Sublime

Richard Welden

Tocqueville possédait assurément la vision d’un homme d’État mais restait étranger à la politique partisane et mal à l’aise avec l’éloquence parlementaire à laquelle sa fragile constitution ne se prêtait guère.

Valerio Borghese

it is therefore very difficult to discover a medium between the sovereignty of all and the absolute power of one man:

The eye frequently does not discover a man of celebrity within its walls. Its members are almost all obscure individuals whose names present no associations to the mind: they are mostly village lawyers, men in trade, or even persons belonging to the lower classes of society.

Attalus was a Stoic philosopher chosen as the boy’s teacher by Seneca the Elder; the father makes many admiring remarks about the man’s eloquence and intelligence. None of Attalus’ work survives, although he obviously took an interest in natural science as well as in ethics; apparently he wrote a book about lightning.

Plato proposed that societies should be ruled by philosopher kings who earned their wisdom by studying. Their intent was not merely to reimagine how people are chosen to lead; it was to pave the way for new social orders that rewarded individuals for agency and ability.

Gladstone shone, but Disraeli created an environment in which others could shine. The latter is the more powerful form of leadership, an adventure in which the leader is privileged to find treasure within others and put it to good use.

is in this case unable to compel him to a more satisfactory obedience. The fear of removal is the only check to these quasi-offences;