BACON’S
ESSAYS
SIR
FRANCIS BACON
Sir Francis Bacon (later Lord Verulam,
the Viscount St. Albans, and Lord Chancellor of England) was born in London in
1561 to a prominent and well-connected family. His parents were Sir Nicholas
Bacon, the Lord Keeper of the Seal.it has also been said by some critics that
he was an illegitimate son of the Queen Elizabeth. Bacon was educated at home
at the family estate at Gorhambury in Herfordshire. In 1573, at the age of just
twelve, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1576 Bacon began reading law at
Gray’s Inn. Bacon completed his law degree in 1582, and in 1588 he was named
lecturer in legal studies at Gray’s Inn. In the meantime, he was elected to
Parliament in 1584 as a member for Melcombe in Dorsetshire. He would remain in
Parliament as a representative for various constituencies for the next 36
years. During the last five years of his life Bacon devoted himself to science
and literature with amazing memory.it was during this period that the best of
his works were written.
He caught a chill , while
experimenting with a fowl to see it could be preserved if stuffed with ice.
This caused his death on April 9th 1962. Thus he sacrificed his life
for the sake of science.
In his essays Bacon considers wisdom an
goodness in action rather than in theory. The tree is known by its fruit. The
rightness of an action is known by its effects. Numerous instances of Bacon’s
worldly mindedness can be given from his essays.
Bacon’s
essays are a treasure house of what is called worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom
means the kind of wisdom that is necessary for achieving worldly success.
Worldly wisdom does not imply any deep philosophy. It simply means the art or the technique that
a man should employ to achieve success in life. “ Of Friendship , Of Truth , Of Great Place
, Of Studies , Of Marriage and Single Life “
are the famous examples of Bacon’s essays.
1. Of Studies
1-
Studies
serve for delight, for ornament and for ability.
2-
To
spend too much time in studies is sloth. (laziness)
3-
Crafty
men condemn studies, simple men admire them and wise men use them.
4-
Some
books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few are to be chewed
and digested.
5-
Reading
maketh a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man.
This
is one of Bacon’s popular essays. Bacon gives sound and solid ideas regarding
the uses and the limitations of studies.
Studies
serve us in three main aspects. First it serve us for delight, second it serves
us for ornament (decorating conversation) , third for ability. To spend too
much time in studies is laziness of mind. Study helps us to overcome the
deficiencies he has by nature. It moulds or gives a proper shape to our natural
abilities. Cunning man looks down upon studies as useless. Simple men admire
studies , wise men use it in practical life. One should read carefully and try
to pick/follow good tings. One should not only depend upon the books , some
books are read only by parts, some to be swallowed and only a few books are to
be chewed/ should be read carefully.
Reading
develops our personality, conversation makes us witty , and writing makes exact
/ perfect in thinking and talking. As exercise cures us from various physical
defects , similarly study cures us from mental defects.
Bacon
says that the knowledge gained by the books is not enough, unless we give it a
practical shape i.e. we use it our daily life remedies are also suggested for
numerous mental defects.
2. Of
Parents And Children
1-
The
joys of the parents are secret, so are their griefs and sorrows, they cannot
utter the one, no they will not utter the second.
2-
A
wise son rejoiceth the father , but an ungracious son shams the mother.
3-
Choose
the best , custom will make it agreeable and easy.
4-
Children
sweeten the labour , but they make misfortune more bitter, they increase the
cares of life but they mitigate the remembrance of death.
This essay belongs to the category in which
Bacon views man in relation to the world and society. The subject is of common
interest. This essays reveals the keen insight of Bacon. The essay carries a
remarkable style. The sentences are loaded with meanings.
Parents cannot share their joys to their
children for it will be improper to do so. In this way they donor like to
express their sorrows , because it would make their children unhappy. Children
are a source of joy and happiness for their parents and make their work more
pleasant and joyful. But there are some disadvantages of heaving children.
Children increase the cares of life and make misfortune more bitter. Childless
man do more noble deeds than those who have children. It is natural that every
one wants to perpetuate his memory. As childless man has no image of his body
(children) , so they do noble deeds to perpetuate themselves after their death.
Bacon advises the parents not to give preference any child over others. They
should make no distinction between their several children. Bacon wants the
parents , teachers and servants not to create the spirit of competition among
the brothers in their childhood. It would lead them to disturbance in their
youth.
Parents should make distinction between their
children and the children of their relatives. Parents should not delay in
choosing the profession of their children. They should decide about their
profession at an early age , when the minds of children are flexible. Do not
worry about the choice , taste and liking would develop with habit and
practice. When the younger brothers are disinherited , younger brothers achieve
much. But when elder is disinherited , then the younger brother has no passion
to achieve much.
This essay is full of aphorism and witty
ideas. It has the famous Baconian style.
3. Of Revenge
1- Certainly in taking revenge a man is , but even
with his enemy, but in passing it over it is superior, for it is prince’s part
to pardon.
2- It is the glory of a man to pass by an
offence.
3- A man that studieth revenge keeps his own
wounds green which otherwise would heal and do well.
4- You should read that we are commanded to
forgive our enemies but you read that we are commanded to forgive our friends.
This essay has a compact style. It has the aphoristic quality. According to Bacon
revenge cannot be tolerated because it is a kind of wild justice. It is
unbecoming for a civilized person to take revenge. One who takes revenge puts
the law out of office. And it is the function of law to punish the wrong doers.
It is better for a man to forgive his
enemy who has harmed him. In this way , he would be superior to his enemy. It
is not wise to think of taking revenge. What is done cannot be undone. Revenge
will not be able to right the wrong that has already been done. Wise man think
only for the present and the future. Moreover it should eb remembered that man
harms others for two reasons. First , he harms others to get some advantage.
Secondly , a man harms others due to his ill nature. He feels pleasure in
harming others. So, for the first case , there is no reason to take revenge,
because a man harms others only because he loves himself better than others.
In the second case , a man harms others
because of his ill nature, as he feels pleasure in doing this. So we should
neglect / ignore this just like a throne that pricks us in the way and we
ignore it / we should ignore the wrong doer as we ignore the thrones.
Revenge is tolerable only for those wrongs for
which there is no legal remedy. But the avenger should eb cautious. Because, he
is facing two enemies at the same time.
One is the enemy and second is the law.
Those who take revenge desire that the
concerned party should know that the revenge has been taken. This shows that
they take delight not in hurting their enemies but in making their enemy
repent. However such people are better than those mean people who stab in the
dark. Wrongs done by the friends are more dangerous than the enemies. But as we
take good and evil at the God’s hands , so we should also accept the evils at
the hands of friends as we accept their goodness. So, we should forgive our friends
as well. One who thinks for revenge harms only himself, because he keeps his
wounds green by his thinking. He should forgive his enemies. In this way he
will forget the pain he got from his enemy.
Public revenges are tolerable / fruitful.
Private revenges are hateful.
4. OF FRIENDSHIP
1. “Whosoever is
delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.”
2. “A big city is a
big solitude.”
3. “For there is no
man who imparteth his joys to his friend and he joyeth the more , and no man
who imparteth his griefs to his friend but he grieveth the less.”
4. “ That a friend
is another himself.”
5. “ A man cannot
speak to his son but as a father , to his wife but as a husband , to his enemy
but upon terms; whereas to his friend he may speak as the case requires.”
Critical
summary
This
essay has been written in famous Baconian style. There are aphoristic sayings
of Bacon which have gained the importance of proverbs. Bacon is of the view
that it is only for our profit and usefulness that we seek friendship.
In
this essay Bacon stresses the profit and advantages, a man receives from a
friend. Never for a moment he talks about what a friend gives to a friend.
According to Bacon , “ If we lead a life of solitude what is without the
companionship of a friend then it is due to our beastly nature or we are just
like gods.”
To
live without a friend is irrational. So Bacon has rightly said that a
friendless man is either a beast or a god. A friendless person is as lonely in
the crowd as he is lonely in the desert. The great advantage of a friend is to
relieve the heart from the burden. Friendship is like a medicine which cures
different problems. A friend multiplies the joys and lessens the sorrows. So it
has double blessing. Thus friendship works as a medicine upon man’s mind.
The
union of two hearts increases joys. The grieve is lightened and violent
impressions are calm down. The sincere advise of a friend is useful in business
also. Friendship is an aid in all actions and occasions. There are many things
which a man cannot do himself and in this a friend is quiet helpful. A friend
can speak to his friend in any capacity.
Kings
and great man also need the companionship of friends. They have often sought
friends from the numerous walks of life.
Bacon
in his natural style gives us the advantages of friendship.
5- Of Simulation and Dissimulation
1-
Therefore
it is the weaker sort of politicians that are the greatest dissemblers.
2-
Besides
, nakedness is uncomely as well in mind as in mind.
Simulation
means “ pretending to be something which one is not. Dissimulation means “
concealment of what is existing. It pretending not to be what one is in
reality. This essay is full of worldly wisdom. Bacon as a man of world . is
full of practical wisdom. According to
Bacon , the practice of dissimulation is followed by the weak man, for, the
strong minds and hearts have the power to tell the truth and actually as the
situation demands. A man with penetrating judgments knows what to reveal and
what to conceal. To such a man dissimulation is a disadvantage. If a man lacks
this clear insight , his only alternative is to dissemble. According to Bacon a
wise man knows and he can see clearly what things be laid open and what to be
hidden.
