character-第49章

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ELOGE；　nor　was　it　until　thirty…two　years　after　his　death　that　this

honour　was　done　to　his　memory　by　D'Alembert。　　The　true　and

emphatic　epitaph　of　the　good；　truth…loving；　truth…speaking　Abbe

was　this〃HE　LOVED　MUCH！〃



Duty　is　closely　allied　to　truthfulness　of　character；　and　the

dutiful　man　is；　above　all　things；　truthful　in　his　words　as　in　his

actions。　　He　says　and　he　does　the　right　thing；　in　the　right　way；

and　at　the　right　time。



There　is　probably　no　saying　of　Lord　Chesterfield　that　commends

itself　more　strongly　to　the　approval　of　manly…minded　men；　than

that　it　is　truth　that　makes　the　success　of　the　gentleman。

Clarendon；　speaking　of　one　of　the　noblest　and　purest　gentlemen　of

his　age；　says　of　Falkland；　that　he　〃was　so　severe　an　adorer　of

truth　that　he　could　as　easily　have　given　himself　leave　to　steal

as　to　dissemble。〃



It　was　one　of　the　finest　things　that　Mrs。　Hutchinson　could　say　of

her　husband；　that　he　was　a　thoroughly　truthful　and　reliable　man：

〃He　never　professed　the　thing　he　intended　not；　nor　promised　what

he　believed　out　of　his　power；　nor　failed　in　the　performance　of

anything　that　was　in　his　power　to　fulfil。〃



Wellington　was　a　severe　admirer　of　truth。　　An　illustration　may　be

given。　　When　afflicted　by　deafness　he　consulted　a　celebrated

aurist；　who；　after　trying　all　remedies　in　vain；　determined；　as　a

last　resource；　to　inject　into　the　ear　a　strong　solution　of

caustic。　　It　caused　the　most　intense　pain；　but　the　patient　bore　it

with　his　usual　equanimity。　　The　family　physician　accidentally

calling　one　day；　found　the　Duke　with　flushed　cheeks　and　bloodshot

eyes；　and　when　he　rose　he　staggered　about　like　a　drunken　man。　　The

doctor　asked　to　be　permitted　to　look　at　his　ear；　and　then　he　found

that　a　furious　inflammation　was　going　on；　which；　if　not

immediately　checked；　must　shortly　reach　the　brain　and　kill　him。

Vigorous　remedies　were　at　once　applied；　and　the　inflammation　was

checked。　　But　the　hearing　of　that　ear　was　completely　destroyed。

When　the　aurist　heard　of　the　danger　his　patient　had　run；　through

the　violence　of　the　remedy　he　had　employed；　he　hastened　to　Apsley

House　to　express　his　grief　and　mortification；　but　the　Duke　merely

said：　〃Do　not　say　a　word　more　about　ityou　did　all　for　the

best。〃　　The　aurist　said　it　would　be　his　ruin　when　it　became　known

that　he　had　been　the　cause　of　so　much　suffering　and　danger　to　his

Grace。　　〃But　nobody　need　know　anything　about　it：　keep　your　own

counsel；　and；　depend　upon　it；　I　won't　say　a　word　to　any　one。〃

〃Then　your　Grace　will　allow　me　to　attend　you　as　usual；　which　will

show　the　public　that　you　have　not　withdrawn　your　confidence　from

me？〃　　〃No；〃　replied　the　Duke；　kindly　but　firmly；　〃I　can't　do　that；

for　that　would　be　a　lie。〃　　He　would　not　act　a　falsehood　any　more

than　he　would　speak　one。　（9）



Another　illustration　of　duty　and　truthfulness；　as　exhibited　in　the

fulfilment　of　a　promise；　may　be　added　from　the　life　of　Blucher。

When　he　was　hastening　with　his　army　over　bad　roads　to　the　help　of

Wellington；　on　the　18th　of　June；　1815；　he　encouraged　his　troops　by

words　and　gestures。　　〃Forwards；　childrenforwards！〃　　〃It　is

impossible；　it　can't　be　done；〃　was　the　answer。　　Again　and　again　he

urged　them。　　〃Children；　we　must　get　on；　you　may　say　it　can't　be

done；　but　it　MUST　be　done！　　I　have　promised　my　brother　Wellington

PROMISED；　do　you　hear？　　You　wouldn't　have　me　BREAK　MY　WORD！〃

And　it　was　done。



Truth　is　the　very　bond　of　society；　without　which　it　must　cease　to

exist；　and　dissolve　into　anarchy　and　chaos。　　A　household　cannot　be

governed　by　lying；　nor　can　a　nation。　　Sir　Thomas　Browne　once

asked；　〃Do　the　devils　lie？〃　　〃No；〃　was　his　answer；　〃for　then　even

hell　could　not　subsist。〃　　No　considerations　can　justify　the

sacrifice　of　truth；　which　ought　to　be　sovereign　in　all　the

relations　of　life。



Of　all　mean　vices；　perhaps　lying　is　the　meanest。　It　is　in　some

cases　the　offspring　of　perversity　and　vice；　and　in　many　others　of

