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When　he　was　hastening　with　his　army　over　bad　roads　to　the　help　of

Wellington；　on　the　18th　of　June；　1815；　he　encouraged　his　troops　by

words　and　gestures。　　〃Forwards；　childrenforwards！〃　　〃It　is

impossible；　it　can't　be　done；〃　was　the　answer。　　Again　and　again　he

urged　them。　　〃Children；　we　must　get　on；　you　may　say　it　can't　be

done；　but　it　MUST　be　done！　　I　have　promised　my　brother　Wellington

PROMISED；　do　you　hear？　　You　wouldn't　have　me　BREAK　MY　WORD！〃

And　it　was　done。



Truth　is　the　very　bond　of　society；　without　which　it　must　cease　to

exist；　and　dissolve　into　anarchy　and　chaos。　　A　household　cannot　be

governed　by　lying；　nor　can　a　nation。　　Sir　Thomas　Browne　once

asked；　〃Do　the　devils　lie？〃　　〃No；〃　was　his　answer；　〃for　then　even

hell　could　not　subsist。〃　　No　considerations　can　justify　the

sacrifice　of　truth；　which　ought　to　be　sovereign　in　all　the

relations　of　life。



Of　all　mean　vices；　perhaps　lying　is　the　meanest。　It　is　in　some

cases　the　offspring　of　perversity　and　vice；　and　in　many　others　of

sheer　moral　cowardice。　　Yet　many　persons　think　so　lightly　of　it

that　they　will　order　their　servants　to　lie　for　them；　nor　can　they

feel　surprised　if；　after　such　ignoble　instruction；　they　find　their

servants　lying　for　themselves。



Sir　Harry　Wotton's　description　of　an　ambassador　as　〃an　honest　man

sent　to　lie　abroad　for　the　benefit　of　his　country；〃　though　meant

as　a　satire；　brought　him　into　disfavour　with　James　I。　when　it

became　published；　for　an　adversary　quoted　it　as　a　principle　of　the

king's　religion。　　That　it　was　not　Wotton's　real　view　of　the　duty

of　an　honest　man；　is　obvious　from　the　lines　quoted　at　the　head　of

this　chapter；　on　'The　Character　of　a　Happy　Life；'　in　which　he

eulogises　the　man



　　　　　　　　　　〃Whose　armour　is　his　honest　thought；

　　　　　　　　　　　And　simple　truth　his　utmost　skill。〃



But　lying　assumes　many　formssuch　as　diplomacy；　expediency；　and

moral　reservation；　and；　under　one　guise　or　another；　it　is　found

more　or　less　pervading　all　classes　of　society。　　Sometimes　it

assumes　the　form　of　equivocation　or　moral　dodgingtwisting　and

so　stating　the　things　said　as　to　convey　a　false　impressiona

kind　of　lying　which　a　Frenchman　once　described　as　〃walking　round

about　the　truth。〃



There　are　even　men　of　narrow　minds　and　dishonest　natures；　who

pride　themselves　upon　their　jesuitical　cleverness　in　equivocation；

in　their　serpent…wise　shirking　of　the　truth　and　getting　out　of

moral　back…doors；　in　order　to　hide　their　real　opinions　and　evade

the　consequences　of　holding　and　openly　professing　them。

Institutions　or　systems　based　upon　any　such　expedients　must

necessarily　prove　false　and　hollow。　　〃Though　a　lie　be　ever　so　well

dressed；〃　says　George　Herbert；　〃it　is　ever　overcome。〃　　Downright

lying；　though　bolder　and　more　vicious；　is　even　less　contemptible

than　such　kind　of　shuffling　and　equivocation。



Untruthfulness　exhibits　itself　in　many　other　forms：　in　reticency

on　the　one　hand；　or　exaggeration　on　the　other；　in　disguise　or

concealment；　in　pretended　concurrence　in　others　opinions；　in

assuming　an　attitude　of　conformity　which　is　deceptive；　in　making

promises；　or　allowing　them　to　be　implied；　which　are　never　intended

to　be　performed；　or　even　in　refraining　from　speaking　the　truth

when　to　do　so　is　a　duty。　　There　are　also　those　who　are　all　things

to　all　men；　who　say　one　thing　and　do　another；　like　Bunyan's　Mr。

Facing…both…ways；　only　deceiving　themselves　when　they　think　they

are　deceiving　othersand　who；　being　essentially　insincere；　fail

to　evoke　confidence；　and　invariably　in　the　end　turn　out　failures；

if　not　impostors。



Others　are　untruthful　in　their　pretentiousness；　and　in　assuming

merits　which　they　do　not　really　possess。　　The　truthful　man　is；　on

the　contrary；　modest；　and　makes　no　parade　of　himself　and　his

deeds。　　When　Pitt　was　in　his　last　illness；　the　news　reached

England　of　the　great　deeds　of　Wellington　in　India。　　〃The　more　I

hear　of　his　exploits；〃　said　Pitt；　〃the　more　I　admire　the　modesty

with　which　he　receives　the　praises　he　merits　for　them。　　He　is　the

only　man　I　ever　knew　that　was　not　vain　of　what　he　had　done；　and

yet　had　so　much　reason　to　be　so。〃



So　it　is　said　of　Faraday　by　Professor　Tyndall；　that　〃pretence　of

all　kinds；　whether　in　life　or　in　philosophy；　was　hateful　to　him。〃

Dr。　Marshall　Hall　was　a　man　of　like　spiritcourageously

truthful；　dutiful；　and　manly。　　One　of　his　most　intimate　friends

has　said　of　him　that；　wherever　he　met　with　untruthfulness　or

