Something he had heard some wise man say. About the three stages of empire, the three generations. First came the conquerors, unstoppable in war. The… - Glen Cook

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Something he had heard some wise man say. About the three stages of empire, the three generations. First came the conquerors, unstoppable in war. Then came the administrators, who bound it all together into one apparently unshakable, immortal edifice. Then came the wasters, who knew no responsibility and squandered the capital of their inheritance upon whims and vices. And fell to other conquerors.