The mind conscious of innocence despises false reports: but we
are a set always ready to believe a scandal.
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The mind conscious of innocence despises false reports: but we
are a set always ready to believe a scandal.
[Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit:
Sed nos in vitium credula turba sumus.]

Question your grace the late ambassadors,
With what great state he heard their embassy,
How well supplied read more

Question your grace the late ambassadors,
With what great state he heard their embassy,
How well supplied with noble counsellors,
How modest in exception, and withal
How terrible in constant resolution,
And you shall find his vanities forespent
Were but the outside of the Roman Brutus,
Covering discretion with a coat of folly;
As gardeners do with ordure hide those roots
That shall first spring and be most delicate.

There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that read more

There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly becomes any one of us to talk about the rest of us.

And though you duck them ne'er so long,
Not one salt drop e'er wets their tongue;
On read more

And though you duck them ne'er so long,
Not one salt drop e'er wets their tongue;
On eagles' wings immortal scandals fly,
While virtuous actions are but borne to die.

Discretion is the polite word for hypocrisy

Discretion is the polite word for hypocrisy

Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.

Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.

Everybody says it, and what everybody says must be true.

Everybody says it, and what everybody says must be true.

Scandal dies sooner of itself, than we could kill it.

Scandal dies sooner of itself, than we could kill it.

And there's a lust in man no charm can tame
Of loudly publishing our neighbour's shame;
On read more

And there's a lust in man no charm can tame
Of loudly publishing our neighbour's shame;
On eagles' wings immortal scandals fly,
While virtuous actions are but borne to die.