Bacon
is also in favour of simulation. Sometimes a msn has to pretend to be what he
is not. It means that Bacon allows hypocritical attitude in human affairs. In
Bacon’s philosophy simulation and dissimulation go side by side. He also says
that there are certain advantages and disadvantages of Simulation and
Dissimulation.
Advantages:
1-
It
keeps the opposing unprepared and they can easily be surprised at the proper
moment.
2-
It
enables man to have a fair retreat (shelter) if he finds that his aim cannot be
achieved.
3-
Through
a concealment of one’s own intentions , one can easily know the truth about
others.
Disadvantages:
1-
They
are the signs of fear an flack of confidence.
2-
It
might puzzle many people who might otherwise co-operate with a man.
3-
A man
using these methods will be regarded with trust.
We
can conclude that according to Bacon, a man should be straight forward by
reputation. He should employ secrecy, use dissimulation only when necessary.
The
style of this essay is usual Baconian style, full of compact and condensed
sentences. There are quotations and allusion which strengthens his (Bacon’s)
ideas. A number of sentences are quotable as proverbs. But the most striking
quality of this essay is the realistic and practical attitude towards life rather
than the style.
6.
OF ADVERSITY
1.The
good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished but the good things
which belong to adversity are to be admired.
2.Certainly
if miracles be the command over nature, they certainly appear most in
adversity.
3.The
virtue of prosperity is temperance , the virtue of adversity is fortitude.
4.Prosperity
is not with out many fears an adversity is not without comforts and hopes.
5.Certainly
virtue is like precious odours , most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed.
Summary
This
is very thought provoking essay. It is a comparative study of prosperity and
adversity in life. Generally , we love prosperity. But Bacon says that
adversity has its own virtues. In this essay Bacon quote Seneca , the famous
Roman philosopher , that the good thing that belong to the adversity are to be
admitted more than those that belong to prosperity. Bacon says that adversity
teaches us fortitude , the OLD TESTAMENT promises us prosperity. But the NEW
TESTAMENT prepares us to wecome the life of trials and adversity with faith and
with fortitude. Prosperity sows the seeds of vice. Whereas adversity engenders
virtue. This essay has been written in the famous Baconian style. It is replete
with witty and aphoristic sayings.
7. Of
Death
- Men fear
death , as children fear to go in the dark and as the natural fear in
children is increased with talks , so is the other.
- The
accompaniment of death frighten more than death itself.
- Groans and
convulsions and a discoloured face ; and friends weeping , shew death
terrible.
Analysis
This
essay deals with an important topic. Bacon uses aphoristic sayings to describe
the effects of death. He discussed that there are several factors on account of
which man fears death.
The
first and the most important of them is the ignorance as to hat happens after
death. Death is certainly , an end to worldly life. But what happens to human
soul after death is a fearful mystery.
Secondly
, books of religion and legendary stories have given very horrible account of
hellish tortures , the human soul is subjected to after death in the unknown
world.
Thirdly
very frightened accounts are given on the actual process of death.
Fourthly
the scene around the dieing person is usually so fearful and dismal that the
very thought of it chills the blood. Bacon is of the view that revenge , love ,
honour , grief and passion for a martyrdom are strong than the fear of death.
There are many examples in the history , when men have boldly and cheerfully
embraced the death.
Bacon
gives a reference of stoics. The stoics use to spend , the whole life in
preparing themselves for death.
Bacon
says that death is a natural process and nothing more. A good man is loved and
admired more after the death than in his life.
This
essay is written in famous Baconian
style.
8. Of
Truth
- Truth may
perhaps come to the price of a pearl that showeth best by day.
- A mixture of
a lie doth ever add pleasure.
- But it is
not the lie that passeth through the mind but the lie that sinketh and
settleth in the heart.
- For a lie
face God and shrinks from man.
Critical
Analysis
This
essay has been written in the famous Baconian style. Here Bacon discusses the
theological and philosophical aspect of truth in man’s life. According to Bacon
, it is not easy to tell about the nature of the truth. He tells that truth is
the sun which reveals and shows the true nature of the things. He compares the
truth with the day light and falsehood with the darkness of the night which
conceals everything.
Bacon
says that if in gold coin some base or inferior matle is mixed , the coin
becomes useful and solid. If copper is mixed with gold then the ornaments become more durable. It is true
that such a mixture of the falsehood debases truth but this debasement is
sometime necessary and useful in day to day dealing of life.
However
, Bacon is of the view that the greatest gift of God to man is the illumination
of truth. At the end he says that truth should be the axis of life.
9. OF SUPERSTITION
- It were
better to have no opinion of God at all than such an opinion as if
unworthy of God.
This
essay deals with superstitious ideas, commonly superstition means an idea or
practice found on an unreasoning belief in magic , witchcraft.
Bacon
uses it in the sense of an irrational religious belief. Bacon’s idea is that,
it is better to have no opinion about God than to have a wrong one. The Roman
Catholics, who have wrong idea of God, are there for superstitious. This is
insult of God.
Bacon
here gives reference of Pultrach who was a Greek philosopher in 1st century
A.D. who said that he would not be much hurt people say that there was no
person as Pultrach , but he would be hurt if people will relate wrong actions
about him.
Bacon
says the superstitious person decides to do certain thing than fine reason to
justify their deeds.
This
essay has been written in an aphoristic style.
OF ADVERSITY
- The good
things which belong to prosperity are to be wished but the good things
which belong to adversity are to be admired.
- Certainly if
miracles be the command over nature, they certainly appear most in
adversity.
- The virtue of prosperity is temperance , the virtue of
adversity is fortitude.
- Prosperity is not with out many fears an adversity is not
without comforts and hopes.
- Certainly virtue is like precious odours , most fragrant when
they are incensed or crushed.
Summary
This is very thought provoking essay. It is a
comparative study of prosperity and adversity in life. Generally , we love
prosperity. But Bacon says that adversity has its own virtues. In this essay
Bacon quote Seneca , the famous Roman philosopher , that the good thing that
belong to the adversity are to be admitted more than those that belong to
prosperity. Bacon says that adversity teaches us fortitude , the OLD TESTAMENT
promises us prosperity. But the NEW TESTAMENT prepares us to wecome the life of
trials and adversity with faith and with fortitude. Prosperity sows the seeds
of vice. Whereas adversity engenders virtue. This essay has been written in the
famous Baconian style. It is replete with witty and aphoristic sayings.
OF
AMBITION
- Ambition makes a man energetic and
active, If it is not thwarted. But if it is stopped then it can cause a
lot of harm.
- Ambitious men should be treated carefully.
- In war time a good general must be
employed even if he is very ambitious.
- Ambitious persons can be used to form
protective screen for kings.
- Ambitious men can be used as tools to
dislodge those who have grown too powerful.
This essay has been written in the
famous Baconian style. It has aphoristic and witty sayings. Bacon says that
ambitious persons become dangerous when their wished are thwarted. Bacon is of
the view that such persons should not be employed except on the grounds of
urgency (need / importance). An ambitious person may be trouble some , if he is
perverted from perusing his aim , he will prove to be harmful to others. Bacon
says that such person should be handled carefully. The king should not employ
such ambitious man as it is very difficult to handle them.
As worldly wisdom is very common in
Bacon essays , we find a lot of quotations which appeal the worldly wisdom.
Bacon advises us that there are certain circumstances when ambitious person can
be used as a cover when the king wants to under take. But here one should be
very careful even in this case the ambitious person should be kept under check.
For this purpose persons from the low family are better.
In this essay Bacon provides u ssome
important points regarding ambitions and ambitious persons. In this essay we
come to know that Bacon has a deep knowledge of human nature and state affairs.
This essay has been written in aphoristic style.
Of
Death
- Men fear
death , as children fear to go in the dark and as the natural fear in
children is increased with talks , so is the other.
- The
accompaniment of death frighten more than death itself.
- Groans and
convulsions and a discoloured face ; and friends weeping , shew death
terrible.
Analysis
This
essay deals with an important topic. Bacon uses aphoristic sayings to describe
the effects of death. He discussed that there are several factors on account of
which man fears death.
The
first and the most important of them is the ignorance as to hat happens after
death. Death is certainly , an end to worldly life. But what happens to human
soul after death is a fearful mystery.
Secondly
, books of religion and legendary stories have given very horrible account of
hellish tortures , the human soul is subjected to after death in the unknown
world.
Thirdly
very frightened accounts are given on the actual process of death.
Fourthly
the scene around the dieing person is usually so fearful and dismal that the
very thought of it chills the blood. Bacon is of the view that revenge , love ,
honour , grief and passion for a martyrdom are strong than the fear of death.
There are many examples in the history , when men have boldly and cheerfully
embraced the death.
Bacon
gives a reference of stoics. The stoics use to spend , the whole life in
preparing themselves for death.
