Its novelty is not its necessary condemnation, but neither on the other hand is innovation of necessity the same thing as reform.

The institutions of an ancient realm are not exactly the _corpus vile_ on which theorists hard pressed by the practical difficulties of the political situation can be allowed to try unlimited experiments.

We are bound to scrutinise with care every provision of this brand-new polity.

We are bound to consider what will be their effect according to the known laws of human nature and under the actual circumstances of the time.

It is vain to tell us that many of our institutions remain untouched.