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LYing being a servile and cowardly Vice, odious in all persons, is most ugly in a Prince: who, besides his Na∣ture, should bear in his Dig∣nity the Image of God, the God of Truth. A Prince's word is considered as the Publique Faith, and ought to be sacred, as firm as an Oath; that Vice being too natural to all Chil∣dren, ought to be weeded with all possible industry out of the nature of an infant-Prince: the rather, because the Court, in which he is to be brought up,
is the Rendezvous of Lyars, and the School of Dissimula∣tion, in which he will learn too soon to speak contrary to that he thinks. The ordinary lying of Children is an excess of fear and shame, when the Child hath done something for which he fears punishment, he will deny the Deed, and lay it to another. That lye of excuse is as natural to Children as self∣love: wherein they are many times confirmed by their foolish Waiters, who seeing the Child ashamed, tell him it was not he that did it, but such a one present, who must be beaten, and he hugged: So they teach him to lye on the like occasions; yea, they teach him calumny and cruel Tyran∣ny, to make the innocent smart
for his errours, and his pleasure.
That the Child may have no occasion to shelter himself by lying excuses, he must not be chid for all the Toys he breaks, and all the Aprons he fouls: a wise Governess must invite him to confess that it was he that broke such a Looking Glass, or tore such a book; and then, upon his ingenuous confession, praise him for not telling a lie, and give him some fine thing: nothing that a Child spoils can be so precious as Truth and In∣genuity, those rich Jewels wherewith a noble Soul should be adorned. Age will wear out that gamesome bustling and breaking or spoyling what comes to his hand, for which yet he may be gently reproved: but age will confirm and
strengthen Lying, if the Child being terrified for those Chil∣dish Disorders, be forced to lie to excuse himself. Children will sometimes in their talk come out with little untruths, which are rather the issue of a luxuri∣ant Brain, than of a lying Dis∣position; these fancies should be heeded, rather to espie their inclination, than to rebuke them much, or impose them si∣lence: For since such fancies are working in their brains, they were as good speak them as think them: age will amend that; and a wise Director, when he seeth time, will help to prune the over - shooting of those wild Twigs: the best way is to fill his Head with Truth and Goodness.
Of wilful lying, the Child
should not be suffered to speak the least word, whether it be for excuse or otherwise, and in that point a most strict severity ought to be used: especially if it be a contrived lie to work harm to another; let lying be represented to the Child so unhandsome and so base, that he may abhor it: the way for that, will be to furnish his Me∣mory with instances of Great Men, who by lying and break∣ing their Faith have incurred infamy, and wrought their own ruine: or if any Youth that serveth him be taken in a lye, condemn him before the Prince to be whipt: for Exam∣ples are more taking than Pre∣cepts, especially with Chil∣dren.