LIES.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3145, 18 March 1879, Page 1

LIES.

(FBOIT SAUNDBB'S KBWa XSTTXB.)

We are told on the best authority that all men are liars, and ft would seem, indeed, as if lies were a staple commodity in every branch of sboial and* pcm^ (Califs. On the multiplication of lies' depend* i large amount of litigation in the oouhtry, and the corresponding importance of the legal profession. _On lies depend most of the diplomatic schemes of the European Powers, and from lies have arisen many bloody wars. It may be instructive to give a slight sketch «f the rariouß kinds of the more conventional lies which obtain among men. ..It is convenient to; divide lies into the necessary»; politic, imaginary, diplomatic, unconscious, and legal. Necessary lies are principally social lies, such as the formulas "not at home," or " I'm glad""to" seer yon," "I'm sorry I have a previous engage* ment," "I never sing?' The hut of which may be termed the musical or JEolian lie, and so on; and of course they can be either bred or illbred lies, or to use a botanical expression, either garden or hothouse lies. The lie,politic may be divided into the specially politic or judiciously lie. The special being a fact false in itself, uttered for a particular purpose; while the judicious being generally a comprehensive lie," told in view.' of future events which.■ might be deter* mined by the effect of the lie working in the meanwhile. The imaginary lie is manifold, and is innocent; fanciful, anecdotic, according to circumstances. The innocent is that class which pertains unto very small children, and is as harmless as it is innocent. The,fanciful is a mere conceit of the brain—humorous, harmless, and soon forgotten-told by a man of himself, whereas ',"it ') never occurred in real life .at,,,a11., The exaggerative is somewhat similar, but more harmful, tending to bring a man into excessive ridicule, and thereby injuring his fame. Last the lie- anecdote, which is the property of society at large, and which lasts under various forms from generation;"to"i generation. The diplomatic lie, perhaps, ranks highest of all lies, as it has to be manipulated with extreme caution and delicacy, dealing, as it does, with tremendous issues; and the principal are ( lUie Kussianrand tfie Turkish lie, the \ former being of a somewhat stouter \ .subrtance, and very hard of digestion. Of ike Turkish lie; the Cretan, is of course, & subsection, but it is unneces* . sary to treat it here. The unconscious He is entirely the prerogative of absent people, as when a man, having two children in the measles, assures an in•tiring friend that ail are well at home. %i y*%al or statute lie contains' so many ' ,Ol i[ui( it would be wapossiWe to f,? 863,/ 'utodetml It is a su«eu>nt follow them . - tUig tha(fc A W hole profeafact m faTorot maHafaotare ani sion is engaged in >^ t a hattd. Nor direction of the subj^ -„ j n to the vast shall we attempt to entt. <>wspaper lie. subject of the printed or nt > n d their To discuss liars themselves, v > lure systems, too, is unffecessary, T»v-{ , ,4fet ! probably said sufficient here to show „ - amount of faith that is required to believe the maxim, " Magna est reritas. et preralebit." ' ' ■■•■■ :--"; '"-:; r >"'':-- "-■ ' '