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ving_ one； or as a dead？ Partridge the Almanac…Maker； whose 〃Publications〃 still regularly appear； is known to be dead！ The dog that was drowned last summer； and that floats up and down the Thames with ebb and flood ever since；is it not dead？ Alas； in the hot months； you meet here and there such a floating dog； and at length； if you often use the river steamers； get to know him by sight。 〃There he is again； still astir there in his quasi…stygian element！〃 you dejectedly exclaim （perhaps reading your Morning Newspaper at the moment）； and reflect； with a painful oppression of nose and imagination； on certain completed professors of parliamentary eloquence in modern times。 Dead long since； but _not_ resting； daily doing motions in that Westminster region still；daily from Vauxhall to Blackfriars； and back again； and cannot get away at all！ Daily （from Newspaper or river steamer） you may see him at some point of his fated course； hovering in the eddies； stranded in the ooze； or rapidly progressing with flood or ebb； and daily the odor of him is getting more intolerable： daily the condition of him appeals more tragically to gods and men。
Nature admits no lie； most men profess to be aware of this； but few in any measure lay it to heart。 Except in the departments of mere material manipulation； it seems to be taken practically as if this grand truth were merely a polite flourish of rhetoric。 What is a lie？ The question is worth asking； once and away； by the practical English mind。
A voluntary spoken divergence from the fact as it stands； as it has occurred and will proceed to develop itself： this clearly； if adopted by any man； will so far forth mislead him in all practical dealing with the fact； till he cast that statement out of him； and reject it as an unclean poisonous thing； he can have no success in dealing with the fact。 If such spoken divergence from the truth be involuntary； we lament it as a misfortune； and are entitled； at least the speaker of it is； to lament it extremely as the most palpable of all misfortunes； as the indubitablest losing of his way； and turning aside from the goal instead of pressing towards it； in the race set before him。 If the divergence is voluntary；there superadds itself to our sorrow a just indignation： we call the voluntary spoken divergence a lie； and justly abhor it as the essence of human treason and baseness； the desertion of a man to the Enemy of men against himself and his brethren。 A lost deserter； who has gone over to the Enemy； called Satan； and cannot _but_ be lost in the adventure！ Such is every liar with the tongue； and such in all nations is he； at all epochs； considered。 Men pull his nose； and kick him out of doors； and by peremptory expressive methods signify that they can and will have no trade with him。 Such is spoken divergence from the fact； so fares it with the practiser of that sad art。
But have we well considered a divergence _in thought_ from what is the fact？ Have we considered the man whose very thought is a lie to him and to us！ He too is a frightful man； repeating about this Universe on every hand what is not； and driven to repeat it； the sure herald of ruin to all that follow him； that know with _his_ knowledge！ And would you learn how to get a mendacious thought； there is no surer recipe than carrying a loose tongue。 The lying thought； you already either have it； or will soon get it by that method。 He who lies with his very tongue； _he_ clearly enough has long ceased to think truly in his mind。 Does he； in any sense； 〃think〃？ All his thoughts and imaginations； if they extend beyond mere beaverisms； astucities and sensualisms； are false； incomplete； perverse； untrue even to himself。 He has become a false mirror of this Universe； not a small mirror only； but a crooked； bedimmed and utterly deranged one。 But all loose tongues too are akin to lying ones； are insincere at the best； and go rattling with little meaning； the thought lying languid at a great distance behind them； if thought there be behind them at all。 Gradually there will be none or little！ How can the thought of such a man； what he calls thought； be other than false？
Alas； the palpable liar with his tongue does at least know that he is lying； and has or might have some faint vestige of remorse and chance of amendment； but the impalpable liar； whose tongue articulates mere accepted commonplaces； cants and babblement； which means only； 〃Admire me； call me an excellent stump…orator！〃of him what hope is there？ His thought； what thought he had； lies dormant； inspired only to invent vocables and plausibilities； while the tongue goes so glib； the thought is absent； gone a wool…gathering； getting itself drugged with the applausive 〃Hear； hear！〃what will become of such a man？ His idle thought has run all to seed； and grown false and the giver of falsities； the inner light of his mind is gone out； all his light is mere putridity and phosphorescence henceforth。 Whosoever is in quest of ruin； let him with assurance follow that man； he or no one is on the right road to it。
Good Heavens； from the wisest Thought of a man to the actual truth of a Thing as it lies in Nature； there is； one would suppose； a sufficient interval！ Consider it；and what other intervals we introduce！ The faithfulest； most glowing word of a man is but an imperfect image of the thought； such as it is； that dwells within him； his best word will never but with error convey his thought to other minds： and then between his poor thought and Nature's Fact； which is the Thought of the Eternal； there may be supposed to lie some discrepancies； some shortcomings！ Speak your sincerest； think your wisest； there is still a great gulf between you and the fact。 And now； do not speak your sincerest； and what will inevitably follow out of that； do not think your wisest； but think only your plausiblest； your showiest for parliamentary purposes； where will you land with that guidance？I invite the British Parliament； and all the Parliamentary and other Electors of Great Britain； to reflect on this till they have well understood it； and then to ask； each of himself； What probably the horoscopes of the British Parliament； at this epoch of World…History； may be？
Fail； by any sin or any misfortune； to discover what the truth of the fact is； you are lost so far as that fact goes！ If your thought do not image truly but do image falsely the fact； you will vainly try to work upon the fact。 The fact will not obey you； the fact will silently resist you； and ever； with silent invincibility； will go on resisting you； till you do get to image it truly instead of falsely。 No help for you whatever； except in attaining to a true image of the fact。 Needless to vote a false image true； vote it； revote it by overwhelming majorities； by jubilant unanimities and universalities； read it thrice or three hundred times； pass acts of parliament upon it till the Statute…book can hold no more；it helps not a whit： the thing is not so； the thing is otherwise than so； and Adam's whole Posterity； voting daily on it till the world finish； will not alter it a jot。 Can the sublimest sanhedrim； constitutional parliament； or other Collective Wisdom of the world； persuade fire not to burn； sulphuric acid to be sweet milk； or the Moon to become green cheese？ The fact is much the reverse：and even the Constitutional British Parliament abstains from such arduous attempts as these latter in the voting line； and leaves the multiplication…table； the chemical； mechanical and other qualities of material substances to take their own course； being aware that voting and perorating； and reporting in Hansard； will not in the least alter any of these。 Which is indisputably wise of the British Parliament。
Unfortunately the British Parliament does not； at present； quite know that all manner of things and relations of things； spiritual equally with material； all manner of qualities； entities； existences whatsoever； in this strange visible and invisible Universe； are equally inflexible of nature； that； they will； one and all； with precisely the same obstinacy； continue to obey their own law； not our law； deaf as the adder to all charm of parliamentary eloquence； and of voting never so often repeated； silently； but inflexibly and forevermore； declining to change themselves； even as sulphuric acid declines to become sweet milk； though you vote so to the end of the world。 This； it sometimes seems to me； is not quite sufficiently laid hold of by the British and other Parliaments just at present。 Which surely is a great misfortune to said Parliaments！ For； it would appear； the grand point； after all constitutional improvements； and such wagging of wigs in Westminster as there has been； is precisely what it was before any constitution was yet heard of； or the first official wig had budded out of nothing： namely； to ascertain what the truth of your question； in Nature； really is！ Verily so。 In this time and place； as in all past and in all future times and places。 To…day in St。 Stephen's； where constitutional； philanthropical； and other great things lie in the mortar…kit； even as on the Plain of Shinar long ago； where a certain Tower； likewise of a very philanthropic nature；