Chap. III.]

OBSERVANCE OF TRUTH.

187

led men eventually to mistake the suggestions of their passionsand the promptings of their imaginations for truth, and to imposethem on themselves and on others as such.* * * § By a confirmedhabit of disregarding truth, men have come at length firmly tobelieve their own falsehoods. It can scarcely be necessary toobserve, that any thing said under this division, does not applyto tales, parables, or other fictitious writings, designed for amuse-ment or instruction.

4. Certain forms of expression, usual in polite circles of so-ciety, seem to be inconsistent with the sincerity of character inwhich much of truth consists, and with that simplicity and direct-ness of intercourse recommended by our Saviour, when he says,“ Let your communication be, Yea, yea ; Nay, nay ; for whatso-ever is more than these cometh of evil.” f

When a stranger enters the house of a Spanish gentleman,properly introduced, he never fails to assure him, that both it andhimself are perfectly and always at his disposal. He says to hisguest, “ Sir, here you have a house, this house is yours ; if 1 canserve you in any way, command me, — I am always at your dis-posal.” | And Miss Edgeworth must be good authority for say-ing, that, in England, a general invitation to visit, means nothingbut “ Good morning to you.” § Any one, in the slightest degreeacquainted with the modes of intercourse which prevail in fash-ionable life, cannot fail to know, that similar usual, but insincereforms of expression, are very common elsewhere than in Spainand England. Every person with whom we are accustomed tohold intercourse, is entitled to a polite, decorous, and respectfulstyle of address. A just indulgence, too, may be allowed infavor of hyperbolical, ironical, and other playful forms of ex-pression, by which cheerfulness, good humor, and good feelingmay be very much promoted. But, as on other subjects, justlimits are to be observed, to transgress which is an offence againstgood taste, propriety, and decorum, if not against good morals.

It is sometimes said, that it is well to give good words to

* See Report to the U. S House of Representatives, of April 30th, 1832, on

the Bank of the United States, written by John Quincy Adams, p. 389.

f Matt. v. 37. 1 Wines’ Two Years and a Half in the Navy, Vol. T, p. 171.

§ Helen, Vol. I. p. 12.