History is strewn with the wrecks of nations which have gained a little progressiveness at the cost of a great deal of… — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
The characteristic danger of great nations, like the Romans or the English which have a long history of continuous creation, is that… — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
The whole history of civilization is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
The best history is but like the art of Rembrandt; it casts a vivid light on certain selected causes, on those which… — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
But of all nations in the world the English are perhaps the least a nation of pure philosophers. — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
The Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights - the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right… — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
The most essential mental quality for a free people, whose liberty is to be progressive, permanent and on a large scale, is much stupidity. — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
Adventure is the life of commerce, but caution is the life of banking. — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
A severe though not unfriendly critic of our institutions said that the cure for admiring the House of Lords was to go and look… — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
Nothing is more unpleasant than a virtuous person with a mean mind. — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
An inability to stay quiet is one of the conspicuous failings of mankind. — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
Most men of business think "Anyhow this system will probably last my time. It has gone on a long time, and is likely to… — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
The peculiar essence of our banking system is an unprecedented trust between man and man. And when that trust is much weakened by hidden… — Walter Bagehot Copy Share Image
