francis bacon

The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral

First published 1625
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contents

i
Of Truth
WHAT is truth? said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer. Certainly there be, that delight in giddiness, and count it a bondage…
ii
Of Death
MEN fear death, as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children, is increased with tales, so is the other.…
iii
Of Unity In Religion
RELIGION being the chief band of human society, it is a happy thing, when itself is well contained within the true band of unity. The…
iv
Of Revenge
REVENGE is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out. For as for the first wrong, it…
v
Of Adversity
IT WAS an high speech of Seneca (after the manner of the Stoics), that the good things, which belong to prosperity, are to be wished; but…
vi
Of Simulation And Dissimulation
DISSIMULATION is but a faint kind of policy, or wisdom; for it asketh a strong wit, and a strong heart, to know when to tell truth, and to…
vii
Of Parents And Children
THE joys of parents are secret; and so are their griefs and fears. They cannot utter the one; nor they will not utter the other. Children…
viii
Of Marriage And Single Life
HE THAT hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief.…
ix
Of Envy
THERE be none of the affections, which have been noted to fascinate or bewitch, but love and envy. They both have vehement wishes; they…
x
Of Love
THE stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man. For as to the stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of…
xi
Of Great Place
MEN in great place are thrice servants: servants of the sovereign or state; servants of fame; and servants of business. So as they have no…
xii
Of Boldness
IT IS a trivial grammar-school text, but yet worthy a wise man's consideration. Question was asked of Demosthenes, what was the chief part…
xiii
Of Goodness and Goodness Of Nature
I TAKE goodness in this sense, the affecting of the weal of men, which is that the Grecians call philanthropia; and the word humanity (as…
xiv
Of Nobility
WE WILL speak of nobility, first as a portion of an estate, then as a condition of particular persons. A monarchy, where there is no…
xv
Of Seditions And Troubles
SHEPHERDS of people, had need know the calendars of tempests in state; which are commonly greatest, when things grow to equality; as…
xvi
Of Atheism
I HAD rather believe all the fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame is without a mind. And…
xvii
Of Superstition
IT WERE better to have no opinion of God at all, than such an opinion, as is unworthy of him. For the one is unbelief, the other is…
xviii
Of Travel
TRAVEL, in the younger sort, is a part of education, in the elder, a part of experience. He that travelleth into a country, before he hath…
xix
Of Empire
IT IS a miserable state of mind, to have few things to desire, and many things to fear; and yet that commonly is the case of kings; who,…
xx
Of Counsel
THE greatest trust, between man and man, is the trust of giving counsel. For in other confidences, men commit the parts of life; their…
xxi
Of Delays
FORTUNE is like the market; where many times if you can stay a little, the price will fall. Again, it is sometimes like Sibylla's offer;…
xxii
Of Cunning
WE TAKE cunning for a sinister or crooked wisdom. And certainly there is a great difference, between a cunning man, and a wise man; not…
xxiii
Of Wisdom For A Man's Self
AN ANT is a wise creature for itself, but it is a shrewd thing, in an orchard or garden. And certainly, men that are great lovers of…
xxiv
Of Innovations
AS THE births of living creatures, at first are ill-shapen, so are all innovations, which are the births of time. Yet notwithstanding, as…
xxv
Of Dispatch
AFFECTED dispatch is one of the most dangerous things to business that can be. It is like that, which the physicians call predigestion, or…
xxvi
Of Seeming Wise
IT HATH been an opinion, that the French are wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem wiser than they are. But howsoever it be between…
xxvii
Of Friendship
IT HAD been hard for him that spake it to have put more truth and untruth together in few words, than in that speech, Whatsoever is…
xxviii
Of Expense
RICHES are for spending, and spending for honor and good actions. Therefore extraordinary expense must be limited by the worth of the…
xxix
Of the True Greatness Of Kingdoms And Estates
THE speech of Themistocles the Athenian, which was haughty and arrogant, in taking so much to himself, had been a grave and wise…
xxx
Of Regiment Of Health
THERE is a wisdom in this; beyond the rules of physic: a man's own observation, what he finds good of, and what he finds hurt of, is the…
