Authors:

But this had been a sin of passion, not of principle, nor even purpose.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, James Edgar Smith (2015). “The Scarlet Letter & A Scarlet Stigma: Romance and The Adapted Play (Illustrated Edition): A Romantic Tale of Sin and Redemption - The Magnum Opus of the Renowned American Author of “The House of the Seven Gables” and “Twice-Told Tales” along with its Dramatic Adaptation and Biography”, p.214, e-artnow
But this had been a sin of passion, not of principle, nor even purpose.