My heart leaps up when I behold
              A rainbow in the sky:
          So was it when my life began;
          So is it now I am a man;
          So be it when I shall grow old,
              Or let me die!
          The Child is father of the Man;
              I could wish my days to be
          Bound each to each by natural piety.
William Wordsworth, 1802

Do we change as we mature or does our essence remain true?
William Wordsworth answered that question in 1802 with his famous paradox, and Realm of History explores it today in this remarkable post.
World Leaders in Their Youth