xxxi
Of Suspicion
SUSPICIONS amongst thoughts, are like bats amongst birds, they ever fly by twilight. Certainly they are to be repressed, or at least well…
xxxii
Of Discourse
SOME, in their discourse, desire rather commendation of wit, in being able to hold all arguments, than of judgment, in discerning what is…
xxxiii
Of Plantations
PLANTATIONS are amongst ancient, primitive, and heroical works. When the world was young, it begat more children; but now it is old, it…
xxxiv
Of Riches
I CANNOT call riches better than the baggage of virtue. The Roman word is better, impedimenta. For as the baggage is to an army, so is…
xxxv
Of Prophecies
I MEAN not to speak of divine prophecies; nor of heathen oracles; nor of natural predictions; but only of prophecies that have been of…
xxxvi
Of Ambition
AMBITION is like choler; which is an humor that maketh men active, earnest, full of alacrity, and stirring, if it be not stopped. But if it…
xxxvii
Of Masques And Triumphs
THESE things are but toys, to come amongst such serious observations. But yet, since princes will have such things, it is better they…
xxxviii
Of Nature In Men
NATURE is often hidden; sometimes overcome; seldom extinguished. Force, maketh nature more violent in the return; doctrine and discourse,…
xxxix
Of Custom And Education
MEN'S thoughts, are much according to their inclination; their discourse and speeches, according to their learning and infused opinions;…
xl
Of Fortune
IT CANNOT be denied, but outward accidents conduce much to fortune; favor, opportunity, death of others, occasion fitting virtue. But…
xli
Of Usury
MANY have made witty invectives against usury. They say that it is a pity, the devil should have God's part, which is the tithe. That the…
xlii
Of Youth And Age
A MAN that is young in years, may be old in hours, if he have lost no time. But that happeneth rarely. Generally, youth is like the first…
xliii
Of Beauty
VIRTUE is like a rich stone, best plain set; and surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely, though not of delicate features; and that…
xliv
Of Deformity
DEFORMED persons are commonly even with nature; for as nature hath done ill by them, so do they by nature; being for the most part (as the…
xlv
Of Building
HOUSES are built to live in, and not to look on; therefore let use be preferred before uniformity, except where both may be had. Leave the…
xlvi
Of Gardens
GOD Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed it is the purest of human pleasures. It is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of man;…
xlvii
Of Negotiating
IT IS generally better to deal by speech than by letter; and by the mediation of a third than by a man's self. Letters are good, when a man…
xlviii
Of Followers And Friends
COSTLY followers are not to be liked; lest while a man maketh his train longer, he make his wings shorter. I reckon to be costly, not them…
xlix
Of Suitors
MANY ill matters and projects are undertaken; and private suits do putrefy the public good. Many good matters, are undertaken with bad…
l
Of Studies
STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in…
li
Of Faction
MANY have an opinion not wise, that for a prince to govern his estate, or for a great person to govern his proceedings, according to the…
lii
Of Ceremonies, And Respects
HE THAT is only real, had need have exceeding great parts of virtue; as the stone had need to be rich, that is set without foil. But if a…
liii
Of Praise
PRAISE is the reflection of virtue; but it is as the glass or body, which giveth the reflection. If it be from the common people, it is…
liv
Of Vain-glory
IT WAS prettily devised of AEsop, The fly sat upon the axle-tree of the chariot wheel, and said, What a dust do I raise! So are there some…
lv
Of Honor And Reputation
THE winning of honor, is but the revealing of a man's virtue and worth, without disadvantage. For some in their actions, do woo and effect…
lvi
Of Judicature
JUDGES ought to remember, that their office is jus dicere, and not jus dare; to interpret law, and not to make law, or give law. Else will…
lvii
Of Anger
TO SEEK to extinguish anger utterly, is but a bravery of the Stoics. We have better oracles: Be angry, but sin not. Let not the sun go down…
lviii
Of Vicissitude Of Things
SOLOMON saith, There is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, That all knowledge was but remembrance; so…
lix
Of Fame
THE poets make Fame a monster. They describe her in part finely and elegantly, and in part gravely and sententiously. They say, look how…
lx
A Glossary Of Archaic Words And Phrases
Abridgment: miniature Absurd: stupid, unpolished Abuse: cheat, deceive Aculeate: stinging Adamant: loadstone Adust: scorched Advoutress:…