Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Literary
July 23, 1789
The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
A prose essay condemning scandal and slander as an indefensible evil, more destructive than hell's fiends, that attacks with subtle gestures and leaves incurable wounds, preying on innocence and causing ruin.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
On SCANDAL:
—'Haret lateri lethalis Arundo.'
AGAINST slander there is no defence. Hell cannot boast so foul a fiend—nor man deplore so fell a foe. It stabs with a word—with a nod—with a shrug—with a smile. It is the pestilence, walking in darkness, spreading contagion far and wide, which the most wary traveller cannot avoid. It is the heart searching dagger of the dark assassin. It is the poisoned arrow, whose wound is incurable. It is the mortal sting of the deadly adder: Murder is its employment: Innocence its prey—and Ruin its sport.
—'Haret lateri lethalis Arundo.'
AGAINST slander there is no defence. Hell cannot boast so foul a fiend—nor man deplore so fell a foe. It stabs with a word—with a nod—with a shrug—with a smile. It is the pestilence, walking in darkness, spreading contagion far and wide, which the most wary traveller cannot avoid. It is the heart searching dagger of the dark assassin. It is the poisoned arrow, whose wound is incurable. It is the mortal sting of the deadly adder: Murder is its employment: Innocence its prey—and Ruin its sport.
What sub-type of article is it?
Essay
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Scandal
Slander
Moral Essay
Vice
Ruin
Innocence
Literary Details
Title
On Scandal
Subject
Against Slander
Key Lines
—'Haret Lateri Lethalis Arundo.'
Against Slander There Is No Defence. Hell Cannot Boast So Foul A Fiend—Nor Man Deplore So Fell A Foe.
It Stabs With A Word—With A Nod—With A Shrug—With A Smile.
Murder Is Its Employment: Innocence Its Prey—And Ruin Its Sport.