Walter Bagehot: “He must have great natural vigour, for no less will comprehend the hard principles of national policy.”

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.

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.

The lessons are good where its primitive assumptions hold, but may be false where those assumptions fail.

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.