and credit, from those with whom he deals, in consequence of which he is enabled to buy to great advantage: But a fraudulent creditor receives no favour. 2ND REASON. An honest man wins the respect and confidence of those who deal with him; respect and confidence produce good offices; and success is the handmaid of public favour: But he who has the character of a dishonest trickster is watched with suspicion, and always distrusted. 3RD REASON. An honest man procures the good word and recommendation of those who know him; and nothing promotes success so much as the voluntary praise of the disinterested. But he who makes others the dupes of his underhand dealings is always abused and exposed. 4TH REASON. The honest dealer retains the good offices of those who once confide in him; and a constant client, patient, or customer, is far better than many casual ones: On the other hand, a dishonest knave may deceive the unwary once, but cannot expect to palm his tricks a second time on the same person. 5TH REASON.-Honest dealing never over-reaches itself; and, therefore, is never subjected to pains and penalties: But the fraudulent are constantly incurring heavy expenses from fines, lawsuits, hush-money, and the thousand annoyances which follow in the wake of dishonest practices. 6TH REASON.-Honesty produces no enemies, for all admire integrity of conduct, and make allowances in times of need: But artifice is sure to create opposition, and every misadventure is attributed to knavery prepense. 7TH REASON.-Honesty is a plain and easy way with no turnings, as well as a sure and safe one: Whereas, dishonesty turns to crooked paths and bye-ways which are full of danger, trouble, difficulty, and doubt. SIMILES.-It is better to travel by the high road, than to venture through by-paths, with the hope of finding out "a short cut." The rook (in the fable) built her nest of sticks filched from other birds; but no sooner was the theft discovered, than the nest was pulled down, and the dishonest rook had to make two instead of one. Ill gains bring a curse, like the gold of Tolosa.--See Class. Dict, art. "Tolosa." Honesty is a pearl of the first water; fraud is a base imitation, like French paste, always tawdry and worthless. A straight onward walk is more conducive to health than one with frequent turnings. The Woodman, who threw his axe into the river, and Mercury-sup's fable. There is something unnatural in painting, which a skilful eye may easily discern from native beauty and complexion. The Jackdaw in borrowed plumes.--Esop's fable. The attempts of the dishonest to find a short road to wealth, may be likened to the foolish attempt of British adventurers to find a north-west passage to India. HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS.-The South Sea scheme. A. D. 1720. Some time ago there resided in a retired country village a poor but worthy curate, who, with the small stipend of 407. per annum, supported himself, a wife, and seven children walking in the fields one day he stumbled on a purse of gold, which his wife advised him to employ, as he could find no owner, but he positively refused, assuring his wfie that "honesty is always the best policy." After a time, the purse was owned by a gentleman at a d'stance, to whom the clergyman returned it, with no other reward than thanks. On his return home, his wife began to reproach the gentleman with ingratitude, and to censure the over-scrupulous honesty of her husband; but the good man still replied as before, "honesty is always the best policy." A few months after this, the poor curate received an invitation to dine with the same gentleman, who presented him to a living worth 3007. a year, and added a douceur of 501. for present exigencies. When Oliver Goldsmith published his Deserted Village, the bookseller gave him 100 guineas for the copyright. A friend having observed, it was a very great sum to give for so short a performance: "In truth,” said Goldsmith, "I think so too," and instantly returned the note, begging the publisher "to pay him out of the profits of the sale." The publisher complied with the request, and soon handed him a cheque for 4507. Sir Theodore Jansen, a merchant, by unavoidable losses became a bankrupt. Several years afterwards, his creditors being invited to a splendid banquet, were surprised to find the money due, with the full legal interest thereon, placed under the cover of each respective plate. This instance of honesty so endeared Jansen to the citizens, that they elected him unanimously to the lucrative oflice of chamberlain; a post of honour and profit which he retained to the end of his life. Fabricius and Pyrrhus. The integrity of the sturdy Roman who sent back to Pyrrhus the traitorous physician, saved Rome from a long and destructive invasion. Camillus and the Faliscans. When a schoolmaster in Falerium offered to betray his pupils into the hands of the Roman general for reward, Camillus ordered the traitor to be stripped and beaten back into the city: this noble integrity induced the Faliscans to surrender at discretion, "not that they yielded to arms, but were won by honesty." Tarpeia agreed to betray Rome to the Sabines, on condition that they gave her "the ornaments worn on their arms:" when she opened the city gates, the invading soldiers threw upon her their bucklers, instead of their bracelets, and the traitoress was crushed to death. Joseph in Potiphar's house, and after he was made governor of Egypt. QUOTATIONS. Of all crafts, to be an honest man is -the best craft. Knavery may serve a turn, but honesty is best in the end. Craft bringeth nothing but shame. Unto the upright there arises light in darkness.— Psalm cxii. 4. The upright shall dwell in the land.-Prov. ii. 21. The tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.-Prov. xiv. 41. Psalm xxxvii. 18-20 and 37-40. Prov. xxviii. 10. Deceit is the net of shallow politicians.-Bacon. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is vanity.— Prov. xxi. 6. It is in life as in a journey, where the shortest road is the dirtiest, and yet the better not much about.-Bacon. I have heard you say, Honour and policy, like unsevered friends, I' the war do grow together: grant that, and tell me, Bonne renommée vaut mieux qui ceinture dorée De male quæsitis vix gaudet tertius hæres.-Horace. Candor dat viribus alas. Mea virtute me involvo. Fraus hominum ad perniciem, et integritas ad salutem Vocatur.-Cicero. Melior ambulatio recta quam flexuosa.- Celsus. Ea maxime conducunt, quæ sunt rectissima.-Cicero. THEME XVI. Honesty is the best policy; but he who is honest from policy, is not an honest man. PART II. INTRODUCTION. He who is honest merely for the sake of expediency or gain, and not from a sense of duty, cannot be called a really honest man. 1ST REASON. The merit of every action should be weighed by its motive: The motive of policy is profit; but the motive of genuine integrity is moral rectitude of heart. 2ND REASON.-Politic honesty is merely superficial eye-service; but honest actions no more constitute honesty, than a king's robe and diadem make a king. 3RD REASON.-No reliance can be placed on such honesty as springs from expediency, or the desire of gain ; for immediately any other line of conduct may appear more profitable, the same motive of policy will compel its adoption: Whereas rectitude of heart knows no vacillation; but is single-minded, constant, and uniform. 4TH REASON. - Politic honesty is a species of dissimulation and hypocrisy; and, therefore, is in direct antagonism to that uprightness of soul which abhors all craft. 5TH REASON.-External honesty, assumed for motives of policy, is always tainted with unholy wishes, and a secret undercurrent of chicane; for no mere assumption is always consistent throughout: But the really honest man is as upright when no eye is fixed upon him, and his secret is secure, as in the broad eye of a gazing multitude. 6TH REASON.-Policy is purely selfish; but genuine honesty has no regard to self. 7TH REASON.-Policy is always renal; but uprightness of heart is never to be corrupted, or shaken from its purpose. |