History, too, seems to show that hereditary royal families gather from the repeated influence of their corrupting situation some dark taint in the blood, some transmitted and growing poison which hurts their judgments, darkens all their sorrow, and is a cloud on half their pleasure.
Bagehot warns of the corrupting influence of hereditary power on royal families and their decision-making abilities.
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They are above corruption because they are the corruptors.
The power of free interchange of ideas being wanting, the ideas themselves were barren.
They have given what I may call a CONFIDENCE IN THE UNIVERSE.
The progress of the military art is the most conspicuous, I was about to say the most SHOWY, fact in human history.
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