A circle is a line without ends, and a square hath four equal sides, not one longer or shorter than another. To square the circle is to make the square figure to be equal with the round figure. Honesty is the circle without ends, that is, by-respects, for an honest man is honest for honesty’s sake. But to square this circle is very difficult, for it is hard for Honesty to take part with four sides without Faction. For where there is siding there is Faction; and where Faction is, there is Partiality; and where Partiality is, there is Injustice; and where Injustice is, there is Wrong; and where Wrong is, Truth is not; and where Truth is not, Honesty cares not to live.
But let us see how we can square this circle of Honesty. First, draw four lines: Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, and Justice. These four lines, let them be cross parallels, to make a square, and at each end of every line make a point. At the line of Justice, a point of Severity at one end and another of Facility at the other end. And at either end of Fortitude, one of Rashness and another of Timorosity. And at each end of Temperance, Prodigality and Covetousness. At each end of Prudence, Sloth and Stupidity. Then draw out these points and make them angles: as Severity and Timorosity make one angle, Rashness and Stupidity another. Sloth and Prodigality make a third angle; Facility and Covetousness make the fourth.
Then exactly in the midst of either line, set on either side of the line a figure: as Distributive on the outside of the line of Justice, and Communicative within the line. So on the line of Fortitude, Despair on the outside and Love within. On Prudence line, Experience on the outside and Industry within. On Temperance line, Observation on the outside and Ease within.
Then draw a line of Charity from the point Distribution, and from the point of Observation a Line of Discretion, and make an angle of Hope. Then from Community a line of Clemency, and from the point of Ease a line of Comfort, which make an angle of Peace. Then from Despair a line of Hope, and from Industry a line of Fruition, which make an angle of Tranquility. Then from the point of Love a line of Faith, and from the point of Ease a Line of Pleasure; this makes an angle of Joy. Then set a point at every angle, viz., Obedience, Humility, Respect, and Reverence. And thus the square measured with truth will be equal with the circle of Honesty.