Wisest of beasts the serpent see,Just emblem of eternity,And of a State's duration;Each year an annual skin he takes,And with fresh life and vigour wakesAt every renovation.Britain! that serpent imitate.Thy Commons House, that skin of State,By annual choice restore;So choosing thou shall live secure,And freedom to thy sons inure,Till Time shall be no more.
Wisest of beasts the serpent see,Just emblem of eternity,And of a State's duration;Each year an annual skin he takes,And with fresh life and vigour wakesAt every renovation.
Wisest of beasts the serpent see,
Just emblem of eternity,
And of a State's duration;
Each year an annual skin he takes,
And with fresh life and vigour wakes
At every renovation.
Britain! that serpent imitate.Thy Commons House, that skin of State,By annual choice restore;So choosing thou shall live secure,And freedom to thy sons inure,Till Time shall be no more.
Britain! that serpent imitate.
Thy Commons House, that skin of State,
By annual choice restore;
So choosing thou shall live secure,
And freedom to thy sons inure,
Till Time shall be no more.
Carlyle's saying that a ship could never be taken round Cape Horn if the crew were consulted every time the captain proposed to alter the course, if taken seriously as an analogical argument against Representative Government, is open to the objection that the differences between a ship and a State are too great for any argument from one to the other to be of value. It was such fallacious analogies as these that Heine had in view in his humorous prayer, "Heaven defend us from the Evil One and from metaphors".
Footnote 1:Hamilton'sReid, p. 236.
Footnote 2:Bain'sLogic, ii. 145.
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*p. 113: "(ἀνεὸ συμπλοκὴς)" corrected to "(ἄνευ συμπλοκῆς)".
Aristotle wrote:"Τῶν λεγομένων τά μέν κατά συμπλοκήν λέγεται, τά δέἄνευ συμπλοκῆς... "(~Categoriae 1a16-17)
"... τά δέἄνευ συμπλοκῆς, οἷον ἄνθρωπος, βοῦς, τρέχει, νικᾷ."(~Categoriae 1a18-19)
" ...πάντα δὲ τὰ εἰρημέναἄνευ συμπλοκῆςλέγεται."(~Categoriae: same document as above)
but the book scans give the following:
"He (Aristotle) explains that by "out of syntax" (ἀνεὸ συμπλοκὴς) he means without reference to truth or falsehood:...."
... "ἀνεὸ" would appear to be an error.