Hewhoseknowledgegoesnofurthermayperhapsgatherroundhimabandoffools;buthewillneverfoundanempire，andhisextravaganceswillquicklyperishwithhim。Idletricksformapassingtie;onlywisdomcanmakeitlasting。TheJudaiclaw，whichstillsubsists，andthatofthechildofIshmael，which，fortencenturies，hasruledhalftheworld，stillproclaimthegreatmenwholaidthemdown;and，whiletheprideofphilosophyortheblindspiritoffactionseesinthemnomorethanluckyimpostures，thetruepoliticaltheoristadmires，intheinstitutionstheysetup，thegreatandpowerfulgeniuswhichpresidesoverthingsmadetoendure。
Weshouldnot，withWarburton，concludefromthisthatpoliticsandreligionhaveamongusacommonobject，butthat，inthefirstperiodsofnations，theoneisusedasaninstrumentfortheother。8。THEPEOPLEAS，beforeputtingupalargebuilding，thearchitectsurveysandsoundsthesitetoseeifitwillbeartheweight，thewiselegislatordoesnotbeginbylayingdownlawsgoodinthemselves，butbyinvestigatingthefitnessofthepeople，forwhichtheyaredestined，toreceivethem。PlatorefusedtolegislatefortheArcadiansandtheCyrenæans，becauseheknewthatbothpeopleswererichandcouldnotputupwithequality;andgoodlawsandbadmenwerefoundtogetherinCrete，becauseMinoshadinflicteddisciplineonapeoplealreadyburdenedwithvice。
Athousandnationshaveachievedearthlygreatness，thatcouldneverhaveenduredgoodlaws;evensuchascouldhaveenduredthemcouldhavedonesoonlyforaverybriefperiodoftheirlonghistory。Mostpeoples，likemostmen，aredocileonlyinyouth;astheygrowoldtheybecomeincorrigible。
Whenoncecustomshavebecomeestablishedandprejudicesinveterate，itisdangerousanduselesstoattempttheirreformation;thepeople，likethefoolishandcowardlypatientswhoraveatsightofthedoctor，cannolongerbearthatanyoneshouldlayhandsonitsfaultstoremedythem。
ThereareindeedtimesinthehistoryofStateswhen，justassomekindsofillnessturnmen’sheadsandmakethemforgetthepast，periodsofviolenceandrevolutionsdotopeopleswhatthesecrisesdotoindividuals：horrorofthepasttakestheplaceofforgetfulness，andtheState，setonfirebycivilwars，isbornagain，sotospeak，fromitsashes，andtakesonanew，freshfromthejawsofdeath，thevigourofyouth。SuchwereSpartaatthetimeofLycurgus，RomeaftertheTarquins，and，inmoderntimes，HollandandSwitzerlandaftertheexpulsionofthetyrants。