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The most favourable laws can do very little towards the happiness of people when the disposition of the ruling power is adverse to them.

Edmund Burke

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Edmund Burke
Age: 68 †
Born: 1729
Born: January 12
Died: 1797
Died: July 9
Philosopher
Politician
Statesman
Writer
Dublin city
Power
Adverse
Littles
Ruling
Little
Disposition
People
Towards
Laws
Law
Happiness
Inspirational
Favourable

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But the age of chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded and the glory of Europe is extinguished forever.
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Men who undertake considerable things, even in a regular way, ought to give us ground to presume ability.
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A nation without means of reform is without means of survival.
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For my part, I am convinced that the method of teaching which approaches most nearly to the method of investigation is incomparably the best since, not content with serving up a few barren and lifeless truths, it leads to the stock on which they grew.
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Not men but measures a sort of charm by which many people get loose from every honorable engagement.
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Contempt is not a thing to be despised.
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Refined policy ever has been the parent of confusion, and ever will be so as long as the world endures. Plain good intention, which is as easily discovered at the first view as fraud is surely detected at last, is of no mean force in the government of mankind.
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Hypocrisy is no cheap vice nor can our natural temper be masked for many years together.
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Contempt is not a thing to be despised. It may be borne with a calm and equal mind, but no man, by lifting his head high, can pretend that he does not perceive the scorns that are poured down on him from above.
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Poetry is the art of substantiating shadows, and of lending existence to nothing.
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People crushed by law, have no hopes but from power. If laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to laws and those who have much hope and nothing to lose, will always be dangerous.
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An extreme rigor is sure to arm everything against it.
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Good order is the foundation of all things.
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The essence of tyranny is the enforcement of stupid laws.
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Religious persecution may shield itself under the guise of a mistaken and over-zealous piety.
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Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist.
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Ambition can creep as well as soar.
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It is the function of a judge not to make but to declare the law, according to the golden mete-wand of the law and not by the crooked cord of discretion.
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One that confounds good and evil is an enemy to good.
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There ought to be system of manners in every nation which a well-formed mind would be disposed to relish. To make us love our country, our country ought to be lovely.
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