Of Francis Bacon

Sir Francis Bacon was a sixteenth century English theologian, philosopher, scientist, and statesman. He is absolutely one of my favorite authors; his writings provide immense insight into my own life. It is with great pleasure that I introduce whosoever reads this blog to some of his work! 

"Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider." - Of Empire

Words like that make me smile. Ok here we go...

Of Wisdom's for a man's self... 

     "...Divide with reason between self-love and society, and be so true to thyself as thou be not false to others... It is a poor center of a man's actions, himself. The referring of all to a man's self is more tolerable in a sovereign prince, his good and evil is at peril of the public fortune. But it is a desperate evil in a citizen in a republic. For whatsoever affairs pass such a man's hand, he crooketh them to his own ends.  And this is the case of bad officers, treasurers, ambassadors, generals, and other false and corrupt servants, which set a bias... of their own petty ends and envies.  And certainly it is the nature of extreme self-lovers, as they will set a house on fire, and it were but to roast their eggs. And yet these men many times hold credit with their masters, because their study is but to please them and profit themselves..."

    "Wisdom for a man's self is a depraved thing. It is the wisdom of rats, that will be sure to leave a house somewhat before it fall... It is the wisdom of crocodiles, that shed tears when they would devour... But that which is specially to be noted is, that those which are sui amantes sine rivali [lovers of themselves without rivals] are many times unfortunate. And whereas they have all their time sacrificed to themselves, they become in the end themselves sacrifices to the inconstancy of fortune, whose wings they thought to have pinioned by their self wisdom."

Did you take anything from that? 

Here's another,

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 riches to virtue, it can not be spared or left behind... Of great riches there is no real use, except it be in the distribution; the rest is but conceit. So saith Solomon, "Where much is, there are many to consume it; and what hath the owner but the sight of it with his eyes?" ... Do you not see what feigned prices are set upon little stones and rarities, and what works of ostentation are undertaken, because there might be some use of great riches? But then you will say, they may be of use to buy men out of dangers or troubles. As Solomon saith, "Riches are as a stronghold in the imagination of the rich man." But this is excellently expressed, that it is in imagination, and not always in fact. For certainly great riches have sold more men than they have bought. Seek not proud riches, but such as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and leave contentedly. Have no abstract nor friarly contempt of them... But distinguish, as Cicero saith well, "In his keeness to increase his wealth it was apparent that he was not seeking a prey for avarice to feed upon, but an instrument for good to work with"... Hearken also to Solomon, and beware of hasty gathering of riches, "He who makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent"... Plutus (which is riches) when sent from Jupiter, limps, but when sent from Pluto, is swift of foot: meaning that riches gotten by good means and just labour pace slowly, but when they come by the death of others, they come tumbling upon man... But it ought be applied likewise to Pluto, taking him for the devil, for when riches come from the devil (as by fraud and oppression and unjust means), they come upon speed..."

     "The gains of ordinary trades and vocations are honest, and furthered by two things chiefly: by diligence, and by a good name for good and fair dealing... When a man buys to not to hold, but to sell over again, that commonly grindeth double, both upon the seller and the buyer. Usury is the certainest means of gain, though one of the worst, as that whereby a man doth eat his bread in the sweat of another man's brow... the fortune in being the first in an invention or in a privilege doth cause sometimes a wonderful overgrowth in riches, as it was with the first sugar man in the Canaries... He that resteth upon gains shall hardly grow to great riches, and he that puts all upon adventures doth oftentimes break and come to poverty... Riches gotten by service, though it be of the best rise, yet when they are gotten by flattery and other servile conditions, they may be placed amongst the worst... believe not much them that seem to despise riches, for they despise them that despair of them; and none worse when they come to them. Be not pennywise; riches have wings, and sometimes they fly away of themselves, sometimes they must be set flying to bring in more... A great state left to an heir is as a lure to all the birds of prey round about to seize on him, if he be not the better established in years and judgement. Likewise, glorious gifts and foundations are like sacrifices without salt... which soon will putrefy and corrupt inwardly. Therefore measure not thine advancements by quantity, but frame them by measure and defer not charity till death."

What do you think? Does this still hold up in today's world? Thats a tough one to answer. See you next time.