Rome was not built in a day

M
AN is distinguished from the beast by virtue of the fact that he is a progressive animal.  The progress effected by him will bring Change, and this Change will create in him a consciousness of Time, for Time is but a product and a result of Change. It is the changes effected within a period of time that make one conscious of the fact that that time has elapsed. Thus, if there was no Change on Earth, if everything were to remain constant, Time would lose its meaning and its existence, and then the Earth would be infinite; but this is impossible, for all Life must die, all matter must change, and Man must progress, for every change effected by him must be for the better, for, as his intelligence develops and grows nearer to perfection, he will abolish any institution or custom which is not beneficial to him. Thus, Time and Change will exist as long as Man is mortal, and every single change which has stood long enough for Man, with his improving intellect, to test, every such change will be a good one. Thus, the true value of any change can be judged only by the length of time it has existed. Conversely, every change which has stood the test of Time must be good. Thus, every achievement which takes time to attain must be good. Rome,—its magnificent city of broad avenues, flanked with cyprus and cedars, its marble palaces, its splendid arches, its white squares with dancing fountains, its colossal Coliseum, and its bloody arenas—its great and extensive Empire which embraced lands of nearly all climes, people of all nations, its great military power that smashed every enemy country, its vigorous government which kept all the conquered races in subjection—this great Power was not built in a day; it took generations of Caesars to build, many long and bloody wars to construct, and, even then, it could not last the test of Time. The Power of Rome is dead, the one thing that exists is the grey crumbling ruin of its once magnificent Coliseum. No! “Rome was not built in a day.” 
This is true for every sphere of Life.  It is true of Nature.  The beautiful, fragrant rose that blushes in the leafy bower, must, at the first breath of Summer, be a hard green bud, bulging, like an arrow‑head, at the tip of the waving twig, but in time, the sun shines warmer on it, and balmy breezes gently caress it, coaxing apart the hard green sheaths until the pale rose peeps coyly out, then, gradually it opens out and grows, its heart is revealed, its blood flushes the delicate petals, and its scent becomes more and more fragrant until its smile gladdens the whole garden, and its haunting perfume cloys each passing breeze. The red apple must, first of all, be a green, black-tipped bud, hidden behind the leaves and faded blossoms on the tree; but, as Summer melts into Autumn, it swells and grows, until it tempts both Man and beast with its rosy flush, and bends the branch with its luscious weight.
It is true of politics.  Every great institution which exists to‑day for the benefit of Man is the result of a great development that has taken place for centuries, turning that first idea in the mind of Man into a great and complex machine which caters for its maker's necessities. The British Constitution, that noble institution that is responsible for the happiness of millions, has taken nearly two thousand years to develop from that first Witenagemot of the Anglo‑Saxon to that great and intricate body of present day politics.  In the course of this development ideas and theories have been evolved, the progress and development of Alan’s intellect has demanded their modification, and has produced new theories to take the place of those that do not benefit him, and now, as a result of the progress effected in the course of Time, politics are much nearer perfection than ever before.