On bended knees to Heaven, implore protection from the God of strength, thou, who art now assaulted with temptation! Open that book, which never failed to administer the sweetest consolation in every instance of human misery, and to all, without exception, save only the self determined reprobate ! Address then that compassionate Father, who resides in Heaven, but still watches the things which are done on earth, to succour and forgive thee! An invisible hand will presently dispel the cloud, and some good thing will happen to thee! Live, therefore, and enjoy it-live! and do good to others! ESSAY VII. LYING. THERE is scarcely to be found among the various descriptions of mankind, an individual, who, with the errors of his character, will allow it to be tainted with the name of LIAR! for in that vice there is something so peculiarly odious and mean, that the mere charge is no sooner made, than it is resisted with violence! Happy would it be for society, if the practice of this crime was as resolutely abhorred. In truth, there is something so truly amiable, that, through her candour and openness, she she seldom fails to atone for her severity, by securing to her votaries admiration and respect, and by moderating resentment which, otherwise had been aggravated. Mutual confidence is no less the security than it is the happiness of social intercourse; but falsehood lurks in ambush, to impair the one, and destroy the other; like the assassins of Cæsar, who prostrated themselves at his feet, that they might stab him with greater certainty, so does falsehood artfully put on the lovely dress of truth, the better to disguise its base design. However successful to immediate purposes, lying may appear to be, yet in some most unexpected way or other, this paltry refuge is usually detected and as constantly exposed: "Of all the vices, (says the celebrated Lord Chesterfield) there is not one more criminal, more mean, and more ridiculous than lying. The The end we design by it is very seldom accomplished, for lies are always found out at one time or other; and yet there are persons who give way to this vice, who are other wise of good principles, and have not been ill educated. "Lies generally proceed from vanity, cowardice, and a revengeful disposition, and sometimes from a mistaken notion of self-defence. "He who tells a malicious lie, with a view of injuring the person he speaks of, may gratify his wish for a while, but will, in the end, find it recoil upon himself; for, as soon as he is detected, (and detected he most certainly will be), he is despised for the infamous attempt; and whatever he may say hereafter of that person, will be considered as false, whether it be so or not. "If a man lies, shuffles, or equivocates, for in fact they are all alike, by way of excuse for for any thing he has said or done, he aggravates the offence rather than lessens it; for the person to whom the lie is told has a right to know the truth, or there would have been no occasion to have framed a falsehood. This person, of course, will think himself ill treated for being a second time affronted; for what can be a greater affront than an attempt to impose upon any man's understrnding? Be sides, lying, in excuse for a fault, betrays fear, than which, nothing is more dastardly and unbecoming the character of a gentleman. 1 "There is nothing more manly, or more noble, if we have done wrong, than frankly to own it. It is the only way of meeting forgiveness. Indeed, confessing a fault and asking pardon, with great minds, is considered as a sufficient atonement. I have been betrayed into an error,' or I have injured you, Sir, and am heartily ashamed of it, and sorry for it,' has frequently disarmed the per son |