Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.”
- Source
- Great Expectations
- Date
- 1861
- Local voice
- Fictional character · Mr. Jaggers
Meaning of “Take nothing on its looks; take everything on…”
Appearances are weak evidence; better judgment comes from examining what can actually be supported.
Where does it come from?
Great Expectations (1861), global Chapter XL / Volume III Chapter I in the Chapman & Hall three-volume first book edition. Mr. Jaggers tells Pip “Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule” while insisting that he has stayed to the strict line of fact about Pip’s benefactor. Verified against the scan-backed Wikisource Volume III Chapter I transcription and cross-checked with Project Gutenberg #1400. This remains fictional legal dialogue and character method rather than a modern legal or scientific standard.
Why the local voice matters
Great Expectations; Jaggers advises Pip.