Bacon
says that death is a natural process and nothing more. A good man is loved and
admired more after the death than in his life.
This
essay is written in famous Baconian
style.
OF FRIENDSHIP
1. “Whosoever
is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.”
2. “A
big city is a big solitude.”
3. “For
there is no man who imparteth his joys to his friend and he joyeth the more ,
and no man who imparteth his griefs to his friend but he grieveth the less.”
4. “
That a friend is another himself.”
5. “
A man cannot speak to his son but as a father , to his wife but as a husband ,
to his enemy but upon terms; whereas to his friend he may speak as the case
requires.”
Critical summary
This essay has been written in famous
Baconian style. There are aphoristic sayings of Bacon which have gained the
importance of proverbs. Bacon is of the view that it is only for our profit and
usefulness that we seek friendship.
In this essay Bacon stresses the
profit and advantages, a man receives from a friend. Never for a moment he
talks about what a friend gives to a friend. According to Bacon , “ If we lead
a life of solitude what is without the companionship of a friend then it is due
to our beastly nature or we are just like gods.”
To live without a friend is
irrational. So Bacon has rightly said that a friendless man is either a beast
or a god. A friendless person is as lonely in the crowd as he is lonely in the
desert. The great advantage of a friend is to relieve the heart from the
burden. Friendship is like a medicine which cures different problems. A friend
multiplies the joys and lessens the sorrows. So it has double blessing. Thus
friendship works as a medicine upon man’s mind.
The union of two hearts increases
joys. The grieve is lightened and violent impressions are calm down. The
sincere advise of a friend is useful in business also. Friendship is an aid in
all actions and occasions. There are many things which a man cannot do himself
and in this a friend is quiet helpful. A friend can speak to his friend in any
capacity.
Kings and great man also need the
companionship of friends. They have often sought friends from the numerous
walks of life.
Bacon in his natural style gives us
the advantages of friendship.
OF
NOBILITY
- A monarchy where there is no nobility at
all is ever a pure and absolute tyranny.
- A Great and potent nobility addeth
majesty to a monarch but diminisheth power.
This is a short and beautiful essay
which carries aphoristic sayings. Bacon says that nobility keeps proper balance
of power and promotes and atmosphere of good will and understanding. Nobility
is equally needed in monarchy as well as in democracy.
Bacon considers nobility from two points
of view , public and private. If nobility is absent then there will be absolute
tyranny. Bacon says that in democracy men are not judges by their personalities
but by their actions. Therefore in democracy there is even more need of
nobility. As far as the nobility of an individual is concerned , it enhances
the value and respect of an individual as well as public. It promotes virtues
and a sense of respect. Bacon also suggests that the king should appoint member
of noble families to the offices of power and authority.
OF
SUPERSTITION
- It were better to have no opinion of God
at all than such an opinion as if unworthy of God.
This essay deals with superstitious
ideas, commonly superstition means an idea or practice found on an unreasoning
belief in magic , witchcraft.
Bacon uses it in the sense of an
irrational religious belief. Bacon’s idea is that, it is better to have no opinion
about God than to have a wrong one. The Roman Catholics, who have wrong idea of
God, are there for superstitious. This is insult of God.
Bacon here gives reference of Pultrach
who was a Greek philosopher in 1st century A.D. who said that he would not be
much hurt people say that there was no person as Pultrach , but he would be
hurt if people will relate wrong actions about him.
Bacon says the superstitious person
decides to do certain thing than fine reason to justify their deeds.
This essay has been written in an
aphoristic style.
Of Truth
- Truth may perhaps come to the price of a
pearl that showeth best by day.
- A mixture of a lie doth ever add
pleasure.
- But it is not the lie that passeth
through the mind but the lie that sinketh and settleth in the heart.
- For a lie face God and shrinks from
man.
Critical Analysis
This essay has been written in the
famous Baconian style. Here Bacon discusses the theological and philosophical
aspect of truth in man’s life. According to Bacon , it is not easy to tell
about the nature of the truth. He tells that truth is the sun which reveals and
shows the true nature of the things. He compares the truth with the day light
and falsehood with the darkness of the night which conceals everything.
Bacon says that if in gold coin some
base or inferior metal is mixed , the coin becomes useful and solid. If copper
is mixed with gold then the ornaments
become more durable. It is true that such a mixture of the falsehood debases
truth but this debasement is sometime necessary and useful in day to day
dealing of life.
However , Bacon is of the view that
the greatest gift of God to man is the illumination of truth. At the end he says
that truth should be the axis of life.
Bacon’s Contribution to The Development of
English Prose
Bacon
made a valuable contribution to the development of English prose. Bacon did
really great things in this sphere. When alliteration (the beginning of two or
more words with the same letter) . antithesis ( exact , opposite) , similes ,
were the order of the day in English prose , Bacon showed that English was as
capable as the classical languages of serving the highest purposes. He proved
that it was possible in English also , to express the subtleties ( delicate
things) of thought in clear, straight forward and uninvolved sentences and when
necessary , to condense the greatest amount of meanings into the fewest
possible words. Bacon gave us the way i.e.. how to express / convey an idea in
the possible words.
Aristotle
defines a good prose style in his poetics, “Good prose style will reveal its
quality both in style and in its arrangement.” The primary virtue of a good
prose style is clearness. But clearness in not everything ; it should have some
distinction. It must be natural, rising and falling with to the subject. Such
was the criterion / standard set by Aristotle for a good prose style. Bacon,
consciously or unconsciously, confirms to this to a very measure. Bacon has a
distinct style that is the characteristic of its age. It has , indeed , been
attempted by different critics , to show that he had more than one style; but
this does to come to much more than saying that eh wrote a considerable number
of different subjects , and like a reasonable man he varied expression to suit
them.
Contribution
to the development of English Prose
Bacon
shows himself in his essays as an accomplished rhetorician ( a skilled and
effective speaker / writer). He made for himself a style which was unmatchable
for pith and pregnancy in the conveyance of his thoughts. “ When the bulk of
English Prose was being written in lose sentences of great length , then he
supplied us the idea , how to convey the thoughts in the minimum possible
words.” He rejected the conceits. Bacon knew very well, how to illumine his
thoughts with the suitable figure of speech and give to it an imaginative glow
and charm on the occasion.
For
the students of expression, Bacon’s essays are of endless interest and profit.
The more one reads them, the more remarkable seems their compactness. They
shock the sluggish attention of the reader to wakefulness as if by an electric
current. Though they may sometime fail
to nourish yet they never fail to stimulate. Emerson is the one modern writer
with whom Bacon may fairly be compared, for their method is much the same.
Comparing bacon with his predecessors (Sydney, Lyly), it will be seen how
wisely he departs from the prolix (long) methods of the say. In rhetorical
power , musical condense , quaint turns of speech , he is equal by many of his
contemporaries , excelled by a few ; but for a clear , terse , easy writing ,
he has no peer save Ben Johnson, and even today his essays are the models of
lucid prose.
The
essays of Bacon have to be read slowly and thoughtfully, not because the style
is obscure but because they are extremely condensed. The grammatical structure
is sometimes lose but it is rarely ambiguous with shortness also cam
flexibility. Terseness of expression and epigrammatic brevity are the most
striking qualities of Bacon’s style in his essays. Bacon’s style is most
remarkable for its terseness bacon displays a great talent for condensation.
Every sentence in his essays is pregnant with meanings. And is capable of being
expanded into many sentences. Bacon possessed an ability to express the
weighty, deep and profound thoughts with an economy of language. It is this
ability that makes most of his sentences read like proverbs and maxims. An aphoristic
style means a compact, condensed and epigrammatic style of writing. An aphorism
is a short sentence expressing the truth in the fewest possible words. This
aphoristic style enriches most of Bacon’s essays and this is his most important
contribution to the development of English Prose. Here are some examples of his
aphoristic style.
“For a crowd is not a company and faces are but a
gallery of pictures.” (Of Friendship)
“Those who want friends to open themselves unto
are cannibals of their heart. “(Of Friendship)
“Whosoever is delighted in solitude s either a
wild beast or a god.” (Of
Friendship)
Similarly
the essay “Of Great Place” is replete with the aphoristic sayings.
“Man in great place is thrice servants; servants
of eth sovereign or state, servants of fame and servants of business.”
“It is strange power to seek power over others
and to lose power over a man’s self.”
“Certainly men in great fortune are strangers to
themselves.”
Then
the essay “Of Studies” is written in the famous Baconian style. Bacon’s
approach towards studies is also purely utilitarian. In his essay “Of Studies”,
he does not emphasize on study for its own sake, but for the benefit which it
can provide to man to be supplemented by practical experience.
This essay is also replete with the aphoristic
sayings which have got the importance of proverbs and maxims.
“Studies serve for delight, for ornament and
ability.”
“To spend too much time in studies is sloth.”
“Crafty men condemn studies, simple men admire
them and wise men use them.”
“Reading market a full man, conference a ready
man and writing an exact man.”
“Some books are to be tasted, others to be
swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”
In
the essay “Of Revenge” Bacon shows a certain high morality by saying that:
“Revenge is a kind of wild justice.”
“One, who studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds
green.”
