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Virtue and Vice
The Whole Truth
1,441. Bankruptcy; Fraud; Lying
"The commercial world is very frequently put into confusion by
the bankruptcy of merchants, that assumed the splendour of wealth
only to obtain the privilege of trading with the stock of other
men, and of contracting debts which nothing but lucky casualties
could enable them to pay; till after having supported their
appearance a while by tumultuary magnificence of boundless
traffic, they sink at once, and drag down into poverty those whom
their equipages had induced to trust them."
Johnson: Rambler #189 (January 7, 1752)
Link
1,442. Lying; Posturing
"The traveller who describes cities which he has never seen; the
squire who, at his return from London, tells of his intimacy with
nobles, to whom he has only bowed in the park or coffee-house;
the author who entertains his admirers with stories of the
assistance which he gives to wits of a higher rank; the city dame
who talks of her visits to at great houses where she happens to
know the cookmaid, are surely such harmless animals as truth
herself may be content to despise without desiring to hurt
them."
Johnson: Rambler #189 (January 7, 1752)
Link
1,516. Lying
"The character of a liar is at once so hateful and contemptible,
that even of those who have lost their virtue it might be
expected that from the violation of truth they should be
restrained by their pride."
Johnson: Adventurer #50 (April 28, 1753)
Link
1,517. Lying
"The liar, and only the liar, is invariably and universally
despised, abandoned, and disowned: he has no domestick
consolations, which he can oppose to censure of mankind; he can
retire to no fraternity, where his crimes may stand in the
place of virtues; but is given up to the hisses of the multitude,
without friend or apologist."
Johnson: Adventurer #50 (April 28, 1753)
Link
1,521. Lying
"The present age abounds with a race of liars who are content
with the consciousness of falsehood, and whose pride is to
deceive others without any gain or glory to themselves."
Johnson: Adventurer #50 (April 28, 1753)
Link
1,522. Deterrence; Lying
"I am, indeed, far from desiring to increase in this kingdom the
number of executions; yet I cannot but think, that they who
destroy the confidence of society, weaken the credit of
intelligence, and interrupt the security of life; harass the
delicate with shame, and perplex the timorous with alarms; might
very properly be awakened to a sense of their crimes, by
denunciations of a whipping-post or pillory: since many are so
insensible of right and wrong, that they have no standard of
action but the law; nor feel guilt, but as they dread
punishment."
Johnson: Adventurer #50 (April 28, 1753)
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