large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb_11
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb
English
7264
A worthy provincial might have been shocked ten years ago to hear that places in the Upper House of Parliament were regularly bought and sold. A WORTHY PROVINCIAL MIGHT HAVE BEEN SHOCKED TEN YEARS AGO TO HEAR THAT PLACES IN THE UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT WERE REGULARLY BOUGHT AND SOLD
m are lying, always enjoys a certain restricted power of prophecy. If there were a general conspiracy to maintain the falsehood that all peers were over six foot high, a man desiring to correct this falsehood would be perfectly safe if he were to say: "I do not know whether the _next_ peer you meet will be over six foot or not, but I am pretty safe in prophesying that you will find, among the next dozen three or four peers less than six foot high." If there were a general conspiracy to pretend that people with incomes above the income-tax level never cheated one in a bargain, one could not say "on such-and-such a day you will be cheated in a bargain by such-and-such a person, whose income will be above the income-tax level," but one could say; "Note the people who swindle you in the next five years, and I will prophesy that some of the number will be people paying income-tax." This power of prophecy, which is an adjunct of truth telling, I have noticed to affect people very profoundly. COLLEAGUES AROUND HIM ARE LYING ALWAYS ENJOYS A CERTAIN RESTRICTED POWER OF PROPHECY IF THERE WERE A GENERAL CONSPIRACY TO MAINTAIN THE FALSEHOOD THAT ALL PEERS WERE OVER SIX FOOT HIGH A MAN DESIRING TO CORRECT THIS FALSEHOOD WOULD BE PERFECTLY SAFE IF HE WERE TO SAY I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE NEXT PEER YOU MEET WILL BE OVER SIX FOOT OR NOT BUT I AM PRETTY SAFE IN PROPHESYING THAT YOU WILL FIND AMONG THE NEXT DOZEN THREE OR FOUR PEERS LESS THAN SIX FOOT HIGH IF THERE WERE A GENERAL CONSPIRACY TO PRETEND THAT PEOPLE WITH INCOMES ABOVE THE INCOME TAX LEVEL NEVER CHEATED ONE IN A BARGAIN ONE COULD NOT SAY ON SUCH AND SUCH A DAY YOU WILL BE CHEATED IN A BARGAIN BY SUCH AND SUCH A PERSON WHOSE INCOME WILL BE ABOVE THE INCOME TAX LEVEL BUT ONE COULD SAY NOTE THE PEOPLE WHO SWINDLE YOU IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND I WILL PROPHESY THAT SOME OF THE NUMBER WILL BE PEOPLE PAYING INCOME TAX THIS POWER OF PROPHECY WHICH IS AN ADJUNCT OF TELLING THE TRUTH I HAVE NOTICED TO AFFECT PEOPLE VERY PROFOUNDLY
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