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THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MANKIND. [Part III.

persons, when it is in your power to give them nothing else.This is very true, but a kind and polite address, and terms per-fectly courteous, are always consistent with the strictest observ-ance of truth ; as, also, bluntness of address and rudeness oflanguage are quite consistent with an habitual disregard of truth.In fact, these observations pertain to good manners quite as muchas to good morals ; or rather, in this instance, these two depart-ments meet and mingle with each other. Whatever is incon-sistent with truth, reason, propriety, decorum, a just taste, self-respect, and mutual respect, is equally at variance with both.

Dr. Paley, among several instances of falsehoods which hesays are not criminal, includes the case of a servant denying hismaster ; that is, saying to visiters that his master is not at home,when he knows him to be in the house, probably in the nextroom. As this is one of the most exceptionable of the usagesof fashionable society to which I have referred, and as it hasbeen frequently justified by persons whose general tone of moralfeeling and conduct is sound and healthy, (and Dr. Paley is oneof these,) I may be excused for giving it a moment’s con-sideration.

The ground taken by those who justify the practice, is, thatit is a polite and inoffensive way of refusing to see a visiter,whom the person visited does not wish to see ; that it is con-ventional and well understood by those who use it. This is thebest ground on which to rest it; and, if the visiter and the personvisited were the only parties concerned, it might be too muchthe part of a precisian to make objection against it. But a man’slanguage and actions seldom terminate with himself, — the mes-sage to the visiter at the door is heard by the children of thefamily, — they cannot understand how it is consistent with truth,— and, assuredly, their respect for the claims of truth is impaired.But this is not all. The message is carried by a servant; he doesnot understand its consistency with truth, he has not much edu-cation, and is unaccustomed to refined distinctions ; the exampleof his master is apt to be, in all respects, a standard high enoughfor him ; his regard for truth is diminished, and his opinion of itsobligation is unsettled. Now children and servants comprise avery large part of mankind, and those who are now children will