conduct, steering people through the complexities of adult life.

Childhood, therefore, is not merely a preparatory stage but a critical shaping process, where impressions, both deliberate and incidental, accumulate to form the bedrock of one’s personality. If the early teachings endorse reason, empathy, and diligence, these qualities are likely to persist, even thrive, as the individual encounters the broader world. Conversely, flawed or neglected instruction may manifest as persistent difficulties or limitations later on.

Godwin highlights the enduring power of early education and parental influence, emphasizing that maturity is not simply spontaneous or innate but cultivated through consistent, thoughtful nurturing. The sense of regulation in conduct implies that youthful lessons do not just inspire but exert a certain discipline and self-control, enabling individuals to resist impulses or distractions incompatible with their core values. The implication is twofold: first, society bears significant responsibility to nurture children wisely; second, adults act as the visible sum of their earliest teachings, consciously or not.

Ultimately, the idea encapsulates the continuity between past and present selves, illustrating how the foundations laid in youth echo throughout one’s life. The chain of cause and effect from childhood to adulthood underscores the profound necessity of investing in early moral and intellectual education, which persists as a compass long after youth has faded.