Walter Bagehot: “And our notion of written leases is as out of place in a world without writing and without reading as a House of Commons…”

Political philosophy is still more imperfect; it has been framed from observations taken upon regular specimens of politics and States; as to these its teaching is most valuable.

The casual line was traced according to the strength of deceased combatants; succeeding generations fought elsewhere; and the hesitating line of a half-drawn battle was left to stand for a perpetual limit.

Our law very often reminds one of those outskirts of cities where you cannot for a long time tell how the streets come to wind about in so capricious and serpent-like a manner.

But it is natural also that persons used to analyse political institutions should look at these anomalies with a little tenderness and a little interest.