“It is glory of a man to pass by an offence.”
He
feels dignity in forgiving ones enemy. But then he says that even revenge is
just in the cases when one can save one’s skin from the hands of law.
Bacon
was, definitely, a worldly wise man. He was the wisest and the meanest of
mankind. He was truly of Renaissance; the age of accumulating knowledge, wealth
and power. Being a true follower of Machiavellian principles, he led his life
for worldly success. He was a man of shrewd and sagacious intellect with his
eyes fixed on the main chance. And what he preached in his essays was also the
knowledge, needed for worldly success.
There
is no doubt that Bacon’s essays are a treasure house of worldly wisdom. The
term worldly wisdom means a wisdom which is necessary for worldly success. It
does not need any deep philosophy or any ideal morality. But Bacon was a man of
high wisdom, as he himself pronounced, “I have taken all knowledge to be my
province”. Bacon also preached morality but his morality is subordinate to
worldly success and he never hesitated to sacrifice it for worldly benefit. His
essays are rich with the art which a man should employ for achieving success in
his life, such as shrewdness, sagacity, tact, foresight, judgment of character
and so on.
The
subject of Bacon in his essays is the man who needs prosperity in worldly
terms. Bacon’s essays bring men to ‘come home to men’s business and bosoms’. He
teaches them, how to exercise one’s authority and much more. When he condemns
cunning, it is not because of a hateful and vile thing, but because it is
unwise. That is why the wisdom in his essay is considered a ‘cynical’ kind of
wisdom. He describes his essays as ‘Counsels – civil and moral’.
Bacon
is not a true moralist. His morality is a saleable morality. He is a
moralist-cum-worldly wise man. Bacon appears as a moralist in his essays, for
he preaches high moral principles and lays down valuable guidelines for human
conduct. Some of his essays show him as a true lover and preacher of high
ethical codes and conducts. For instance, in “Of Envy”, he puts:
“A man that hath no virtue in himself ever
envieth virtue in others.”
Then,
in his essay “Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature” he says:
“But in charity there is no excess; neither can
angel or man come in danger by it.”
Again,
he appears to be a lover of justice in his essay “Of Judicature”:
“The principal duty of a judge is to suppress
force and fraud.”
In
spite of all given examples, one cannot deny the fact that Bacon was a “Man of
Renaissance”. He had a deep insight in human nature. He knew that man is
naturally more prone to evil than good. He was a clear-eyed realist who saw the
weakness in human nature and drawbacks of human conduct and also knew that man
is not capable of acting according to noble set of ‘ideals’. Though Bacon’s
morality was greater than that of average man’s, yet it was not of the highest
order. The matter of good and right was important for him but not if it proved
too costly in worldly terms. On one hand, he preached high moral principles and
on the other hand, he also expressed a mean capacity by compromising upon those
morals for the sake of worldly success. For this reason, William Blake, a
spiritual poet says about his essays:
“Good
advice for Satan’s Kingdom.”
Blake
considers any utilitarian advice contrary to God’s ways, but Bacon does not
bother for that. He considers this world more important and striving after the
success in this world is equally important. Bacon discusses man as he “appears”
and not as he “ought to appear”.
In
his essay “Of Great Places” Bacon certainly shows a high morality when he
condemns or at least dislikes the practice of ‘wrongs’ on part of high officials.
“In place there is license to do good and evil;
where of the latter is a curse.”
Afterwards
he appreciates the power of doing good.
“But power
to do good, is true and lawful end of aspiring.”
But
besides these moral approaches, he also supports the idea of adopting certain
disloyal means to reach a high position.
“It is good to side a man’s self whilst he is in
the rising and to balance himself when he is placed”.
Thus,
like a moralist, Bacon preaches the noble dimensions of great place, but with
this statement his purely utilitarian approach also comes forth with all its
power.
The
Bacon’s essays are full of illustrations, allusions and quotations. Some of
these quotations are being from Latin sources. In his essay “Of Truth” we have
allusions to Pilate, Lucian, Lucretius and Montaigne with quotations from the
last tow. He also gives the references from the Bible.
So Bacon adopted a unique style a contributed a
lot in the development of English prose
Discuss the aphoristic style of Francis Bacon
Style,
expression, or the formal elements in literature are the most important thing
to understand the personality of the writer.
According to
Alexander Pope,
“Style is the
very personality of the man.”
It is the product
of sincere self expression. As far as Bacon is concerned, he has the
distinctive prose style. The Baconian style is famous for its pithiness and
aphoristic sayings. Bacon says a lot of things in the fewest possible words. He
ahs a treasure of vocabulary and his sentence can be expanded into many lines.
Bacon’s vocabulary, use of quotations, sentences and paragraphs and figures of
speech are the hall mark of his style. Simplicity, strength, brevity, clearness
and precision are the main qualities of his style. All these qualities make his
style a unique one.
Bacon’s style
witty, wit is a manner of skillful use of words, and Bacon is master in this
art. Bacon begins his essay with some aphorism, definition or a catching
phrase. His essays have become the classics of English Language. They owe their
position not to their subject matter but to their inimitable / unique style and
fine literary touch. For example, in his essay “Of Studies” we find precision,
simplicity and clearness. It is replete with aphoristic sayings. In the most
beautiful style Bacon has summed up.
“Studies serve
for delight, for ornament and ability.”
“To spend too
much time in studies is sloth.”
“Crafty men
condemn studies, simple men admire them and wise men use them.”
“Reading market a
full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man.”
“Some books are
to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”
This is a famous
and mostly read essay of Bacon. Bacon speaks as a life long student. Studies
add to the knowledge of the reader and make him the best man. In this essay
Bacon discusses the positive values of different subjects.
Then the essay
“Of Friendship” is another good example of brevity , simplicity and clearness.
“whosoever is
delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.”
“A big city is
big solitude.”
“For there is no
man who imparteth his joys to his friend but he joyeth the more, and no man
that imparteth his grieves to his friend but he grieveth the less.”
“That a friend is
another himself.”
“A man cannot
speak to his son but as a father, to his wife but as husband, to his enemy but
upon terms; whereas to a friend as the case requires.”
Bacon is of the
view that it is only for our profit and usefulness that we seek friendship. We
find his worldly wisdom in this essay. To live without companionship is
irrational. He is as lonely in the crowd as he is in the desert. The great
advantage of friendship is to relieve the heart from the burden of friendship.
Friendship works as a medicine upon man’s mind.
All the essays of
Bacon reflect great wisdom. A large number of his observations have become
proverbial and popular at households and common places. His sentences are
brief. But they are forceful. Here is another example of his essay “Of Parents
and Children”.
“ The joys of
parents are secret , and so are their grieves and fears. They cannot utter the
one ; nor they will utter the second. “
“Children sweeten
labour , but they make misfortune more bitter.”
“A wise son rejoiceth
the father, but an ungracious son shames the mother.”
This essay
carries a remarkable style. The sentences are loaded with meanings. This essay
belongs to the category in which Bacon views man in relation to the world and
the society. The subject is of common interest. This essay reveals the keen
insight of Bacon. Bacon advises the parents not to give preference to any child
over. Teachers and servants should not create a spirit of competition among the
brothers.
“Of Revenge” is
an essay full of aphoristic sayings and witty ideas. This essay carries
simplicity , brevity and clearness of ideas.
“Revenge is a
kind of wild justice.”
“One, who
studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green.”
“It is glory of a
man to pass by an offence.”
“Certainly in taking
revenge a man is but with his enemy but in passing it over is superior or it is
prince’s part to pardon”.
This essay has a
compact style. It is not suitable for a civilized man to take revenge. One who
takes revenge put the law out of office. It is better for a man to forgive his
enemy who has harmed him. In this way he would be superior to his enemy.
Revenge is tolerable for only those wrongs fro which there is no legal remedy.
The essay “Of
Great Place” is also written in Baconian Style.
It reveals Bacon’s practical ideas. His analysis of different problems
is accurate. According to Bacon;
“Men
in great place are thrice servants , servants of sovereign or state , servants
of fame , servants of business.”
“It is strange
desire to seek power over others and lose power over a man’s self.”
“The rising unto
place is laborious.”
“Certainly men in
great fortunes are strangers to themselves.”
“The vices of
authorities are chiefly four, delays, corruption, roughness and facility.”
Bacon is of the
view that such person who has a place do not have any freedom either in their
work or in their private life. Such persons never know their short comings
because they are always surrounded by flatterers. A person who holds a high
position should do well to others. Such a man will get peace of God. He should
avoid controversy and should treat his subordinates well.
Conclusion
It is now very
easy to conclude that Bacon has a compact and compressed style of writing. He
expresses the ideas with the greatest economy of words. A number of sentences
have gained the importance of maxims. All his essays gave a solid proof of his
aphoristic and pithy style. We also praise him for his epigrammatic style of
writing.
Francis Bacon as a Moralist
Bacon is not a true moralist. His morality is a saleable morality.
He is a moralist-cum-worldly wise man. Bacon appears as a moralist in his
essays, for he preaches high moral principles and lays down valuable guidelines
for human conduct. Some of his essays show him as a true lover and preacher of
high ethical codes and conducts. For instance, in “Of Envy”, he puts:
“A man that hath no virtue in himself, ever envieth virtue in
others.”
