[Lalwendë]

'And doubtless the good stone-work is the older and was wrought in the first building,' said Gimli. 'It is ever so with the things that Men begin: there is a frost in Spring, or a blight in Summer, and they fail of their promise.'
'Yet seldom do they fail of their seed,' said Legolas. 'And that will lie in the dust and rot to spring up again in times and places unlooked-for. The deeds of Men will outlast us, Gimli.'
'And yet come to naught in the end but might-have-beens, I guess,' said the Dwarf.
'To that the Elves know not the answer,' said Legolas.

'Strange indeed,' said Legolas. 'In that hour I looked on Aragorn and thought how great and terrible a Lord he might have become in the strength of his will, had he taken the Ring to himself. Not for naught does Mordor fear him. But nobler is his spirit than the understanding of Sauron; for is he not of the children of Luthien? Never shall that line fail, though the years may lengthen beyond count.'
'Beyond the eyes of the Dwarves are such foretellings,' said Gimli. 'But mighty indeed was Aragorn that day.

When Gimli and Legolas talk, they sum up what Aragorn and Gondor could or could not be; their talk shows two different ways of viewing the idea of Kingship. Gimli focusses on the practical while Legolas speaks of destiny.

Gimli talks of stone while Legolas talks of gardens. Gimli talks of military might and leadership while Legolas talks of ancestry. Gimli talks of Men lacking consistency of effort while Legolas talks of hope in the future. Here are two differing viewpoints but both are right.

Minas Tirith needs both stronger walls and more gardens to be both well protected and beautiful, to fulfill its potential. Aragorn's strength comes both from his honed skills and his nobility. Without his ancestry he could not be King, but without the leadership qualities he has acquired he would not be the King that he could be, he maybe even could not be King at all, as it is his leadership which gets him through the trials he must face. And Aragorn is the latest from a line of Men who have been diminished, but his Kingship could be the beginning of a renemwal of that line.

When Legolas says that the deeds of Men "will outlast us, Gimli" these words are tinged with sadness. It acknowledges that Elves and Dwarves will not be around for much longer, that Men will be the dominant race in Middle-earth. Even Merry notices that this may come to pass, and he doesn't seem to look upon the prospect with much acceptance:

'Dull and dreary indeed!' said Merry. 'You must not go to the Havens, Legolas. There will always be some folk, big or little, and even a few wise dwarves like Gimli, who need you. At least I hope so.

The words of Gimli and Legolas also acknowledge that the deeds of Men will have far reaching consequences; what they do, good or bad, will last and have effects, and the Elves and Dwarves will have little and eventually no influence on what passes in the future. Men are shown as effectively a mystery to Legolas when he says "the Elves know not the answer".

Ere that dark day ended none of the enemy were left to resist us; all were drowned, or were flying south in the hope to find their own lands upon foot. Strange and wonderful I thought it that the designs of Mordor should be overthrown by such wraiths of fear and darkness. With its own weapons was it worsted!

Even the minions of Mordor can be made to feel afraid. I think that fear is the weapon referred to here, as fear seems to be the chief weapon of the Nazgul; the Haradrim and Corsairs are just Men themselves and when confronted with something they do not understand they are terrified, just as the Men of Gondor and Rohan are when the Nazgul fly. The Grey Host bring with them a reputation and it is this which terrifies - whether they are quite the same kind of 'weapon; as the Nazgul is another question.