So near is falsehood to the truth, that a wise man would do well not to trust himself on the narrow edge.
Generally, a falsehood is when somebody says something that they believe to be true but it later turns out to be false. A lie is when somebody intentionally presents something that is false as the truth.
For the history of our race, and each individual's experience, are sown thick with evidences that a truth is not hard to kill, and that a lie well told is immortal...An awkward, feeble, leaky lie is a thing which you ought to make it your unceasing study to avoid; such a lie has no more real permanence than an average truth.
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.