Then, in his essay “Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature” he says:
“But in charity there is no excess; neither can angel or man come
in danger by it.”
Again, he appears to be a lover of justice in his essay “Of Judicature”:
“The principal duty of a judge is to suppress force and fraud.”
In spite of all given examples, one cannot deny the fact that Bacon was a “Man
of Renaissance”. He had a deep insight in human nature. He knew that man is
naturally more prone to evil than good. He was a clear-eyed realist who saw the
weakness in human nature and drawbacks of human conduct and also knew that man
is not capable of acting according to noble set of ‘ideals’. Though Bacon’s
morality was greater than that of average man’s, yet it was not of the highest
order. The matter of good and right was important for him but not if it proved
too costly in worldly terms. On one hand, he preached high moral principles and
on the other hand, he also expressed a mean capacity by compromising upon those
morals for the sake of worldly success. For this reason, William Blake, a
spiritual poet says about his essays:
“Good advice for Satan’s Kingdom.”
Blake considers any utilitarian advice contrary to God’s ways, but
Bacon does not bother for that. He considers this world more important and
striving after the success in this world is equally important. Bacon discusses
man as he “appears” and not as he “ought to appear”.
In his essay “Of Great Places” Bacon certainly shows a high
morality when he condemns or at least dislikes the practice of ‘wrongs’ on part
of high officials.
“In place there is license to do good and evil; where of the
latter is a curse.”
Afterwards he appreciates the power of doing good.
“But power to do good, is true and lawful end of aspiring.”
But besides these moral approaches, he also supports the idea of adopting
certain disloyal means to reach a high position.
“It is good to side a man’s self whilst he is in the rising and to
balance himself when he is placed”.
Thus, like a moralist, Bacon preaches the noble dimensions of great place, but
with this statement his purely utilitarian approach also comes forth with all
its power.
In the essay “Of Truth” he appears to be a ‘genuine’ admirer of
truth and seems to install the love of truth in his readers.
“It is heaven upon earth, to have man’s mind move in charity, rest
in providence and turn upon the poles of truth.”
But he also points out that
“Falsehood is like an ‘alloy’ in gold and silver, which makes the
metal work better even though it reduces, the value of the metal”.
He says:
“A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure.”
By putting this he has diluted all the effect of his own words
said in the praise of the truth.
One can find the same strange mixture of high ethics and utilitarianism in the
essay “Of Revenge”. In this essay Bacon condemns revenge by saying:
“Revenge is a kind of wild justice.”
And
“One who studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green.”
He expressed that there is no place of revenge in high society and
it is a high quality to forgive an enemy. Hereafter, Bacon spoils the effects
by putting that in some cases man is justified in taking revenge, if the
avenger can save his skin from the eyes of the law. He says:
“But then let a man take heed the revenge be such as there is now
law to punish; else a man’s enemy is still forehand”.
In his essay “Of Suitors” Bacon says that a man should refuse to
undertake a suit if it is by giving a false hope to the petitioner and that one
should not demand undue reward for his services. Those who employ crooked
methods to win suits are the worst offenders of society. But he also says that
if a patron wants to favour the undeserving party, he should bring both the
parties to a compromise for this would be less dangerous for him. So, to Bacon,
morality and ethical codes seem inferior to worldly considerations.
“Of Simulation and Dissimilation” is another example of the strange mixture of
morality and prudence.
“The best position and temperature is; to have openness in fame and opinion;
secrecy in habits; dissimulation in seasonal use; and power to feign, if there
be no remedy.”
Bacon’s morality has also been described as a cynical kind of
wisdom. This impression is confirmed by even those essays which deal with
strong private relations between men. “Of Friendship”, “Of Parents and
Children”, “Of Marriage and Single life” and “Of Love”, all depict a certain
kind of utilitarianism and worldly benefit. Here Bacon expresses a definite
failure of emotions, for he takes the pure matters of heart in terms of their
uses and abuses.
In short, though Bacon’s essays portray morality and high ethical standards,
yet he does not appear as an ideal moralist and these are but the “flashes of
morality”. He is not a true moralist.
FRANCIS BACON - THE THINKER
Other than students of English
literature, very few people would have heard of Francis Bacon. Here was a great
intellectual, a scientist, statesman and above all a thinker. True every human
being is endowed with the capacity to think and human beings do think about
things. But you can't call every one a thinker. Thinkers try to find answers to
the great questions of life, society, knowledge and the problems that confront
mankind, particularly of their times and generally of all times. Bacon belonged
to 16th century England, nay Europe, and he was a man of renaissance.Francis
Bacon was the first man to declare that sense organs are the sources of
knowledge. Thomas
Hobbes's 'Leviathan' got
burnt by backward thinking elements for this very reason.
The Essays
Bacon wrote very short, but extremely thought provoking essays on
multivarious topics covering personal, social and philosophical questions.He
says that man fears death as children fear darkness. He further gives an
account of how different great personalities faced death. He was the first man
to deal with the question of individual friendship. There can not be a complete
career diplomat without studying Bacon, particulary his 'Of Simulation and
Dissimulation'. He says that adversity brings out the best in man. Of course he
was not a stoic. The point was that a man's real metal can be tested only when
he is in crisis. A flower gives fragrance only when it is squeezed. Likewise,
man's best comes out when he is in a crisis, in other words, when he is in an
adverse situation. Francis Bacon has written on revenge, on religion and even
on married and unmarried life. He says that 'wife and children are hostages to
fortune'. That is, man can not pursue great ideals if he has to feed a family.
Do not blame Bacon for not thinking of woman. Man's thinking has its limits.
Today, even a child knows some ideas on the questions of women's liberation.
That was not the case in 16th century, even in the most revolutionary thinker
of those days. Would you like to know what William Blake, a great English Poet,
told about Bacon's essays? William Blake said that Bacon's essays were 'advice
from Satan's kingdom'. Hegel found out that 'evil' is the motive force of
history. Blake was probably not very happy with the boldness in Bacon's
thinking. Bacon dared to think beyond the confines of the then society. Can we
call it 'out of box' thinking, according to the parlance of modern day
management? Today's 'evil' becomes tomorrow's virtue. And today's virtue
becomes tomorrow's evil. You have to understand Hegel's statement about evil as
the motive force of history in this light. Remember, Francis Bacon was a
contemporary of the great Shakespeare. It was the greatness of the times that
served as the backdrop for the emergence of such great men. Now we see
charlatans, pot-boilers and downright scoundrels masquerading themselves as
intellectuals, thinkers and even conscience keepers of the society. They are no
better than the street curs barking at each other for bones and fawning upon
any passerby who throws some crumbs.
Question: Write a note on Bacon’s contribution
to the development of English prose and indicate with suitable illustrations
from some of his essays, the principal ingredients of his style.
Question: Write an essay on Bacon’s prose
style, giving suitable illustrations.
Answer:
Bacon made a valuable contribution to
the development of English prose. Bacon did really great things in this sphere.
When alliteration, antithesis, similes from “unnatural natural history” were
the order of the day in English prose, Bacon showed that English was as capable
as the classical languages of serving the highest purposes. He proved that it
was possible in English also to express the subtleties of thought in clear,
straightforward, and uninvolved sentences and, when necessary, to condense the
greatest amount of meaning into the fewest possible words.
Bacon shows himself in his essays to
be an accomplished rhetorician. He made for himself a style which was
unmatchable for pith and pregnancy in the conveyance of his thoughts. When the
bulk of English prose was being written in loose sentences of great length, he
supplied at once a short, crisp, and firmly-knit sentence of a type which was
quite unfamiliar in the English language. He rejected the conceits and
overcrowded imagery o the euphuists, but he knew how to illumine his thought
with suitable figures of speech, and give to it an imaginative glow and charm
upon occasion. For the students of expression, Bacon’s essays are of endless
interest and profit: the more one reads them, the more remarkable seem their
compactness and their nervous vitality. They shock the sluggish attention of a
reader into wakefulness as if by an electric current: and though they may
sometimes fail to nourish, they can never fail to stimulate.
Emerson is the one modern writer with
whom Bacon may be fairly compared, for their method is much the same. In each
case, we have a store of trenchant and apparently disconnected sayings, where
the writer tries to reach the reader’s mind by a series of aphoristic attacks.
The best and most striking example of this kind of style in the essay called Of
Expense. By comparing Bacon with his predecessors like Sidney and Lyly, we can
see how widely he departed from the prolix methods of the time. In rhetorical
power, musical cadence, quaint turns of speech, he was equalled by many of his
contemporaries and was excelled by a few; but for clear, terse writing he has
no equal except Ben Jonson, and even today his essays are models of succinct,
lucid prose.
