De mortuis aut bene, aut nihil - О мёртвых либо хорошо, либо ничего. The proverb is double-edged: on the one hand it is a mere piece of politeness and the most acceptable form of hypocrisy, on the other, it is unfairly exonerating the sins of bad people through the mechanism of death. Though civilized people learn early to be respectful to death, there is no reason for whitewashing the wrong-doers. That’s why Count Odoyevsky’s variant of the proverb seems to carry more weight: "de mortuis seu veritas, seu nihil" - „О мёртвых либо правду, либо ничего“.