Quotes About Truth

The people's voice is odd,It is, and it is not, the voice of God.

An honest man is the noblest work of God.

And all who told it added something new, And all who heard it made enlargements too.

He who tells a lie is not sensible of how great a task he undertakes; for he must be forced to invent twenty more to maintain that one.

Let me tell you I am better acquainted with you for a long absence, as men are with themselves for a long affliction absence does but hold off a friend, to make one see him the truer.

True Wit is Nature to advantage dress'd What oft was thought, but ne'er so well express'd; Something whose truth convinced at sight we find, That gives us back the image of our mind. As shades more sweetly recommend the light, So modest plainness sets off sprightly wit.

An honest man's the noblest work of God

The Wit of Cheats, the Courage of a Whore, Are what ten thousand envy and adore: All, all look up, with reverential Awe, At crimes that 'scape, or triumph o'er the Law: While Truth, Worth, Wisdom, daily they decry-` 'Nothing is sacred now but Villainy' - Epilogue to the Satires, Dialogue I

Whatever is, is right.

Words are like Leaves; and where they most abound, Much Fruit of Sense beneath is rarely found. False Eloquence, like the Prismatic Glass, Its gawdy Colours spreads on ev'ry place; The Face of Nature was no more Survey, All glares alike, without Distinction gay: But true Expression, like th' unchanging Sun, Clears, and improves whate'er it shines upon, It gilds all Objects, but it alters none.

Poetic justice, with her lifted scale, Where, in nice balance, truth with gold she weighs, And solid pudding against empty praise. Here she beholds the chaos dark and deep, Where nameless somethings in their causes sleep, Till genial Jacob, or a warm third day, Call forth each mass, a poem, or a play: How hints, like spawn, scarce quick in embryo lie, How new-born nonsense first is taught to cry.

Out with it, Dunciad: let the secret pass - That secret to each fool - that he's an ass. The truth once told (and whereby should we lie?), The queen of Midas slept, and so may I. You think this cruel? Take it for a rule, No creature smarts so little as a fool.

Sure flattery never traveled so far as three thousand miles; it is now only for truth, which over takes all things, to reach you at this distance.

The pride of aiming at more knowledge, and pretending to more perfection, is the cause of Man's error and misery.

Pride, where wit fails, steps in to our defence, And fills up all the mighty void of sense! If once right reason drives that cloud away, Truth breaks upon us with resistless day; Trust not yourself; but your defects to know, Make use of ev'ry friend—and ev'ry foe.

An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie

A man should never be ashamed to own that he is wrong, which is but saying in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

Tis not enough your counsel still be true; Blunt truths more mischief than nice falsehoods do; Men must be taught as if you taught them not, And things unknown proposed as things forgot.

By false learning is good sense defaced

All nature is but art unknown to thee; All chance direction, which thou canst not see; All discord harmony not understood; All partial evil universal good; And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite, One truth is clear, 'Whatever is, is right.

Pride where wit fails steps in to our defense, And fills up all the mighty void of sense. If once right reason drives that cloud away, Truth breaks upon us with resistless day Trust not yourself, but your defects to know, Make use of every friend—and every foe.

Tis not enough, your counsel still be true; Blunt truths more mischief than nice falsehoods do;

Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see, Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor e'er shall be.

All nature is but art, unknown to thee; All chance, direction, which thou canst not see; All discord, harmony not understood; All partial evil, universal good: And, spite of pride in erring reason's spite, One truth is clear, whatever is, is right. ARGUMENT