it, unless I am any way interested
in the person--for that would be to dip into other men's affairs, which
is not my proper work; and if I should any way be misinformed of the
circumstances of the tradesman I am to speak of, and wrong him, I may be
instrumental to bring ruin causelessly upon him.

In a word, it is a very nice and critical case, and a tradesman ought to
be very sure of what he says or does in such a case, the good or evil
fate of his neighbour lying much at stake, and depending too much on the
breath of his mouth. Every part of this discourse shows how much a
tradesman's welfare depends upon the justice and courtesy of his
neighbours, and how nice and critical a thing his reputation is.

This, well considered, would always keep a tradesman humble, and show
him what need he has to behave courteously and obligingly among his
neighbours; for one malicious word from a man much meaner than himself,
may overthrow him in such a manner, as all the friends he has may not be
able to recover him; a tradesman, if possible, should never make himself
any enemies.

But if it is so fatal a thing to tradesmen to give characters of one
another, and that a tradesman should be so backward in it for fear of
hurting his neighbour, and that, notwithstanding the character given
should be just, and the particular reported of him should be true, with
how much greater caution should we act in like cases where what is
suggested is really false in fact, and the tradesman is innocent, as was
the case in the tradesman mentioned before about courting the lady. If a
tradesman may be ruined and undone by a true report, much more may he be
so by a false report, by a malicious, slandering, defaming tongue. There
is an artful way of talking of other people's reputation, which really,
however some people salve the matter, is equal, if not superior, in
malice to the worst thing they can say; this is, by rendering them
suspected, talking doubtfully of their characters, and of their conduct,
and rendering them first doubtful, and then strongly suspected. I don't
know what to say to such a man. A gentleman came to me the other day,
but I knew not what to say; I dare not say he is a good man, or that I
would trust him with five hundred pounds myself; if I should say so, I
should belie my own opinion. I do not know, indeed, he may be a good man
at bottom, but I cannot say he minds his business; if I should, I must
lie; I think he keeps a great