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

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

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.

Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality

Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality

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.

Old maids sweeten their tea with scandal.

Old maids sweeten their tea with scandal.

The mightier man, the mightier is the thing
That makes him honored or begets him hate;
For read more

The mightier man, the mightier is the thing
That makes him honored or begets him hate;
For greatest scandal waits on greatest state.

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.

Dead scandals form good subjects for dissection.

Dead scandals form good subjects for dissection.