sheer　moral　cowardice。　　Yet　many　persons　think　so　lightly　of　it

that　they　will　order　their　servants　to　lie　for　them；　nor　can　they

feel　surprised　if；　after　such　ignoble　instruction；　they　find　their

servants　lying　for　themselves。



Sir　Harry　Wotton's　description　of　an　ambassador　as　〃an　honest　man

sent　to　lie　abroad　for　the　benefit　of　his　country；〃　though　meant

as　a　satire；　brought　him　into　disfavour　with　James　I。　when　it

became　published；　for　an　adversary　quoted　it　as　a　principle　of　the

king's　religion。　　That　it　was　not　Wotton's　real　view　of　the　duty

of　an　honest　man；　is　obvious　from　the　lines　quoted　at　the　head　of

this　chapter；　on　'The　Character　of　a　Happy　Life；'　in　which　he

eulogises　the　man



　　　　　　　　　　〃Whose　armour　is　his　honest　thought；

　　　　　　　　　　　And　simple　truth　his　utmost　skill。〃



But　lying　assumes　many　formssuch　as　diplomacy；　expediency；　and

moral　reservation；　and；　under　one　guise　or　another；　it　is　found

more　or　less　pervading　all　classes　of　society。　　Sometimes　it

assumes　the　form　of　equivocation　or　moral　dodgingtwisting　and

so　stating　the　things　said　as　to　convey　a　false　impressiona

kind　of　lying　which　a　Frenchman　once　described　as　〃walking　round

about　the　truth。〃



There　are　even　men　of　narrow　minds　and　dishonest　natures；　who

pride　themselves　upon　their　jesuitical　cleverness　in　equivocation；

in　their　serpent…wise　shirking　of　the　truth　and　getting　out　of

moral　back…doors；　in　order　to　hide　their　real　opinions　and　evade

the　consequences　of　holding　and　openly　professing　them。

Institutions　or　systems　based　upon　any　such　expedients　must

necessarily　prove　false　and　hollow。　　〃Though　a　lie　be　ever　so　well

dressed；〃　says　George　Herbert；　〃it　is　ever　overcome。〃　　Downright

lying；　though　bolder　and　more　vicious；　is　even　less　contemptible

than　such　kind　of　shuffling　and　equivocation。



Untruthfulness　exhibits　itself　in　many　other　forms：　in　reticency

on　the　one　hand；　or　exaggeration　on　the　other；　in　disguise　or

concealment；　in　pretended　concurrence　in　others　opinions；　in

assuming　an　attitude　of　conformity　which　is　deceptive；　in　making

promises；　or　allowing　them　to　be　implied；　which　are　never　intended

to　be　performed；　or　even　in　refraining　from　speaking　the　truth

when　to　do　so　is　a　duty。　　There　are　also　those　who　are　all　things

to　all　men；　who　say　one　thing　and　do　another；　like　Bunyan's　Mr。

Facing…both…ways；　only　deceiving　themselves　when　they　think　they

are　deceiving　othersand　who；　being　essentially　insincere；　fail

to　evoke　confidence；　and　invariably　in　the　end　turn　out　failures；

if　not　impostors。



Others　are　untruthful　in　their　pretentiousness；　and　in　assuming

merits　which　they　do　not　really　possess。　　The　truthful　man　is；　on

the　contrary；　modest；　and　makes　no　parade　of　himself　and　his

deeds。　　When　Pitt　was　in　his　last　illness；　the　news　reached

England　of　the　great　deeds　of　Wellington　in　India。　　〃The　more　I

hear　of　his　exploits；〃　said　Pitt；　〃the　more　I　admire　the　modesty

with　which　he　receives　the　praises　he　merits　for　them。　　He　is　the

only　man　I　ever　knew　that　was　not　vain　of　what　he　had　done；　and

yet　had　so　much　reason　to　be　so。〃



So　it　is　said　of　Faraday　by　Professor　Tyndall；　that　〃pretence　of

all　kinds；　whether　in　life　or　in　philosophy；　was　hateful　to　him。〃

Dr。　Marshall　Hall　was　a　man　of　like　spiritcourageously

truthful；　dutiful；　and　manly。　　One　of　his　most　intimate　friends

has　said　of　him　that；　wherever　he　met　with　untruthfulness　or

sinister　motive；　he　would　expose　it；　saying〃I　neither　will；　nor

can；　give　my　consent　to　a　lie。〃　　The　question；　〃right　or　wrong；〃

once　decided　in　his　own　mind；　the　right　was　followed；　no　matter

what　the　sacrifice　or　the　difficultyneither　expediency　nor

inclination　weighing　one　jot　in　the　balance。



There　was　no　virtue　that　Dr。　Arnold　laboured　more　sedulously　to

instil　into　young　men　than　the　virtue　of　truthfulness；　as　being

the　manliest　of　virtues；　as　indeed　the　very　basis　of　all　true

manliness。　　He　designated　truthfulness　as　〃moral　transparency；〃

and　he　valued　it　mo