28 Aug. 1815

Jug. True

I. Prolegomena

Ch. Imperfections

Marks of Verity

8

Under this danger, (with this as with a [...?] hanging over his head) no man having a false story to circulate, will it is evident, so long as he can expect to find credence without it, be induced thus voluntarily to give individuality so much as to the bare supposed matter of fact, by any other consideration than that of absolute necessity—i.e. despair of gaining for the story sufficient credence upon any other terms. The very fact itself whatsoever it be that bears upon the particular point in question, and by which the particular purpose is to be answered the fact by the credence given to which the sinister profit thus sought so to be obtained—even this supposed fact when given will be given unaccompanied by its [...?] individualizing circumstances, by the circumstances necessary to bring it down from the state of a species of fact to the state of an individual and real matter of fact.

But if nothing less than the supposition of necessity will cause him to hazard upon so much as a single fact, this false cloathing, much less will he under any inferior purpose hazard with any such cloathing upon them, any collateral false and invented fact. For the greater the number of these collateral and individualized false facts brought as above into an individualized state, the greater is the number of chances of detection to which he will thus expose himself.

16 or 9

Under these dangers, necessity alone will engage a man to give individuality so much as to the principal fact, if the story be in toto a false one.

17 or 10

Still less to any ineffectual supposed accompanying circumstances. The greater their number the greater the number of chances of detection.