"In his imperishable Treatise on the Art of Political Lying, published in 1714, Dr. John Arbuthnot laid down a standard for falsifiers and calumniators that has yet to be excelled:
'Detractory or defamatory lies should not be quite opposite to the qualities the person is supposed to have. Thus it will not be found according to the sound rules of pseudology to report of a pious and religious prince that he neglects his devotions and would introduce heresy; but you may report of a merciful Prince that he has pardoned a criminal who did not deserve it'..."
michael perelman wrote:
> In 1712, John Arbuthnot, chiefly known as a satirist, considered second
> only to Jonathan Swift, was also the Queen Anne's doctor and a Fellow of
> the Royal Society, proposed the publication of a book with two volumes,
> titled, The Art of Political Lying. Sadly, the book never appeared
> although it would be more relevant than ever today. Arbuthnot praised,
> "the noble and useful art of political lying, which in this last age
> having been enriched with several new discoveries" (p. 8) Obviously, he
> did not have the Internet in mind, but perhaps something similar had
> recently happened in England.
>
> see more at
>
> http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/the-art-of-political-lying/
>