---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet ruled he not long, so great had been…"
description: "\"“Yet ruled he not long, so great had been his suffering, and so bitter the fire of his testing, for after the space of three years he died. And he who ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/oscar-wilde-16_mind_yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been_2815625.jpg"
---

#  Yet ruled he not long, so great had been his suffering…

![“Yet ruled he not long, so great had been his suffering, and so bitter the fire of his testing, for after the space of three years he died. And he who came after him ruled evilly.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/oscar-wilde-16_mind_yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been_2815625.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/oscar-wilde-16_mind_yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been_2815625.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/oscar-wilde-16_mind_yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been_2815625.jpg)

> ““Yet ruled he not long, so great had been his suffering, and so bitter the fire of his testing, for after the space of three years he died. And he who came after him ruled evilly.””

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A ruler suffers greatly, then dies after three years, after which his successor rules poorly, suggesting a cycle of suffering and misrule.

**In simple terms:** Short reign, suffering, then worse rule.

Key Takeaway

Learn from past leadership failures.

Themes

power suffering leadership

Mood

critical analytical

Type

historical philosophical

When to use this quote

- government
- personal reflection
- historical analysis

Key Concepts

historical cycles political critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What lessons can modern leaders draw?
- How does suffering shape governance?

A Different Perspective

Simplifies complex political dynamics.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Came Ruled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came-ruled-1722661/) [Great Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-suffering-243059/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Oscar wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oscar-wilde/) [Ruled Evilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruled-evilly-3551651/) [Ruled Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruled-long-3463355/) [Three years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-years/) [Years Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-died-2034173/)

## Related quotes

> [“They were so simple, men. When it came down to it, they were ruled by their erections. Even when she gave in to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-blakely/they-were-so-simple-men-when-it-came-down-to-it-they-were-ruled-by/)

[Lauren Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-blakely/)

> [The people of the upper castes who have ruled for so long won't give up power so easily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayawati/the-people-of-the-upper-castes-who-have-ruled-for-so-long-won-t-give/)

[Mayawati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayawati/)

> [“He worked on it for over fifteen years before he died in his fifties of complications caused by pneumonia.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/he-worked-on-it-for-over-fifteen-years-before-he-died-in-his-fifties/)

[Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/)

> [I worked with him for ten years until he died and it was the most wonderful time of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-oliphant/i-worked-with-him-for-ten-years-until-he-died-and-it-was-the-most/)

[Mark Oliphant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-oliphant/)

> [“Though I'd never forgotten Alan, I hadn't uttered his name aloud in the many years since he'd died, back in that decade when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/though-i-d-never-forgotten-alan-i-hadn-t-uttered-his-name-aloud-in/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [Few of Caesar's assassins outlived him by more than three years, or died in their beds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/few-of-caesar-s-assassins-outlived-him-by-more-than-three-years-or/)

[Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/)

> [The misery of keeping a dog is his dying so soon. But, to be sure, if he lived for fifty years and then died,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-misery-of-keeping-a-dog-is-his-dying-so-soon-but-to-be-sure-if-he/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Oscar Wilde was suing the Marquis of Queensbury in 1895 for libel accusing Wilde of homosexuality Counsel: Have you ever adored a young man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/oscar-wilde-was-suing-the-marquis-of-queensbury-in-1895-for-libel/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“He would never again tempt innocence. He would be good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/he-would-never-again-tempt-innocence-he-would-be-good/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Never mind what I say. I am always saying what I shouldn't say. In fact, I usually say what I really think. A great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/never-mind-what-i-say-i-am-always-saying-what-i-shouldn-t-say-in-fact/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“I tought how tragic it would be if you were wasted. For there is such a little time that your youth will last -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-tought-how-tragic-it-would-be-if-you-were-wasted-for-there-is-such/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“He was a man of most subtle and refined intellect. A man of culture, charm, and distinction. One of the most intellectual men I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/he-was-a-man-of-most-subtle-and-refined-intellect-a-man-of-culture/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Te voy a enseñar mi alma, vas a ver lo que creías que sólo Dios puede ver.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/te-voy-a-ense-ar-mi-alma-vas-a-ver-lo-que-cre-as-que-s-lo-dios-puede/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [What people call insincerity is simply a method by which we can multiply our personalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/what-people-call-insincerity-is-simply-a-method-by-which-we-can/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

## More by Oscar Wilde

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“If these elements of beauty are real, the whole thing simply appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly we find that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-these-elements-of-beauty-are-real-the-whole-thing-simply-appeals/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-love-one-s-self-is-the-beginning-of-a-life-long-romance/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

[Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

## More Mind quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/)

[Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [“MIND &amp; GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/)

[Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/)

> [“He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. Then he lifted his chin and attempted a grin that was almost painfully dejected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/he-blinked-his-eyes-fell-as-he-processed-her-response-then-he-lifted/)

[Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/)

> [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/)

[Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/)

> [“Picking locks was not a skill he had ever cultivated, but he persisted day after day, turning the tip of his talon into different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/picking-locks-was-not-a-skill-he-had-ever-cultivated-but-he-persisted/)

[Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/)

> [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. I think every Christian needs to make up his own mind about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-m-not-here-trying-to-convince-anybody-to-vote-for-donald-trump-i/)

[Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/)

[A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

[Browse all 43,542 Mind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Yet ruled he not long, so great had been his suffering, and so bitter the fire of his testing, for after the space of three years he died. And he who came after him ruled evilly.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Oscar Wilde"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been-his-suffering-and-so-bitter/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Mind"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been-his-suffering-and-so-bitter/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/oscar-wilde-16_mind_yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been_2815625.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/oscar-wilde-16_mind_yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been_2815625.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/oscar-wilde-16_mind_yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been_2815625.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Yet ruled he not long, so great had been his suffering, and so bitter the fire of his testing, for after the…” — Oscar Wilde",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Oscar Wilde",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Yet ruled he not long, so...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been-his-suffering-and-so-bitter/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-ruled-he-not-long-so-great-had-been-his-suffering-and-so-bitter/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
