WALTER BAGEHOT QUOTES XX

English economist and political analyst (1826-1877)

A FAMILY on the throne is an interesting idea also. It brings down the pride of sovereignty to the level of petty life.

WALTER BAGEHOT

The English Constitution

Tags: family


In general it will perhaps be found that persons devoted to mere literature commonly become devoted to mere idleness. They wish to produce a great work, but they find they cannot. Having relinquished everything to devote themselves to this, they conclude on trial that this is impossible. They wish to write, but nothing occurs to them. Therefore they write nothing, and they do nothing. As has been said, they have nothing to do. Their life has no events, unless they are very poor. With any decent means of subsistence, they have nothing to rouse them from an indolent and musing dream. A merchant must meet his bills, or he is civilly dead and uncivilly remembered. But a student may know nothing of time and be too lazy to wind up his watch.

WALTER BAGEHOT

Literary Studies

Tags: life


The splitting of sovereignty into many parts amounts to there being no sovereign.

WALTER BAGEHOT

The English Constitution