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When a friend,
then, indulges in the joy of unburdening a secret on to
another friend's bosom, he makes the latter, in his turn,
feel the urge to taste the same joy himself. He implores
him, it is true, not to tell a soul; but if such a condition
were taken absolutely literally, it would at once cut off
the flow of these joys at their very source. The general
practice is for the secret to be confided only to an equally
trustworthy friend, the same conditions being imposed on
him. And so from trustworthy friend to trustworthy friend
the secret goes moving on round that immense chain, until
finally it reaches the ears of just the very person or
persons whom the first talker had expressly intended it
never should reach.
-- Alessandro Manzoni
1785-1873, Italian Novelist,
Poet, Dramatist
But he that
hides a dark soul and foul thoughts benighted walks under
the mid-day sun; Himself is his own dungeon.
-- John Milton
1608-1674, British Poet
What is told
into the ear of a man is often heard a hundred miles away.
-- Chinese Proverb
Sayings of Chinese Origin
Tell your
friend a lie. If he keeps it secret, then tell him the
truth.
-- Portuguese Proverb
Sayings of Portuguese Origin
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A secret
between two is God's secret, between three is all men s.
-- Spanish Proverb
Sayings of Spanish Origin
Secrecy is the
first essential in affairs of the State.
-- Cardinal De Richelieu
1585-1642, French Statesman
The first step
towards vice is to shroud innocent actions in mystery, and
whoever likes to conceal something sooner or later has
reason to conceal it.
-- Jean Jacques Rousseau
1712-1778, Swiss Political
Philosopher, Educationist, Essayist
It is wise to
disclose what cannot be concealed.
-- Johann Friedrich Von
Schiller
1759-1805, German Dramatist,
Poet, Historian
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