Walter Bagehot: “How any free government is to exist in societies where so many bad elements are so much perturbed, I cannot imagine.”

These anomalies, in a hundred instances, mark the old boundaries of a constitutional struggle.

It is natural that those who by special and admirable culture have come to look at all things upon the artistic side, should start back from these queer peculiarities.

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.

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.