The obvious definition of a monarchy seems to be that of a state, in which a single person, by whatsoever name he may be distinguished, is entrusted with the execution of the laws, the management of the revenue, and the command of the army. But, unless public liberty is protected by intrepid and vigilant guardians, the authority of so formidable a magistrate will soon degenerate into despotism. The influence of the clergy, in an age of superstition, might be usefully employed to assert the rights of mankind; but so intimate is the connection between the throne and the altar, that the banner of the church has very seldom been seen on the side of the people. A martial nobility and stubborn commons, possessed of arms, tenacious of property, and collected into constitutional assemblies, form the only balance capable of preserving a free constitution against enterprises of an aspiring prince. . Edward Gibbon
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More Quotes By Edward Gibbon
  1. ... but I must reluctantly observe that two causes, the abbreviation of time, and the failure of hope, will always tinge with a browner shade the evening of life.

  2. Our work is the presentation of our capabilities.

  3. Every person has two educations, one which he receives from others, and one, more important, which he gives to himself.

  4. Books are those faithful mirrors that reflect to our mind the minds of sages and heroes.

  5. War, in its fairest form, implies a perpetual violation of humanity and justice.

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