and remote historical events. That extreme jealousy of regal power which that constitution betrays--that undue preponderance of property over intelligence--that political predominance of the aristocracy, which, though rendered necessary by the excessive depression of royalty and of the clergy, was certainly calculated to impede the organic development of the democracy, and thereby to expose the body politic to dangerous revulsions--in fine, that fierce collision of parties, which that constitution nurses and encourages--all reveal the fearful struggles by which it came into life. The imitation of this constitution which, by bringing back to the European nations the reminiscence of their ancient freedom, has naturally excited their enthusiastic admiration--the imitation of that constitution, I say, difficult at all times, has been rendered in some countries utterly impracticable by the studious rejection of two of the great hinges on which, for a hundred and fifty years, it has turned--I mean the predominance of the aristocracy on the one hand, and the free, municipal organization of the commonalty on the other. In many of the German states, as the author observes, the representative system works well; because the legislators have had the wisdom to connect the new with anterior institutions. On the whole, what has been said of the Gothic architecture, may be applied to the old Christian monarchy--it was never brought to perfection. That lofty ideal of government, which Christianity had traced to the nations of the middle age--that admirable constitution, which was a partial reflection of the constitution of the church itself, and wherein were blended and united the principles of love and intelligence, stability and activity--in other words, where a paternal royalty, an enlightened priesthood, a mild aristocracy, a loyal, yet free-spirited, commonalty controlled, aided, balanced, and defended each other--that lofty ideal has never been--probably never will be--fully realized. Yet there are many reasons to suppose that a momentous, and not very distant, futurity will be charged with realizing, as far as human infirmity will permit, this ideal conception of the Christian state. Such is an outline of the principal features in Schlegel's political system--a system which I have endeavoured, as far as my feeble powers permitted, to explain, illustrate, and enforce.