8.
The Discourse on One Who Speaks Excrement
28.
"Monks, there are these three persons found existing in the world.
Which three?
One of foul speech, one of flower-like speech, one of honey-like speech.
And what, monks, is the person of foul speech?
Here, monks, a certain person, having gone to an assembly, or having gone to a company, or having gone among relatives, or having gone among a guild, or having gone among the royal court, being brought forward and questioned as a witness -
'Come, good man, tell what you know' -
he, not knowing, says 'I know,' or knowing, says 'I do not know,' or not seeing, says 'I see,' or seeing, says 'I do not see';
thus for his own sake, or for another's sake, or for the sake of some trifling material gain, he becomes a conscious speaker of falsehood.
This is called, monks, the person of foul speech.
"And what, monks, is the person of flower-like speech? Here, monks, a certain person, having gone to an assembly, or having gone to a company, or having gone among relatives, or having gone among a guild, or having gone among the royal court, being brought forward and questioned as a witness - 'Come, good man, tell what you understand' - he, not knowing, says 'I do not know,' or knowing, says 'I know,' or not seeing, says 'I do not see,' or seeing, says 'I see'; thus for his own sake, or for another's sake, or for the sake of some trifling material gain, he does not become a conscious speaker of falsehood. This is called, monks, the person of flower-like speech.
"And what, monks, is the person of honey-like speech? Here, monks, a certain person, having abandoned harsh speech, abstains from harsh speech; he speaks such words as are gentle, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, going to the heart, urbane, pleasing and agreeable to many people. This is called, monks, the person of honey-like speech. These, monks, are the three persons found existing in the world." The eighth.