Arbuthnot's 18th century treatise on lying

 Thanks to Melvyn Bragg and guests for putting me on to this work by the Scottish doctor, mathematician and satirist, Dr John Arbuthnot. Set aside the flowery language, the classical references and the fact that Arbuthnot was a Tory opposed to the Whigs, and much of his prospectus stands up today. It is hard to know whether he was being sarcastic or serious when he suggested that lying was necessary in politics and financial affairs, but there are clearly many people in high places today who believe both. There is less doubt when he goes on to say:

The Seventh Chapter is wholly taken up in an Enquiry, Which of the two Parties are the greatest Artists in Political Lying. [The author] owns the Tories have been better believed of late; but, that the Whigs have much the greater Genius's amongst them. He attri­butes the late ill Success of the Whig-Party to their glutting the Market, and retailing too much of a bad Commodity at once: When there is too great a Quantity of Worms, it is hard to catch Gudgeons. He proposes a Scheme for the Recovery of the Credit of the Whig-Party, which indeed seems to be somewhat Chimerical, and does not savour of that sound Judgment the Author has shown in the rest of the Work It amounts to this, That the Party should agree to vent nothing but Truth for three Months together, which will give them Cre­dit for six Months Lying afterwards. He owns, that he believes it almost impossible to find fit Persons to execute this Scheme. Towards the end of the Chapter, he in­veighs severely against the Folly of Parties, in retaining such Scoundrels and Men of Low Genius's to retail their Lyes; such as most of the present News-Writers are, who besides a strong Bent and Inclination towards the Profession, seem to be wholly ignorant in the Rules of Pseudology, and not at all qualified for so weighty a Trust.