Bacon took one of the longest steps
ever taken in the evolution of English prose. English prose was already rich
and sonorous. Hooker and Releigh, still rank as two of the greatest stylists in
English prose. While these two writers have majesty and strength, they did not
command a style suited to all the purposes which prose has to serve. Their
style was admirable for great themes and for moments of elevation, but not
well-adapted to the pedestrian passages which must link such moments one to
another. The sentences were inconveniently long and, even in the hands of the
most skilful writers, were frequently involved and obscure. Parentheses were
extremely common. The same is true of Bacon himself in his larger and more
sustained works. But, in the essays, Bacon did set the example and furnish the
model of condensed and lucid prose. The sentences are short; the grammatical
structure is rarely ambiguous though it is sometimes loose with shortness came
also flexibility. The new style of Bacon fitted itself as easily to buildings
and gardens, or to suitors and ceremonies, as to death, adversity, and envy. It
could be brought down to the familiarity of comparing money to muck, not good
unless it be spread; and it could be raised to a comparison between movements
of the human mind and the movements of the heavenly bodies.
Terseness of expressions and
epigrammatic brevity are the most striking qualities of Bacon’s style in the
essays. Bacon possessed a marvellous power of compressing into a few words an
idea which ordinary writers would express in several sentences. Many of his
sentences have an aphoristic quality. They are like proverbs which can readily
be quoted when the occasion demands. Only Bacon could have written the
following sentences which are the remarkable for their condensation and
brevity:
(1) “Groans and convulsions, and a
discoloured face, and friends weeping, and blacks, and obsequies and the like,
show death terrible.” (Of Death)
(2) “A man would die, though he were
neither valiant nor miserable, only upon a weariness to do the same thing so
oft over and over.” (Of Death)
(3) “Death has this also; that it
openeth the gate to good fame, and extinguisheth envy.” (Of Death)
(4) “Prosperity is not without many
fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.” (Of
Adversity)
(5) “Certainly virtue is like precious
odours, most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed: for prosperity doth best
discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.” (Of Adversity)
(6) “A man that hath no virtue in
himself, ever envieth virtue in others.” (Of Envy)
(7) “They are as men fallen out with
the time; and think other men’s harms a redemption of their own sufferings.”
(Of Envy)
Question:
“They come home to men’s business and bosoms.” How far is this an apt
description of the essays of Bacon? Illustrate your answer.
Question:
Account for the great appeal of Bacon’s essays.
Question:
Write a general note on Bacon as a writer of essays.
Answer: A glance at the
titles of Bacon’s essays shows that, although quite a number of these essays
were written for the benefit of kings, rulers courtiers, and statesmen, a
fairly large number of them were written on subjects of popular interest.
Essays Of Seditions and Troubles, Of Empire, Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms
and Estatus, Of Suitors and Of Judicature belong to the former variety. But
essays like Of Truth, Of Death, Of Revenge, Of Adversity, Of Parents and Children,
Of Marriage and Single Life, Of Travel, and Of Friendship, deal with familiar
subjects which make an immediate appeal to the average reader. Essays of this
category certainly come home to men’s business and bosoms.
One important reason for
the popular appeal of Bacon’s essays is that the ideas which he expresses are
by no means deeply philosophical or abstruse. If the ideas were of an abstract
or metaphysical nature, the average reader would not respond to them. But these
are ideas which might be expressed by any man of ripe wisdom and vast
experience of the world.
Secondly, Bacon
illustrates and reinforces his ideas and arguments with appropriate similes,
metaphors and quotations. These similes, metaphors and quotations naturally add
to the popular appeal of the essays. Thirdly, Bacon frequently speaks in his
essays as a moralist. Although people do not generally like too much of
sermonising and preaching, yet judicious doses of morality are not only
willingly accepted by readers but are positively welcome to them. Moral
precepts and maxims embodying wisdom give the readers a feeling that they are
becoming wise and morally nobler. They may not act upon the ethical principles
which Bacon enunciates in his essays, but they derive a certain moral satisfaction
by reading them and by appreciating their soundness.
Lastly, Bacon’s essays
come home to men’s business and bosoms because of the condensed and pithy state
in which he mostly writes. Again and again, the reader comes upon an aphoristic
or epigrammatic sentence which startles and arrests him by its neatness and
pregnancy. These are many gems of thought clothed in language that is effective
because of its compactness and terseness.
Take the essay, Of Truth.
It contains several ideas which immediately appeal to the reader because of
their obvious truth to human nature. The reader quickly responds to such ideas
because he at once recognises their validity. For instance, Bacon here tells us
that human beings are generally attracted by lies. Lies told by poets in their
poetry please the imagination; lies told by traders bring them financial gain;
but why people should tell lies for the sake of lies is not clear. Bacon then
goes on to say that truth gives greater pleasure when a lie has been added to
it. If a man were to be deprived of his false opinions, false hopes, and false
judgments, he would feel miserable.
Having expressed these
views, Bacon speaks like a moralist and says that much harm is done by lies
which sink into the mind and settle down there. Truth is the supreme good for
human beings, he says. He quotes Lucretius who said that the greatest pleasure
for a man was the realisation of truth. Continuing this moralising tone, Bacon
says that truth is important not only in theological and philosophical fields,
but also in the sphere of ordinary daily life. Falsehood, he says, brings
nothing but disgrace. Now such ideas are bound to appeal even to a reader who,
in his actual dealings, does not give a high place to truth.
Then there is the essay,
Of Friendship. Who would not be interested in this subject? Bacon tells us some
of the uses of friendship, illustrating his ideas with historical references to
Sulla, Julius Caesar; Augustus Caesar, Tiberius Caesar, and Septimius Severus.
He utters a psychological truth when he says that a man’s joy is greatly
increased when he speaks about it to a friend and that his grief is greatly
diminished when he imparts it to a friend. This essay also contains useful
advice. For instance, Bacon asks us not to take counsel “by pieces” from all
and sundry but to take it only from a friend who has been found to be sincere.
An essay on the subject of friendship is bound to come home to men’s bosoms
especially because the ideas expressed by Bacon confirm the reader’s own ideas
on this subject.
The essay, Of Great Place,
does not have the same popular appeal as the two essays mentioned above, Of
Great Place appeals chiefly to men in high places. It is very useful for
persons of this category. Bacon offers very sound advice to those occupying
high positions, and warms them against the chief vices of authority. Here, too,
Bacon lends weight to his argument with reference to two Roman emperors—Galba
and Vespasian. Bacon gives advice that is practical when he says that a man may
take side when he is still struggling to rise but that, having risen to a high
position, he should become neutral. This essay, too, throws much light on human
nature whereby it greatly adds to our knowledge. Here, again, Bacon appears as
a moralist.
The essay, Of Studies, is
extremely interesting. Here, again Bacon deals with a subject of popular
interest. Bacon not only indicates the principal uses of studies but also tells
us why and how we should read. Who can fail to appreciate Bacon’s remark that
the wisdom gained from books is not enough but that it should be supplemented
with practical experience of life?
Of Marriage and Single
Life deals with the advantages and disadvantages of both the married and the
single life. Here is an essay which cannot fail to interest either the married
man or the single man. Bacon makes some interesting observations about the
nature and behaviour of women in this essay. A chaste woman, he rightly says,
feels proud of her chastity. A wife is faithful and obedient to her husband if
she is impressed with his wisdom. No jealous husband can command his wife’s
respect. It would be difficult for any reader to find fault with such
observations. Indeed, the ideas expressed in this essay can be understood and
appreciated even by the most ordinary reader. Bacon’s analysis of human nature
here, as in his other essays, corresponds to well-known facts.
The essay, Of Suitors,
pertains chiefly to conditions which prevailed in Bacon’s day. In spite of
that, this essay has its value in our time also. It is full of worldly wisdom.
It contains useful advice for those who undertake suits, for suitors, and for
patrons. Bacon does not preach any ideal morality here. He is concerned only
with how to achieve success in the undertaking of suits or in the promoting of
suits. However, he does not show a complete disregard of morality. That is the
kind of thing most readers want.
Much of the popularity of
Bacon’s essays, as has already been indicated above, is due to his compact
style. Many are the sentences in his essays that have the character of proverbs
because such sentences express wisdom neatly in a pithy manner. A few examples
of Bacon’s epigrammatic style will illustrate the great charm which his essays
possess because of this particular quality of style.
1. “Certainly it is heaven
upon earth to have a man’s mind move in charity, rest in providence, and turn
upon the roles of truth.” (Of Truth)
Question: “They come home to men’s business
and bosoms.” How far is this an apt description of the essays of Bacon?
Illustrate your answer.
Question: Account for the great appeal of
Bacon’s essays.
Question: Write a general note on Bacon as a
writer of essays.
Answer: A glance at the titles of
Bacon’s essays shows that, although quite a number of these essays were written
for the benefit of kings, rulers courtiers, and statesmen, a fairly large
number of them were written on subjects of popular interest. Essays Of
Seditions and Troubles, Of Empire, Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms and
Estatus, Of Suitors and Of Judicature belong to the former variety. But essays
like Of Truth, Of Death, Of Revenge, Of Adversity, Of Parents and Children, Of
Marriage and Single Life, Of Travel, and Of Friendship, deal with familiar
subjects which make an immediate appeal to the average reader. Essays of this
category certainly come home to men’s business and bosoms.
