“ He can sometimes even cast his eyes toward the talented. Let him not fear his rivals, who are called men of merit; he is their equal once he loves them. Let him win the heart, but let him not capture the spirit. Let him make himself popular. He should be flattered by the love of the least of his subjects; they are all men. The people ask so little attention that it is just to grant it to them ”
 Montesquieu, The Spirit of Law (1748). copy citation