VII. Verha fallaciae.
VII. Verha fallaciae.
Who is it that can truly say all things? If I were to speak truthfully about the prosperity of others, I would harm myself. For the lifting up of another is my own downfall. Therefore, I will place in my mouth words that will bring me honor, and in this way, I will seek what I cannot have on the other side. If I were truly honest, I wouldn’t have the need to seek everything. But when I focus on my own business, I find what belongs to others, and so I can say what I want. Many people are so firmly rooted in the truth that they can't move, as if they were tied to a piece of wood; but they only express what they see and hear, which is why many of them become poor, needy, and exiled. But what I seek deceitfully, I find. When I want to be more noble and richer than others, I show myself to them as more noble and richer through my words; and this is better for me than being tied to a tree. But I often say things I neither see nor hear, and thus I turn away from many greater things, and I also pass by many evils. If my speech were only one way, I would be condemned by everyone, so I multiply my words to avoid being surpassed; and this is more useful to me than being struck with clubs and swords. For I never found the noble and wealthy without my own business.
Read the original Latin
« Quis est qui omnia veraciter dicere possit?
Si enim aliis prosperitatem eorum veraciter dicerem, me ipsam laederem.
Nam alterius sublevatio^ 9 casus meus est.
Unde ventosa verba, quae mihi honorem dabunt, in os meum ponam, et sic quae in altera parte habere non possum, in altera requiram.
Si enim verax essem, circulum requirendi omnia non haberem.
Cum autem negotium meum colo, quae mihi aliena sunt reperio, et sic dicere potero quae voluero.
Multi enim veraces tam immobiles in veritate sunt, quod se movere non possunt, quasi ad lignum ligati sunt; sed hoc tantummodo proferunt quod vidcnt et audiunt; unde etiam multi ex eis pauperes et egeni et exsules fiunt.
Ego autem quod fallaciter requiro, hoc invenio.
Cum enim nobilior et ditior aliis esse volo, tunc me illis nobiiiorem et ditiorem verbis ostendo; et hoc mihi meiius est quam ad arborem ligata sim, Sed et saepe dico quae nec video nec audio, et sic a multis maiis declino, ac etiam plurima mala pertranseo.
Si enim loquela mea in uno modo esset, ab omnibus damnarer, et idco sermones meos multiplico, ne ab uUo superer; et hoc mihi utilius est quam fustibus et gladiis percutiar.
Nam nobiles et divites sine meo negotio nunquam inveni.»
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