abolish, pretty rapidly perhaps, in hideous mud-deluges, their
"markets" and them, unless they think of it?--In that case it
were better to think of it: and the Democracies and Universal
Suffrages, I can observe, will require to modify themselves a
good deal!

Historically speaking, I believe there was no Nation that could
subsist upon Democracy. Of ancient Republics, and _Demoi_ and
_Populi_, we have heard much; but it is now pretty well admitted
to be nothing to our purpose;--a universal-suffrage republic, or
a general-suffrage one, or any but a most-limited-suffrage one,
never came to light, or dreamed of doing so, in ancient times.
When the mass of the population were slaves, and the voters
intrinsically a kind of _kings_, or men born to rule others; when
the voters were real "aristocrats" and manageable dependents of
such,--then doubtless voting, and confused jumbling of talk and
intrigue, might, without immediate destruction, or the need of a
Cavaignac to intervene with cannon and sweep the streets clear of
it, go on; and beautiful developments of manhood might be
possible beside it, for a season. Beside it; or even, if you
will, by means of it, and in virtue of it, though that is by no
means so certain as is often supposed. Alas, no: the reflective
constitutional mind has misgivings as to the origin of old Greek
and Roman nobleness; and indeed knows not how this or any other
human nobleness could well be "originated," or brought to pass,
by voting or without voting, in this world, except by the grace
of God very mainly;--and remembers, with a sigh, that of the
Seven Sages themselves no fewer than three were bits of Despotic
Kings, [Gr.] _Turannoi_, "Tyrants" so called (such being greatly
wanted there); and that the other four were very far from Red