I am really sorry to see my countrymen trouble themselves about politics. If men were wise, the most arbitrary princes could not hurt them. If they are not wise, the freest government is compelled to be a tyranny. Princes appear to me to be fools. Houses of Commons and Houses of Lords appear to me to be fools; they seem to me to be something else besides human life.

Summary

In this quote, the speaker expresses a sentiment of disappointment towards their compatriots' preoccupation with politics. The speaker suggests that if people possessed wisdom, even the most oppressive rulers would not be able to inflict harm upon them. However, in the absence of wisdom, even the most democratic governments can devolve into tyrannies. The speaker goes on to deride both monarchies and representative bodies like the Houses of Commons and Lords, believing them to be detached from the realities of human existence and exhibiting foolishness.

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