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.

He rams his quill with scandal and with scoff,
But 'tis so very foul, it won't go off.

He rams his quill with scandal and with scoff,
But 'tis so very foul, it won't go off.

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

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

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.

Scandal: gossip made tedious by morality.

Scandal: gossip made tedious by morality.

Assail'd by scandal and the tongue of strife,
His only answer was a blameless life;
And he read more

Assail'd by scandal and the tongue of strife,
His only answer was a blameless life;
And he that forged, and he that threw the dart,
Had each a brother's interest in his heart.

The mind conscious of innocence despises false reports: but we
are a set always ready to believe a scandal.
read more

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.]

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

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

How awful to reflect that what people say of us is true.

How awful to reflect that what people say of us is true.