Walter Bagehot Quotes
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It is often said that men are ruled by their imaginations; but it would be truer to say they are governed by the weakness of their imaginations.
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Writers like teeth are divided into incisors and grinders.
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Progress would not have been the rarity it is if the early food had not been the late poison.
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A cabinet is a combining committee,-a hyphen which joins, a buckle which fastens, the legislative part of the state to the executive part of the state. In its origin it belongs to the one, in its functions it belongs to the other.
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Nothing is more unpleasant than a virtuous person with a mean mind.
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To a great experience one thing is essential - an experiencing nature.
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An element of exaggeration clings to the popular judgment: great vices are made greater, great virtues greater also; interesting incidents are made more interesting, softer legends more soft.
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A family on the throne is an interesting idea. It brings down the pride of sovereignty to the level of petty life.
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But the Queen has no such veto; She must sign her own death-warrant if the two Houses unanimously send it up to her.
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So long as war is the main business of nations, temporary despotism - despotism during the campaign - is indispensable.
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Free government is self-government. A government of the people by the people. The best government of this sort is that which the people think best.
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A highly developed moral nature joined to an undeveloped intellectual nature, an undeveloped artistic nature, and a very limited religious nature, is of necessity repulsive. It represents a bit of human nature - a good bit, of course, but a bit only - in disproportionate, unnatural and revolting prominence.
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The reason that there are so few good books written is that so few people who write know anything.
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The greatest enjoyment possible to man was that which this philosophy promises its votaries-the pleasure of being always right, and always reasoning-without ever being bound to look at anything.
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Whatever may be the defects of Gibbon's history, none can deny him a proud precision and a style in marching order.
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A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
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The whole history of civilization is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards.
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So long as there are earnest believers in the world, they will always wish to punish opinions, even if their judgment tells them it is unwise and their conscience that it is wrong.
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'Maternity,' it has been said, 'is a matter of fact, paternity is a matter of opinion.'