"Fruits are always of the same nature with the seeds and roots from which they come, and trees are known by the fruits they bear: as a man begets a man, and a beast a beast, that society of men which constitutes a government upon the foundation of justice"

This quote by Algernon Sidney is a metaphor for the concept that a society is known by the actions of its members. He is stating that just as a tree is understood by the fruits it bears, a society is understood by the actions of its members. He is likewise stating that a society needs to be founded on justice, simply as a man begets a male and a beast a beast. This quote is stressing the value of justice in a society, and how it should be the structure of any federal government. It is likewise suggesting that the actions of the members of a society will identify its success or failure. By comparing a society to a tree, Sidney is recommending that a society ought to be evaluated by its fruits, or the actions of its members. He is likewise recommending that a society should be founded on justice, and that justice must be the structure of any government.