第68章
加入书架 A- A+

  Itisalwaysmortifyingnottobebelieved,anditisdoublysowhenwesuspectthatitisbecausewearesupposedtobeunworthyofbeliefandcapableofseriouslyandwilfullydeceiving。Totellamanthathelies,isofallaffrontsthemostmortal。Butwhoeverseriouslyandwilfullydeceivesisnecessarilyconscioustohimselfthathemeritsthisaffront,thathedoesnotdeservetobebelieved,andthatheforfeitsalltitletothatsortofcreditfromwhichalonehecanderiveanysortofease,comfort,orsatisfactioninthesocietyofhisequals。Themanwhohadthemisfortunetoimaginethatnobodybelievedasinglewordhesaid,wouldfeelhimselftheoutcastofhumansociety,woulddreadtheverythoughtofgoingintoit,orofpresentinghimselfbeforeit,andcouldscarcefail,Ithink,todieofdespair。Itisprobable,however,thatnomaneverhadjustreasontoentertainthishumiliatingopinionofhimself。Themostnotoriousliar,Iamdisposedtobelieve,tellsthefairtruthatleasttwentytimesforoncethatheseriouslyanddeliberatelylies;and,asinthemostcautiousthedispositiontobelieveisapttoprevailoverthattodoubtanddistrust;sointhosewhoarethemostregardlessoftruth,thenaturaldispositiontotellitprevailsuponmostoccasionsoverthattodeceive,orinanyrespecttoalterordisguiseit。

  Wearemortifiedwhenwehappentodeceiveotherpeople,thoughunintentionally,andfromhavingbeenourselvesdeceived。

  Thoughthisinvoluntaryfalsehoodmayfrequentlybenomarkofanywantofveracity,ofanywantofthemostperfectloveoftruth,itisalwaysinsomedegreeamarkofwantofjudgment,ofwantofmemory,ofimpropercredulity,ofsomedegreeofprecipitancyandrashness。Italwaysdiminishesourauthoritytopersuade,andalwaysbringssomedegreeofsuspicionuponourfitnesstoleadanddirect。Themanwhosometimesmisleadsfrommistake,however,iswidelydifferentfromhimwhoiscapableofwilfullydeceiving。Theformermaysafelybetrusteduponmanyoccasions;thelatterveryseldomuponany。

  Franknessandopennessconciliateconfidence。Wetrustthemanwhoseemswillingtotrustus。Weseeclearly,wethink,theroadbywhichhemeanstoconductus,andweabandonourselveswithpleasuretohisguidanceanddirection。Reserveandconcealment,onthecontrary,callforthdiffidence。Weareafraidtofollowthemanwhoisgoingwedonotknowwhere。Thegreatpleasureofconversationandsociety,besides,arisesfromacertaincorrespondenceofsentimentsandopinions,fromacertainharmonyofminds,whichlikesomanymusicalinstrumentscoincideandkeeptimewithoneanother。Butthismostdelightfulharmonycannotbeobtainedunlessthereisafreecommunicationofsentimentsandopinions。Wealldesire,uponthisaccount,tofeelhoweachotherisaffected,topenetrateintoeachother’sbosoms,andtoobservethesentimentsandaffectionswhichreallysubsistthere。Themanwhoindulgesusinthisnaturalpassion,whoinvitesusintohisheart,who,asitwere,setsopenthegatesofhisbreasttous,seemstoexerciseaspeciesofhospitalitymoredelightfulthananyother。Noman,whoisinordinarygoodtemper,canfailofpleasing,ifhehasthecouragetoutterhisrealsentimentsashefeelsthem,andbecausehefeelsthem。Itisthisunreservedsinceritywhichrenderseventheprattleofachildagreeable。Howweakandimperfectsoevertheviewsoftheopen-hearted,wetakepleasuretoenterintothem,andendeavour,asmuchaswecan,tobringdownourownunderstandingtotheleveloftheircapacities,andtoregardeverysubjectintheparticularlightinwhichtheyappeartohaveconsideredit。Thispassiontodiscovertherealsentimentsofothersisnaturallysostrong,thatitoftendegeneratesintoatroublesomeandimpertinentcuriositytopryintothosesecretsofourneighbourswhichtheyhaveveryjustifiablereasonsforconcealing;and,uponmanyoccasions,itrequiresprudenceandastrongsenseofproprietytogovernthis,aswellasalltheotherpassionsofhumannature,andtoreduceittothatpitchwhichanyimpartialspectatorcanapproveof。Todisappointthiscuriosity,however,whenitiskeptwithinproperbounds,andaimsatnothingwhichtherecanbeanyjustreasonforconcealing,isequallydisagreeableinitsturn。Themanwhoeludesourmostinnocentquestions,whogivesnosatisfactiontoourmostinoffensiveinquiries,whoplainlywrapshimselfupinimpenetrableobscurity,seems,asitwere,tobuildawallabouthisbreast。Werunforwardtogetwithinit,withalltheeagernessofharmlesscuriosity;andfeelourselvesallatoncepushedbackwiththerudestandmostoffensiveviolence。

  Themanofreserveandconcealment,thoughseldomaveryamiablecharacter,isnotdisrespectedordespised。Heseemstofeelcoldlytowardsus,andwefeelascoldlytowardshim。Heisnotmuchpraisedorbeloved,butheisaslittlehatedorblamed。

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