One important reason for the popular
appeal of Bacon’s essays is that the ideas which he expresses are by no means
deeply philosophical or abstruse. If the ideas were of an abstract or
metaphysical nature, the average reader would not respond to them. But these
are ideas which might be expressed by any man of ripe wisdom and vast
experience of the world.
Secondly, Bacon illustrates and
reinforces his ideas and arguments with appropriate similes, metaphors and
quotations. These similes, metaphors and quotations naturally add to the
popular appeal of the essays. Thirdly, Bacon frequently speaks in his essays as
a moralist. Although people do not generally like too much of sermonising and
preaching, yet judicious doses of morality are not only willingly accepted by
readers but are positively welcome to them. Moral precepts and maxims embodying
wisdom give the readers a feeling that they are becoming wise and morally
nobler. They may not act upon the ethical principles which Bacon enunciates in
his essays, but they derive a certain moral satisfaction by reading them and by
appreciating their soundness.
Lastly, Bacon’s essays come home to
men’s business and bosoms because of the condensed and pithy state in which he
mostly writes. Again and again, the reader comes upon an aphoristic or
epigrammatic sentence which startles and arrests him by its neatness and
pregnancy. These are many gems of thought clothed in language that is effective
because of its compactness and terseness.
Take the essay, Of Truth. It contains
several ideas which immediately appeal to the reader because of their obvious
truth to human nature. The reader quickly responds to such ideas because he at
once recognises their validity. For instance, Bacon here tells us that human
beings are generally attracted by lies. Lies told by poets in their poetry
please the imagination; lies told by traders bring them financial gain; but why
people should tell lies for the sake of lies is not clear. Bacon then goes on
to say that truth gives greater pleasure when a lie has been added to it. If a
man were to be deprived of his false opinions, false hopes, and false
judgments, he would feel miserable.
Having expressed these views, Bacon
speaks like a moralist and says that much harm is done by lies which sink into
the mind and settle down there. Truth is the supreme good for human beings, he
says. He quotes Lucretius who said that the greatest pleasure for a man was the
realisation of truth. Continuing this moralising tone, Bacon says that truth is
important not only in theological and philosophical fields, but also in the
sphere of ordinary daily life. Falsehood, he says, brings nothing but disgrace.
Now such ideas are bound to appeal even to a reader who, in his actual
dealings, does not give a high place to truth.
Then there is the essay, Of
Friendship. Who would not be interested in this subject? Bacon tells us some of
the uses of friendship, illustrating his ideas with historical references to
Sulla, Julius Caesar; Augustus Caesar, Tiberius Caesar, and Septimius Severus.
He utters a psychological truth when he says that a man’s joy is greatly
increased when he speaks about it to a friend and that his grief is greatly
diminished when he imparts it to a friend. This essay also contains useful
advice. For instance, Bacon asks us not to take counsel “by pieces” from all
and sundry but to take it only from a friend who has been found to be sincere.
An essay on the subject of friendship is bound to come home to men’s bosoms
especially because the ideas expressed by Bacon confirm the reader’s own ideas
on this subject.
The essay, Of Great Place, does not
have the same popular appeal as the two essays mentioned above, Of Great Place
appeals chiefly to men in high places. It is very useful for persons of this
category. Bacon offers very sound advice to those occupying high positions, and
warms them against the chief vices of authority. Here, too, Bacon lends weight
to his argument with reference to two Roman emperors—Galba and Vespasian. Bacon
gives advice that is practical when he says that a man may take side when he is
still struggling to rise but that, having risen to a high position, he should
become neutral. This essay, too, throws much light on human nature whereby it
greatly adds to our knowledge. Here, again, Bacon appears as a moralist.
The essay, Of Studies, is extremely
interesting. Here, again Bacon deals with a subject of popular interest. Bacon
not only indicates the principal uses of studies but also tells us why and how
we should read. Who can fail to appreciate Bacon’s remark that the wisdom
gained from books is not enough but that it should be supplemented with
practical experience of life?
Of Marriage and Single Life deals with
the advantages and disadvantages of both the married and the single life. Here
is an essay which cannot fail to interest either the married man or the single
man. Bacon makes some interesting observations about the nature and behaviour
of women in this essay. A chaste woman, he rightly says, feels proud of her
chastity. A wife is faithful and obedient to her husband if she is impressed
with his wisdom. No jealous husband can command his wife’s respect. It would be
difficult for any reader to find fault with such observations. Indeed, the
ideas expressed in this essay can be understood and appreciated even by the
most ordinary reader. Bacon’s analysis of human nature here, as in his other
essays, corresponds to well-known facts.
The essay, Of Suitors, pertains
chiefly to conditions which prevailed in Bacon’s day. In spite of that, this
essay has its value in our time also. It is full of worldly wisdom. It contains
useful advice for those who undertake suits, for suitors, and for patrons.
Bacon does not preach any ideal morality here. He is concerned only with how to
achieve success in the undertaking of suits or in the promoting of suits.
However, he does not show a complete disregard of morality. That is the kind of
thing most readers want.
Much of the popularity of Bacon’s
essays, as has already been indicated above, is due to his compact style. Many
are the sentences in his essays that have the character of proverbs because
such sentences express wisdom neatly in a pithy manner. A few examples of
Bacon’s epigrammatic style will illustrate the great charm which his essays
possess because of this particular quality of style.
1. “Certainly it is heaven upon earth
to have a man’s mind move in charity, rest in providence, and turn upon the
roles of truth.” (Of Truth)
Question: Attempt
a critical examination of the ideas in Bacon’s essay, On Unity in Religion, and
add a note on its style.
Question: What
views about the unity of religion does Bacon express in his essay on the
subject and how far do you agree with him? What characteristics of Bacon’s
style does the essay illustrate?
The
validity of Bacon’s advice:
Bacon
begins this essay by pointing out that religion is a binding force in society
and that, for this reason, a particular religion should itself maintain its
unity. The Christian Church, should accordingly preserve its unity, and should
not permit quarrels and divisions. This is certainly a commendable piece of
advice which Bacon offers to the followers of Christianity, but this advice is
equally valid so far as other religions are concerned.
The
harm done by schisms:
Bacon
discusses the subject of unity in religion under three heads: the fruits of
unity; the bounds or extent of unity, and the means of unity. Taking up the
fruits of unity first, Bacon points out that heresies and schisms are the
greatest scandals in the sphere of religion. Nothing keeps men out of the
Church, and nothing drives men out of the Church, as much as a breach of unity
does. There will be complete confusion in the minds of people if one man
suggests that Christ should be sought in secret chambers. If a heathen hears
Christians talking with several tongues, he will surely think them to be mad.
If there are different sects in a religion and they all adopt different
postures and attitudes, they will be enacting a kind of “Morris dance”
mentioned by the French writer, Rabelais. The fruits of unity for those who
believe in their Church are the blessings of peace leading to faith, charity,
and piety.
Bacon’s
wholesome plea for the avoidance of dissensions:
There
is nothing in all this with which any one can quarrel. Unity in religion
certainly has enormous advantages. Dissensions in religion are caused only by
selfish persons who wish to come into prominence and who wish to grind their
own axes Unfortunately there is no religion in the world without its sects. Not
only Christianity but Hinduism, Islam and even Sikhism suffer from a
multiplicity of sects. The result is that religion, instead of binding people
together, has itself become a divisive force.
Fundamental
points, and points merely of form and practice:
There
are some fanatics, says Bacon, who are not at all interested in peace but who
believe in partisanship and conflict. And then there are some lukewarm persons
with no true religious meal, who believe in accommodating all points of view in
religion and steering the middle course. According to Bacon, both these
extremes are to be avoided. It is necessary that fundamental points of religion
should be distinguished from points merely of form and practice. In matters of
fundamental importance in religion, there should be no divergence of opinion.
But differences of opinion in matters of detail or in matters which are trivial
do not cause much harm to the cause of religion.
Bacon’s
solution to religious strife:
According
to Bacon, there is no room for controversy as to the first principles of
theology. The basic doctrines of the Church should not be questioned by human
reason. Human reason may be employed in deducing what is involved in the text
of Scripture, but human reasoning is not to be given the same authority and
importance as the positive declarations of Scripture. In other words, Bacon
allows to the individuals a certain freedom of judgment, but this freedom must
remain subservient to the express words of Bible. It is to be kept in mind that
Bacon wrote this essay at a time when Europe was torn by religious
division—first between Catholics and Protestants, and then between the various
sects of Protestantism itself. Bacon’s solution to religious strife within the
same religion is that a distinction should be made between basic issues and
subsidiary issues. There should be unity in the basic tenets of religion, while
differences may be permitted and tolerated in matters of ritual and Church
organisation. Christians, says Bacon, must agree upon essential points. Luke
warmness with regard to essential points is unpardonable. But a variety of
opinion upon inessential points is permissible. Thus, different forms of Church
government and different forms of worship are tolerable because no definite
rule with regard to these has been laid down in the Bible. The solution offered
by Bacon is not only sensible but practical and feasible. There is nothing
quixotic about it.
