The English Constitution

The son of a Somerset-based banker, Walter Bagehot (1826–77) studied classics and philosophy at University College London and later qualified as a barrister, but gave up the law to join the family business. Expansive in his intellectual appetites, he wrote across an array of subjects, including politics, finance, science and literature. From 1861 until his death, he edited The Economist. In this classic 1867 publication, comprising essays that had previously appeared in the Fortnightly Revi...