sinister　motive；　he　would　expose　it；　saying〃I　neither　will；　nor

can；　give　my　consent　to　a　lie。〃　　The　question；　〃right　or　wrong；〃

once　decided　in　his　own　mind；　the　right　was　followed；　no　matter

what　the　sacrifice　or　the　difficultyneither　expediency　nor

inclination　weighing　one　jot　in　the　balance。



There　was　no　virtue　that　Dr。　Arnold　laboured　more　sedulously　to

instil　into　young　men　than　the　virtue　of　truthfulness；　as　being

the　manliest　of　virtues；　as　indeed　the　very　basis　of　all　true

manliness。　　He　designated　truthfulness　as　〃moral　transparency；〃

and　he　valued　it　more　highly　than　any　other　quality。　　When　lying

was　detected；　he　treated　it　as　a　great　moral　offence；　but　when　a

pupil　made　an　assertion；　he　accepted　it　with　confidence。　　〃If　you

say　so；　that　is　quite　enough；　OF　COURSE　I　believe　your　word。〃　　By

thus　trusting　and　believing　them；　he　educated　the　young　in

truthfulness；　the　boys　at　length　coming　to　say　to　one　another：

〃It's　a　shame　to　tell　Arnold　a　liehe　always　believes　one。〃　（10）



One　of　the　most　striking　instances　that　could　be　given　of　the

character　of　the　dutiful；　truthful；　laborious　man；　is　presented　in

the　life　of　the　late　George　Wilson；　Professor　of　Technology　in　the

University　of　Edinburgh。　（11）　　Though　we　bring　this　illustration

under　the　head　of　Duty；　it　might　equally　have　stood　under　that　of

Courage；　Cheerfulness；　or　Industry；　for　it　is　alike　illustrative

of　these　several　qualities。



Wilson's　life　was；　indeed；　a　marvel　of　cheerful　laboriousness；

exhibiting　the　power　of　the　soul　to　triumph　over　the　body；　and

almost　to　set　it　at　defiance。　　It　might　be　taken　as　an

illustration　of　the　saying　of　the　whaling…captain　to　Dr。　Kane；　as

to　the　power　of　moral　force　over　physical：　〃Bless　you；　sir；　the

soul　will　any　day　lift　the　body　out　of　its　boots！〃



A　fragile　but　bright　and　lively　boy；　he　had　scarcely　entered

manhood　ere　his　constitution　began　to　exhibit　signs　of　disease。

As　early；　indeed；　as　his　seventeenth　year；　he　began　to　complain　of

melancholy　and　sleeplessness；　supposed　to　be　the　effects　of　bile。

〃I　don't　think　I　shall　live　long；〃　he　then　said　to　a　friend；　〃my

mind　willmust　work　itself　out；　and　the　body　will　soon　follow

it。〃　　A　strange　confession　for　a　boy　to　make！　　But　he　gave　his

physical　health　no　fair　chance。　　His　life　was　all　brain…work；

study；　and　competition。　　When　he　took　exercise　it　was　in　sudden

bursts；　which　did　him　more　harm　than　good。　　Long　walks　in　the

Highlands　jaded　and　exhausted　him；　and　he　returned　to　his　brain…

work　unrested　and　unrefreshed。



It　was　during　one　of　his　forced　walks　of　some　twenty…four　miles　in

the　neighbourhood　of　Stirling；　that　he　injured　one　of　his　feet；

and　he　returned　home　seriously　ill。　　The　result　was　an　abscess；

disease　of　the　ankle…joint；　and　long　agony；　which　ended　in　the

amputation　of　the　right　foot。　　But　he　never　relaxed　in　his

labours。　　He　was　now　writing；　lecturing；　and　teaching　chemistry。

Rheumatism　and　acute　inflammation　of　the　eye　next　attacked　him；

and　were　treated　by　cupping；　blisetring；　and　colchicum。　　Unable

himself　to　write；　he　went　on　preparing　his　lectures；　which　he

dictated　to　his　sister。　　Pain　haunted　him　day　and　night；　and　sleep

was　only　forced　by　morphia。　　While　in　this　state　of　general

prostration；　symptoms　of　pulmonary　disease　began　to　show

themselves。　　Yet　he　continued　to　give　the　weekly　lectures　to　which

he　stood　committed　to　the　Edinburgh　School　of　Arts。　　Not　one　was

shirked；　though　their　delivery；　before　a　large　audience；　was　a

most　exhausting　duty。　　〃Well；　there's　another　nail　put　into　my

coffin；〃　was　the　remark　made　on　throwing　off　his　top…coat　on

returning　home；　and　a　sleepless　night　almost　invariably　followed。



At　twenty…seven；　Wilson　was　lecturing　ten；　eleven；　or　more　hours

weekly；　usually　with　setons　or　open　blister…wounds　upon　himhis

〃bosom　friends；〃　he　used　to　call　them。　　He　felt　the　shadow　of

death　upon　him；　and　he　worked　as　if　his　days　were　numbered。

〃Don't　be　surprised；〃　he　wrote　to　a　friend；　〃if　any　morning　at

breakfast　you　hear　that　I　am　gone。〃　　But　while　he　said　so；　he　did

not　in　the　least　degree　indulge　in　the　feeling　of　sickly

sentimentality。　　He　worked　on　as　cheerfully　and　hopefully　as　if　in

the　very　fulness　of　his　strength。　　〃To　none；〃　said　he；　〃is　life　so

sweet　as　to　those　who　have　lost　all　fear　to　die。〃



Sometimes　he　was　compelled　to　desist　from　his　labours　by　sheer

debility；　occasioned　by　loss　of　blood　from　the　lungs；　but　after　a

few　weeks'　rest　and　change　of　air；　he