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September 02, 2005
Words of wisdom from Alexander Tytler, Lord Woodhouslee
"The interpretation of the laws [of ancient Athens] may... be said to have depended ultimately
on the judgment of a populace swayed by prejudices, divided by
faction, or the dupes of a worthless orator or demagogue. The
Athenian jurisprudence, therefore, rested on no fixed principles,
or solid basis. It is almost equivalent to a total want of laws,
to have such only as the passions and caprices of a people can
mould or distort, or at pleasure so interpret, as to accommodate to
the most opposite purposes."
--Universal History, from the creation of the world to the beginning of the eighteenth century, pub. ca. 1800, p. 106
Original text may be found here.
Anyone worried about who gets on some damn court would be well advised to recall that some things, such as the fact that the law is an ass any fool may ride, never change.
Posted by Patrick Yancey at September 2, 2005 06:55 PM
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