Thomas Paine

It is the faculty of the human mind to become what it contemplates, and to act in unison with its object.

This is the general character of aristocracy, or what are called Nobles or Nobility, or rather No-ability, in all countries.

It lost ground from contempt more than from hatred; and was rather jeered at as an ass, than dreaded as a lion.

The more aristocracy appeared, the more it was despised; there was a visible imbecility and want of intellects in the majority, a sort of je ne sais quoi, that while it affected to be more than citizen, was less than man.

On the other hand, the Nation disowned knowing anything of them but as citizens, and was determined to shut out all such up-start pretensions.

The Aristocracy had hitherto opposed the despotism of the Court, and affected the language of patriotism; but it opposed it as its rival (as the English Barons opposed King John) and it now opposed the nation from the same motives.

It was become evident, that no constitution, worthy of being called by that name, could be established on anything less than a national ground.

It was Government dethroning Government; and the old one, by attempting to make a new one, made a chasm.

It was a sort of new form of government that insensibly served to put the old one out of sight and to unhinge it from the superstitious authority of antiquity.

But the spirit of the nation was not to be overcome, and it was so fully sensible of the strong ground it had taken--that of withholding taxes--that it contented itself with keeping up a sort of quiet resistance, which effectually…

The thing, in many points, contained better principles than those upon which the Government had hitherto been administered; but with respect to the Cour Pleniere, it was no other than a medium through which despotism was to pass, without…

The Parliaments on their part insisted that they had not only a right to remonstrate, but to reject; and on this ground they were always supported by the nation.