to fear and meanness be put aside. Charity and prudence are not
parasitical plants which require boles of falsehood to climb up
upon. It is often extremely difficult in the mixed things of this
world to act truly and kindly too; but therein lies one of the great
trials of man, that his sincerity should have kindness in it, and
his kindness truth.

4. Truth in business. The more truth you can get into any
business, the better. Let the other side know the defects of yours,
let them know how you are to be satisfied, let there be as little to
be found as possible (I should say nothing), and if your business be
an honest one, it will be best tended in this way. The talking,
bargaining, and delaying that would thus be needless, the little
that would then have to be done over again, the anxiety that would
be put aside, would even in a worldly way be "great gain." It is
not, perhaps, too much to say, that the third part of men's lives is
wasted by the effect, direct or indirect, of falsehoods.

Still, let us not be swift to imagine that lies are never of any
service. A recent Prime Minister said, that he did not know about
truth always prevailing and the like; but lies had been very
successful against his government. And this was true enough. Every
lie has its day. There is no preternatural inefficacy in it by
reason of its falseness. And this is especially the case with those
vague injurious reports which are no man's lies, but all men's
carelessness. But even as regards special and unmistakable
falsehood, we must admit that it has its success. A complete being
might deceive with wonderful effect; however, as nature is always
against a liar, it is great odds in the case of ordinary mortals.
Wolsey talks of