The
seamless coat of Christ:
Bacon
illustrates this particular view with reference to Christ’s coat. Christ’s coat
was entire; it was seamless and therefore indivisible. The same is the case
with the doctrine of Scripture in itself. But the garment of the Queen, who
represents the Church, was of various colours. This means that diversity as to
matters of detail can be tolerated. The seamless coat of Christ symbolizes the
unity of the Church as to essential points. The multicoloured garment of the
Church symbolizes the legitimate variety of opinion and practice in minor
matters. Bacon’s illustration is so vivid and convincing that no room for doubt
is left in the minds of readers.
Artificial
unity resulting from ignorance:
Bacon
also points out the sad consequence. People may agree in a religious belief
simply because the inconsistency of inadequacy of it is not apparent to
themselves. a uniformity of this kind is of no value.
Bacon’s Essays –
A Reflection of Renaissance
What is
Renaissance?
Encarta
World Dictionary defines Renaissance as following
“Renaissance, series of literary and
cultural movements in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. These movements began
in Italy and eventually expanded into Germany, France, England, and other parts
of Europe. Participants studied the great civilizations of ancient Greece and
Rome and came to the conclusion that their own cultural achievements rivaled
those of antiquity. Their thinking was also influenced by the concept of
humanism, which emphasizes the worth of the individual. Renaissance humanists
believed it was possible to improve human society through classical education.
This education relied on teachings from ancient texts and emphasized a range of
disciplines, including poetry, history, rhetoric (rules for writing influential
prose or speeches), and moral philosophy. The word renaissance means “rebirth.” The
idea of rebirth originated in the belief that Europeans had rediscovered the
superiority of Greek and Roman culture after many centuries of what they
considered intellectual and cultural decline. The preceding era, which began
with the collapse of the Roman Empire around the 5th century, became known as
the Middle Ages to indicate its position between the classical and modern
world. Scholars now recognize that there was considerable cultural
activity during the Middle Ages, as well as some interest in classical
literature. A number of characteristics of Renaissance art and society had
their origins in the Middle Ages. Many scholars claim that much of the cultural
dynamism of the Renaissance also had its roots in medieval times and that
changes were progressive rather than abrupt. Nevertheless, the Renaissance
represents a change in focus and emphasis from the Middle Ages, with enough
unique qualities to justify considering it as a separate period of history.
This article begins with a brief overview of the characteristics
of the Renaissance and then discusses conflicting views on how to define and
interpret the Renaissance. This analysis is followed by a discussion of the
economic, social, and political changes that began in the 14th century and
contributed to the development of the Renaissance. The ideas of the
Renaissance, particularly of humanism, are then explored, and their impacts on
established religion, on science, and on the arts are examined.”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The
term “Renaissance” means “Rebirth” or more generally it means “Revival”. It was
the series of events by which Europe passed from a medieval to a modern
civilization. The Renaissance means a revival of learning and specially the
study of the Greek which broke down the rigid conventions of the middle ages.
There was a new spirit of inquiry of criticism , a passion for scientific
accuracy which was accompanied by a sense of individualism and worldliness.
Its
chief features are reflected in the works of eth great prose write of the age
i.e. Francis Bacon. The essays written by Bacon have several features that show
the spirit of Renaissance. The influence of Renaissance Spirit on Bacon is
obvious in his philosophy. Nature , said Bacon , cannot be commanded except
being obeyed. By learning the laws of nature , we can become her masters. The
esays of Bacon have several features that bear the stamp of the spirit of
Renaissance.
- Machiavellian Approach to life.
- An Emphasis on self advancement
- A love for classical learning
- Advocacy of empire building and of war
These
are all the characteristics of Renaissance , and these are all found in the
essays of Bacon. Although Bacon appears as a moralist in his essays , eh does
not teach the ideal morality.
Pragmatical Spirit
Bacon
appears as a moralist, he does not teach the ideal morality. He is pragmatist ,
so he judjes the rightness of an action by its effects. He overrides all moral considerations
and deals with the practical advantages of things in the new intellectual
atmosphere created by Renaissance. His essays are replete with what is called
worldly wisdom. He teaches his readers the art how to get on in this world ,
how to become rich , how to rise to high positions , how to exercise one’s
authority and power.
In
the essay “Of Truth” , he emphasizes the value of truth but points out at the
same time that a mixture of falsehood is like alloy in a coin of gold and
silver , which makes the metal work better.
“A mixture of lie doth ever add
pleasure.”
Then
he says ,
“For a lie faces God and shrinks from man.”
In
the essay “Of Revenge” he tells that there is no harm in taking revenge for
those wrongs which have no legal remedy.
In
the essay “Of Simulation and Dissimulation” he approves of secrecy, of
pretending to be what one is not and of pretending that one is not what one is
actually. Here is a Machiavellian advice offered by Bacon in te concluding
lines of the essay,
“ The best composition and temperature is to
have openness in fame and opinion; secrecy in habit; dissimulation is
seasonable use; and a power to feign.”
In
the essay “Of Great Place” Bacon preaches ideal morality and gives several
moral lessons but accepts the use of crooked methods for attaining a high
position in life. The essay “Of
Friendship” shows a purely utilitarian approach to friendship. Bacon tells us
the uses or advantages of friendship.
“For there is no man who imparteth his
joys to his friend but he joyeth the more, and no man that imparteth his
grieves to his friend but he grieveth the less.”
“That a friend is another himself.”
“A man cannot speak to his son but as
a father, to his wife but as husband, to his enemy but upon terms; whereas to a
friend as the case requires.”
Further
Bacon says that man becomes more wise through an hour’s discussion with a
friend than through meditating for a whole day. But Bacon says nothing about
its emotional side. In the essay “Of Marriage and Single Life” Bacon says
“ He that hath wife and children hath given
hostages to fortune.”
Bacon’s Classical Learning
Bacon’s
classical learning is n off shoot of Renaissance. Bacon was greatly influenced
by ancient Latin writers. His essays are full of quotations from such Latin
writers as Tacitus , Lucretius , Seneca , Virgil , Cicero and Lucian. There is
hardly an essay which does not contain one or more Latin Quotations. The essay
“Of True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates” contains as many as thirteen Latin
Quotations.
The
Renaissance love of learning is also seen in the essay “Of Studies” in which
Bacon urges the need and value of studying books.
“Studies serve for delight, for
ornament and ability.”
“To spend too much time in studies is
sloth.”
“Crafty men condemn studies, simple
men admire them and wise men use them.”
“Reading market a full man, conference
a ready man and writing an exact man.”
“Some books are to be tasted, others
to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”
Further
he says that different kind of studies mould the character of individuals in
different ways.
“History makes man wise, poetry makes witty ,
the mathematics subtle, natural philosophy deep , moral , grave , logic and
rhetoric , able to contend.”
Further
he says that as every physical disease has a remedy , similarly every mental
defect has a suitable remedy in studies.
The Renaissance – A Time of Exploration and
political conquest
This
aspect of Renaissance is reflected in Bacon’s political essays , especially in
“Of Empire” and “Of True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates”. In the former
essay Bacon points out the various dangers that the king in his time faced. He
gives useful pieces of advice to the kings regarding their dealings with their
neighbors , wives , their children , their clergy ,their nobles etc. then in
the other essay , he insists that the greatness of a country is determined not
by its territory or population but by its military power. Those were the days
of navel wars. According to bacon the chief reason for the greatness of his own
country was its navel power. Bacon would like a country to seek excuses for
foreign wars because while the civil war is like the heat of fever , a foreign
war is like the heat of exercise which serves to keep the body in health. Peace
, according to Bacon , is slothful and weakens a nation.
This
attitude of war and peace is obviously typical of the spirit of Renaissance.
Love of Beauty
Another
feature of the Renaissance that is reflected in few of his essays is love of
beauty. Although Bacon was a philosopher cum politician , his essay “Of
Gardens” seems to have come from the pen of a nature lover. In designing of a
garden his suggestions show him to be keen lover of sensual beauty.
Wealth of Metaphor and analogy
Another
important characteristic of the Renaissance is to be found in bacon’s essays
i.e. the abundant use of striking figures of speech. The metaphors and smiles
taken from different spheres of knowledge and experience reflect the exuberance
/ high spirit of the age. E.g.
“For a crowd is not company , and faces are
but a gallery of pictures.” (Of Friendship)
“Virtue is like precious odours , most
fragrant when they are incensed or crushed , for prosperity doth best discover
vice , but adversity doth best discover virtue.” (Of Adversity)
Curiosity and love of travel
Sense
of curiosity and the love of increasing one’s knowledge is what prompts Bacon
in his recommending travel for both the young and the old. The list of the
worth seeing things he makes , is a
typical spirit of Renaissance.
“Travel in the younger sort , is a part of education , in older age a part of
experience.”
An Exception
In
one and only one aspect , Bacon moves away from the spirit of Renaissance. He
does not reflect the age’s pride in English Language. He preferred and admired
Latin to English and in fact thought that the Latin version of his essays would
be more popular. He apparently did not feel with others of his age that English
could match the classical language.
Conclusion
One
can say that Bacon was a writer who represented the most salient features of
his age, the age of revival of learning and study of ancients , the spirit of
inquiry and individualism and nationalism.
