V. The practical error in this matter, is derived from a lie’s going
unpunished, and from the laws not having prescribed any punishment
for liars. Why is there no bridle to curb the propensity men have to
deceive one another? and why should a man be allowed to lie to what
amount he pleases at free cost? Although men are not contented with
enjoying a total indemnity in this case, but frequently glory in what
they have done, and go on to insult those they have imposed on, and
to treat the sincerity of other men as imprudence; is not this an
abominable offence, and such a one as deserves to be punished?
VI. I may be told, that human laws do not attend to deterring by the
fear of punishment, people from committing any other crimes, except
such as are prejudicial to the public, or injurious to a third person;
and that officious or jocose lies, which are those we are discoursing
of at present, hurt no body, for if they had been found to be
injurious, they would before this, have been classed among, and deemed
as pernicious offences.
VII. Against this remark, solid as it may appear, I have two very
notable replies to make. The first is, that although every officious
or jocose lie considered by itself, is injurious to nobody; still, the
frequency and impunity with which they are told, have a pernicious
effect on the public; for they deprive the generality of mankind of a
very valuable benefit. To make my meaning more clearly understood, I
must beg every man to contemplate the inconveniencies that would arise
from a doubt or distrust, whether whatever is told us be true or false;
which distrust is unavoidable, and founded on prudence, if we advert
to the frequency with which people lie. Upon hearing any piece of
intelligence, in which our wishes, or our conveniencies are interested,
we remain in a state of perplexity, whether to believe or disbelieve
it; and this perplexity is generally attended with a very disagreeable
agitation of the mind, that sets a man at variance as it were with
himself, and causes him to halt between two opinions, and to remain
in a disagreeable state of suspence, whether to reject as false, or
assent to the intelligence he hears as true. Those to whom the rumour
that is propagated may be serviceable, either with regard to their
communicating it, or on account of the use it may be of to illustrate
any thing they have been writing, and are about to publish, are set
on the tenters by reason of this uncertainty. They would give any
thing to ascertain the reality of a curious event, that was applicable
to, and would tend to embellish the subject they had been writing
upon, but cannot take a step towards informing themselves, without
meeting with a stumbling block in their way. Some affirm the truth of
the thing, others deny it; here they tell the story in one way, and
there they relate it in another; and all this while, the pen of the
author is obliged to stand still, and to continue for a long time in a
disagreeable and violent state of suspence.
VIII. But although the perplexity that may attend our doubting whether
we shall give our assent to what we hear, may be productive of these
evils, the mischief that would result from our giving easy faith and
credit to all we are told, would be much greater; for if we reflect,
we shall find, that the altercations, disputes, and disturbances
which arise in conversation, are produced for the most part by easy
credulity. Different people, hear different accounts of the same thing,
and because each believed what he heard; they afterwards altercate
furiously, each persisting, that the account he had heard of the
matter was the true one. Reflect how many people have made themselves
ridiculous, by believing what they should have rejected as fabulous.
Reflect also, that human society, which is the sweetest boon of life,
or which would be so if mankind were to behave to each other with truth
and candour, is made ungrateful and disgusting at every turn, by the
distrust which is occasioned, in consequence of our experiencing how
much people are addicted to lie.
IX. In order to comprehend how great a good we are deprived of by this
distrust, let us figure to ourselves a republic, although I fear there
never was such a one in the world, where either from the generous
influence of their soil and climate, men were more noble-minded; or
from the fear of a lie being punished with great severity, all the
individuals who compose it, were strict observers of the truth; I say
admitting this, my imagination represents to me, that such a community
would be a sort of Heaven upon earth. What brotherly love would there
prevail in it! and how sweet and savoury would the confidence between
man and man be, and how grateful the satisfaction, with which they
talked and listened to each other, free from the suspicion of not
being believed, or the fear of being deceived! There we should survey
at every step, the most pleasing spectacle the world can afford, that
of a man’s opening the whole theatre of his soul to another. I do
not think that Heaven adorned with all its splendor, or the spring
embellished with all its flowers, could furnish a more delightful
picture to the eyes of man, than that which would be presented to human
curiosity, by the exposure of a variety of sentiments, affections, and
passions, of those with whom we converse. In such a society, all men
would enjoy a peaceable tranquillity of mind, without the dread, that
by means of political arts, a traitor should impose himself upon them
for a friend; that hypocrisy should usurp an unjust veneration; that
applause should be tainted with the venom of flattery; that advice
should be insincere, and calculated to promote the interest of him who
gave it; or that correction should be the child of anger, and not the
offspring of zeal. But unhappy for us, how distant are we from enjoying
the blessings of such happy citizens! for we scarce are allowed an
instant of relaxation, from the fears, inquietudes, and suspicions,
that continually afflict us, and which are produced, by the experience
we have, of the little sincerity there is to be met with in the
world. Consider now, whether the frequency of lying, does not rob us
of a great blessing, or to speak more properly, of many inestimable
blessings.