Truth
‹ 7 · Outline · 9 ›
8.Oaths, promises and good faith
8a.Oaths sworn, kept and broken
Homer, The OdysseyVol. 22
- p. 72–73Calypso swears to plan no guile, asserting a righteous, pitiful heart.read · scan
Euripides, HippolytusVol. 8
- p. 328–331The question of an oath extracted by trick and whether it binds the speaker.read · scan
- p. 346–349Hippolytus swears by Earth and Zeus that he never touched Phaedra; Theseus treats the oath as a mage's trick.read · scan
Virgil, The AeneidVol. 13
- p. 100Sinon invokes gods and altars to swear falsely; false tears win the king's trust.read · scan
Plutarch, CiceroVol. 12
- p. 236Cicero swears a new oath that he saved his country, and the people confirm its truth.read · scan
Pliny the Younger, Letters of PlinyVol. 9
- p. 226–228Regulus swears falsely by his son's life; lying and false oaths condemned.read · scan
Chapters from the KoranVol. 45
- p. 1005Witnesses swear not to sell testimony or hide it, even for a relative.read · scan
Stories from the Thousand and One NightsVol. 16
- p. 57–58Secrecy and trustworthiness debated; the porter vows to keep secrets.read · scan
The Story of the Volsungs and NiblungsVol. 49
- p. 345–346Vingi swears he does not lie, yet the treachery is revealed.read · scan
Martin Luther, Address to the Christian Nobility of the German NationVol. 36
- p. 315–316Papal dispensations from oaths and vows destroy truth and faith mutually pledged.read · scan
- p. 316–317Keeping oaths and faith, even with enemies, is God's command; the Pope teaches perjury and treachery.read · scan
Miguel de Cervantes, The History of Don Quixote of the Mancha, Part IVol. 14
- p. 37The farmer's oaths are insincere and deceitful, swearing while planning the contrary.read · scan
- p. 259Fernando swears by heaven and an image of Our Lady that his promise of marriage is true.read · scan
Sir Walter Raleigh, Preface to the History of the WorldVol. 39
- p. 86Don John swears on the Evangelists to keep the treaty, then perjures himself by seizing the citadels.read · scan
William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of MacbethVol. 46
- p. 369–370Son and mother define a traitor as one who swears and lies.read · scan
Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, Philaster, or Love Lies A-BleedingVol. 47
- p. 704Bellario swears by heaven he never lied, and asks to live loathed if false.read · scan
Jean Racine, PhaedraVol. 26
- p. 175–177Theseus refuses to believe his oaths, saying the wicked never shrink from perjury.read · scan
Voltaire, Letters on the EnglishVol. 34
- p. 68Quakers never swear oaths; their yea or nay is believed by judges.read · scan
Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of NationsVol. 10
- p. 499Honesty of oath-declared payments is presumed and revenue is not thought to sufferread · scan
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Tragedy of Faust, Part IVol. 19
- p. 71–73Faust argues a man's plighted word should suffice; written deeds with seal show distrust; truth pure in the breast needs none.read · scan
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household TalesVol. 17
- p. 48–49She forgets her promise once she has her ball; the frog reminds her of her word.read · scan
- p. 177The girl is bound by oath not to reveal her true identity, but pours out her story to the iron stove, and the King overhears.read · scan
Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, MontaigneVol. 32
- p. 113–114His protestations were never mere form of speech but real undertakings.read · scan
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, PoemsVol. 42
- p. 975–976Faith and unfaith cannot be equal powers; a little unfaith undermines all trust.read · scan
8b.Promises made without intent to keep
Homer, The OdysseyVol. 22
- p. 211An oath is sworn to bring her home, while she plans secrecy and deceit.read · scan
Paul, The Second Epistle of Paul to the CorinthiansVol. 45
- p. 517Paul defends his word as not yea and nay, since God is faithful and Christ is the 'yea' to promises.read · scan
Plutarch, CaesarVol. 12
- p. 283Caesar holds it folly to keep faith with those who faithlessly broke their agreement.read · scan
The Song of RolandVol. 49
- p. 96–98Marsil's false promises of conversion and hostages; envoys sent to deceive and trap Karl.read · scan
Niccolò Machiavelli, The PrinceVol. 36
- p. 57Keeping faith is praiseworthy, yet deceitful princes have succeeded; breaking promises is justified since men are dishonest.read · scan
Sir Thomas More, UtopiaVol. 36
- p. 213Fraud and deceit in words of treaties break faith.read · scan
Martin Luther, Address to the Christian Nobility of the German NationVol. 36
- p. 278–279Popes lie, deceive and make covenants they never mean to keep, under Christ's holy name.read · scan
Benvenuto Cellini, The Autobiography of Benvenuto CelliniVol. 31
- p. 228–229Cellini suspects the Pope's promised compensation is a false show meant to betray him, while the Greek believes what he hears.read · scan
William Harrison, A Description of Elizabethan EnglandVol. 35
- p. 223An Italianate says faith and truth are to be kept only while no loss follows.read · scan
Sir Francis Drake, Sir Francis Drake RevivedVol. 33
- p. 156–157The Scrivano's smooth promises prove mere words, a governor's trick to delay Drake.read · scan
Miguel de Cervantes, The History of Don Quixote of the Mancha, Part IVol. 14
- p. 203–204Fernando deceives Cardenio with a false pretext of travel, having secretly taken the country maid under promise of marriage.read · scan
- p. 261–262Fernando repeats oaths and gives a ring, yet proves a traitor and disloyal man.read · scan
- p. 500–501Vincent deceived her with false promises of marriage and of Naples, then abandoned her in a cave.read · scan
Christopher Marlowe, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love; Her ReplyVol. 40
- p. 254–255Reply says she would be moved if truth were in every shepherd's tongue.read · scan
William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of DenmarkVol. 46
- p. 109–111Vows are mere brokers, not of the dye their investments show, breathing pious falsehood to beguile.read · scan
Pierre Corneille, PolyeucteVol. 26
- p. 117–119Felix cynically holds that words and oaths are wind, tools by which men deceive.read · scan
John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, Epitaph on Charles IIVol. 40
- p. 383The king's word cannot be relied upon.read · scan
Benjamin Franklin, His AutobiographyVol. 1
- p. 34The governor's cordial promises prove insincere, since he was liberal of promises he never meant to keep.read · scan
- p. 38–39The governor's repeated delays and evasions show his promises of letters were false, though Franklin still trusts him.read · scan
Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in FranceVol. 24
- p. 367Burke charges fraud and breach of faith against the Assembly's declarations of April 1790.read · scan
Alessandro Manzoni, I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed)Vol. 21
- p. 217–218His public promises contrast with his private asides, showing insincerity.read · scan
- p. 222–223His whispered Spanish asides reveal that his public promises are meant to placate the crowd.read · scan
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household TalesVol. 17
- p. 47–48The princess promises freely while privately thinking she need not keep her word.read · scan
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, PoemsVol. 42
- p. 1032–1033He questions whether he would love her if she could break her given word, even for him.read · scan
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