Savages PET their favourite habits, so to say, and preserve them as they do their favourite animals; ages are required, but at last a national character is formed by the confluence of congenial attractions and accordant detestations.
Bagehot likens the preservation of cultural habits to how savages care for their favorite animals.
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More from Walter Bagehot
They say, We reject your Bill for this once or these twice, or even these thrice: but if you keep on sending it up, at last we won't reject it.
There is no ELASTIC element, everything is rigid, specified, dated.
But the Jewish advantage never did so; beginning in religion, contrary to a thousand analogies, it remained religious.
The power of free interchange of ideas being wanting, the ideas themselves were barren.
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