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Republics come to an end by luxurious habits monarchies by poverty.

Baron de Montesquieu

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Baron de Montesquieu
Come
Habits
Republic
Habit
Poverty
Monarchies
Economy
Republics
Wisdom
Luxurious
Politics
Monarchy
Ends
Liberalism

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When the savages of Louisiana wish to have fruit, they cut the tree at the bottom and gather the fruit. That is exactly a despotic government.
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Life was given to me as a favor, so I may abandon it when it is one no longer.
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Virtue in a republic is the love of one's country, that is the love of equality.
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When the body of the people is possessed of the supreme power, it is called a democracy.
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An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations.
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The life of man is but a succession of vain hopes and groundless fears.
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There is something in animals beside the power of motion. They are not machines they feel.
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Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments.
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I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve.
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Law should be like death, which spares no one.
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Experience constantly proves that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it he goes on till he is pulled up by some limits. Who would say it! virtue even has need of limits.
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As virtue is necessary in a republic, and honor in a monarchy, fear is what is required in a despotism. As for virtue, it is not at all necessary, and honor would be dangerous there.
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Society is the union of men and not the men themselves.
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In the state of nature... all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law.
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Fain would I glide down a gentle river, but I am carried away by a torrent.
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It is clear that in a monarchy, where he who commands the exceution of the laws generally thinks himself above them, there is lessneed of virtue than in a popular government, where the person entrusted with the execution of the laws is sensible of his being subject to their direction.
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Honor sets all the parts of the body politic in motion, and by its very action connects them thus each individual advances the public good, while he only thinks of promoting his own interest.
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When a government is arrived to that degree of corruption as to be incapable of reforming itself, it would not lose much by being new moulded.
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Sometimes a man who deserves to be looked upon because he is a fool is despised only because he is a lawyer.
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The prejudices of superstition are superior to all others, and have the strongest influence on the human mind.
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