An honest Writer, who has the Profit as well as the Pleasure of his
Reader in View, ought always to tell the Truth. But as he is at
Liberty to chuse his manner of telling it, so that Method of
Instruction ought to be observ'd in _Characteristic-Writings_,
which will keep up the good Humour of the Reader, altho' he is, at
the same Time, made sensible of his Errors. And this Artifice ought
industriously to be pursu'd, since the proper Management of it is so
necessary to the Success of _Characteristic-Writings_. For those who
love and admire Truth themselves, must yet be sensible that 'tis
generally unwelcome, both to themselves and to others, when the Point
of Self-Interest is concern'd. And the Reason of it is, not because
Truth is really ugly and deform'd, but because it presents to our View
certain Inconsistencies and Errors, which Self-Love will not allow us
to condemn. And therefore the great Art and Difficulty, in making
Truth pleasant and profitable, is so to expose Error, as not to seem
to make any Attacks upon the Province of Self-Love.
[F] _Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amico
Tangit, & admissus circum praecordia ludit,
Callidus excusso Populum suspendere naso.
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