age. Do you dress well, and not too well? Do you consider your air and manner of presenting yourself enough, and not too much? neither negligent nor stiff. All these things deserve a degree of care, a second-rate attention; they give an additional lustre to real merit. My Lord Bacon says that a pleasing figure is a perpetual letter of recommendation. It is certainly an agreeable forerunner of merit and smooths the way for it. [July 30, 1747.]
Truth.—Every man seeks for truth; but God
only knows who has found it. It is, therefore, as
unjust to persecute as it is absurd to ridicule people
for those several opinions which they cannot help
entertaining upon the conviction of their reason.
[Same date.]
Lying.—I really know nothing more criminal,
more mean, and more ridiculous than lying. It is
the production either of malice, cowardice, or vanity;
and generally misses of its aim in every one of
these views; for lies are always detected, sooner or
later. If I tell a malicious lie, in order to affect any
man's fortune or character, I may indeed injure him
for some time; but I shall be sure to be the greatest
sufferer myself at last; for as soon as ever I am
detected (and detected I most certainly shall be), I
am blasted for the infamous attempt; and whatever
