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The whole history of civilization is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards

Walter Bagehot

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Walter Bagehot
Age: 51 †
Born: 1826
Born: February 3
Died: 1877
Died: March 24
Businessperson
Economist
Engineer
Journalist
Political Scientist
Politician
Sociologist
Langport
Somerset
Creeds
Institutions
Civilization
History
Strewn
Culture
Invaluable
Firsts
Reincarnation
First
Deadly
Whole
Afterwards

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Poverty is an anomaly to rich people it is very difficult to make out why people who want dinner do not ring the bell.
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We must not let daylight in upon the magic.
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Men who do not make advances to women are apt to become victims to women who make advances to them.
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In my youth I hoped to do great things now I shall be satisfied to get through without scandal.
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In the faculty of writing nonsense, stupidity is no match for genius.
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A schoolmaster should have an atmosphere of awe, and walk wonderingly, as if he was amazed at being himself.
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But of all nations in the world the English are perhaps the least a nation of pure philosophers.
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Women--one half the human race at least--care fifty times more for a marriage than a ministry.
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It has been said that England invented the phrase, 'Her Majesty's Opposition' that it was the first government which made a criticism of administration as much a part of the polity as administration itself. This critical opposition is the consequence of cabinet government.
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Stupidity is nature's favorite resource for preserving consistency of opinion.
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It has been said that England invented the phrase, 'Her Majesty's Opposition'.
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All people are most credulous when they are most happy.
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A Parliament is nothing less than a big meeting of more or less idle people.
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The Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights - the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn. And a king of great sense and sagacity would want no others.
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We see but one aspect of our neighbor, as we see but one side of the moon in either case there is also a dark half, which is unknown to us. We all come down to dinner, but each has a room to himself.
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One cannot make men good by Act of Parliament.
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The maxim of science is simply that of common sense-simple cases first begin with seeing how the main force acts when there is as little as possible to impede it, and when you thoroughly comprehend that, add to it in succession the separate effects of each of the incumbering and interfering agencies.
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Efficiency in an assembly requires a solid mass of steady votes and these are collected by a deferential attachment to particular men, or by a belief in the principles that those men represent, and they are maintained by fear of those men - by the fear that if you vote against them, you may soon yourself have no vote at all.
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Great and terrible systems of divinity and philosophy lie round about us, which, if true, might drive a wise man mad.
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The mystic reverence, the religious allegiance, which are essential to a true monarchy, are imaginative sentiments that no legislature can manufacture in any people.
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