Unsubstantiated gossip, hyperbole and a lesson learnt

Dear Diary,

I am reading a most curious book at the moment. I picked it up a few years ago in Heffer's in Cambridge. Normally I would only read mainly authentic primary sources, and not give much consideration to spurious works. However, this particular work is rather interesting, namely, Rhetoric: To Herennius by Pseudo-Cicero.

The work itself covers types of arguments and the weighing up of evidence, and although seemingly well structured, the author digresses from time to time, particularly later on in the work. We like digressions. If history were written in the same, clinical, scientific and concise manner it is today, we would know far less about the cultures of ancient peoples, and how people thought at the time. (Notables include Herodotus, Strabo and Ammianus Marcellinus, to name but a few). Anyway.

While at work during our all of five minutes' break - granted at different times - a new staff member, recently promoted to assistant manager (the lad is 17 years old and his mum drives him to work: perfectly suited in terms of maturity, education and experience, to be a blue or white collar worker, and indeed my superior) returned saying that Russia had amassed a large amount of troops on the border with Poland. I had no reason to disbelieve the young man, and made a meal out of it, expressing how There'll Always Be An England, and how Britain's war time spirit, its character of staying in a good mood, even during the most challenging times will see us through the coming war.

Then, upon returning home, I tried searching for this sensational piece of news. Seemingly, the young man may have been reading the tabloid newspaper The Sun, and the article was written some eighteen or so hours ago. If not, it may be that what he was reading could well have been a few days, or even a week or more old. Therefore, this taught me an important lesson: never give any weight to hearsay, hyperbole and unsubstantiated gossip. I should have known, having recently read McMahon's book on MI5, and indeed [Cicero], To Herennius, where such matters are discussed at length. Each day, one gets a little bit wiser.

Max.