Let them confine themselves to truth, and say what they will. But it
cannot be done; a talking rattling mercer, or draper, or milliner,
behind his counter, would be worth nothing if he should confine himself
to that mean silly thing called _truth_--they must lie; it is in support
of their business, and some think they cannot live without it; but I
deny that part, and recommend it, I mean to the tradesmen I am speaking
of, to consider what a scandal it is upon trade, to pretend to say that
a tradesman cannot live without lying, the contrary to which may be made
appear in almost every article.

On the other hand, I must do justice to the tradesmen, and must say,
that much of it is owing to the buyers--they begin the work, and give
the occasion. It was the saying of a very good shopman once upon this
occasion, 'That their customers would not be pleased without lying; and
why,' said he, 'did Solomon reprove the buyer?--he said nothing to the
shopkeeper--"It is naught, it is naught," says the buyer; "but when he
goes away, then he boasteth" (Prov. xx. 14.) The buyer telling us,' adds
he, 'that every thing is worse than it is, forces us, in justifying its
true value, to tell them it is better than it is.'

It must be confessed, this verbose way of trading is most ridiculous, as
well as offensive, both in buyer and seller; and as it adds nothing to
the goodness or value of the goods, so, I am sure, it adds nothing to
the honesty or good morals of the tradesman, on one side or other, but
multiplies trading-lies on every side, and brings a just reproach on the
integrity of the dealer, whether he be the buyer or seller.

It was a kind of a step to the cure of this vice in trade, for such it
is, that there was an old office erected in the city of London, for
searching and viewing all the goods which were sold in bulk, and could