The worlds olio written by the Right Honorable, the Lady Margaret Newcastle.

Truth and falshood not easily known.

IT is very hard, and requires much time to finde out falshood; for though occasions make a man know himself in part, and so to another, yet not so fully as we may rest upon him, to be one and alwayes the same, neither can we without great injustice censure alwayes by the hurt we receive; for ill ef∣fects may fall from very good intentions, and therefore how shall we censure by the intentions, since none knoweth them but themselves; for although an honest man desires to live, as

if the world saw his thoughts, and strives to think as he would be judged, for an honest man would not betray the trust of an enemy either by threats nor torments, nor fear of death, nor love to life, nor perswasions of friends, nor the allurements of the world, nor the inchantments of tongues; nor any miseries of his own shall make him step from the grounds of honesty; but as a God he doth adoro it, as a servant he doth obey it, and though it be the chief part of honesty to keep a trust, yet all trust is not honest, so as it is as great a dishonesty to take an evil, base, or an unworthy trust, as to betray a just one.