OF REVENGE, OF STUDIES

FRANCIS BACON

• Francis bacon was born on January 22,1561,london,England
• His father Sir Nicholas Bacon was “Lord Keeper of the great seal”
• 
  So the queen Elizabeth called him, “The young lord keeper”, later Bacon also became like his father, “lord keeper of the great seal”
• Francis Bacon is the first great stylist in English prose
• Bacon was influenced by French Essayist, “Montaigne”
• Bacon was favoured by the new “Renaissance Humanism” and didn’t like “Aristotelinism” and “Scholasticism”
• He thought Aristotle’s philosophy as unprofitable, argumentative and incorrect
• Bacon wrote, “A letter of Advice to Queen Elizabeth” during the winter of 1584-1585
• Bacon was knighted by James I in 1603
• In 1618, Bacon became the lord Chancellor of England
• In 1621, he became Viscount of St.Albans
• Bacon married Allice Barnham, daughter of Drapper
• He was accused of bribe and corruption so he was fined 40000 pounds
• He became a friend of Robert Devereux, who was II Earl of Essex and Favourite of Queen Elizabeth through him, he became the earl’s confident adviser and attended court pleasure parties, so wrote “The Conference of Pleasure”
• Bacon was a legendary English philosopher, scientist, lawyer, statesman, author,jurist and father of scientific methods
• Important personality in natural philosophy, key thinker in scientific methods
• He is also interested in Inductive methodologies for scientific inquiry , this method is known as Baconian method
• He is called as “father of Empiricism”(the theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses) other writers of empiricism John Locke, David Hume
• He is called as “parent of modern science”
• He is called as “father of English essayist”

• He is called as “Aphoristic essayist”, “Instructive essayist”
• Bacon is central figure of Jacobean period
• 
  Bacon’s essays deals with 1)Man’s relation to supreme being 2)Man’s relation to himself 3)Man’s relation to society and the world
• Hug Walker says, “Bacon is the first English Essayist remains by seer mass and weight of genius”
• Alexander Pope said, “If parts allure thee, think how Bacon shined, “The wisest and meanest of mankind”
• Bacon’s predecessors Philip Sidney , John Lyly,Roger Ascham
• Bacon’s style of writing is pithy style, brief vigorously expressive, ignores unnecessary conceits and imaginaries
• Bacon is also influenced by Machiaevelli (Italy writer, author of The Prince)
• Bacon tried to find refrigerator by covering the dead hen under the snow, then suffered of Bronchitis and died on 9th April 1626
• Bacon said, “Essay was a dispersed meditation”
• “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested”
• “Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man”
• His works, “Novum Organum Scientorium ” (latin word means New Method) about science, this is dedicated to James I
• His work “Advancement of learning”-1605 ,dedicated to James I ,translated into latin as “De Augmentis scientarium” called as “Hallmark of Renaissance”
• Bacon’s first collection of Essays was published in 1597(10)
• Bacon’s second collection of Essays was published in 1612 (38)
• Bacon’s third/final collection of Essays was published in 1625(58)
• The history of Henry VII
• New Atlantis (unfinished work of Bacon)

• Wisdom of Ancients
• The Instuaratio Magna/The great institution of True Philosophy(in 6 parts)
• His tour to Europe helped him to write “Notes on the state of Europe”
• Bacon’s Essay “Of Masque and Triumph” shows art of providing entertainment
• Bacon became reason for the death of Earl of Essex II, so he wrote “An Apology”
• Full name of Bacon’s essay “Essay is religious meditations places of persuasion and dissuasion, seen and allowed”
• Bacon said about himself, “I only sound the genius of investigation clarion, but enter not into the battle”

Additional Points

• Francis Bacon is the first great stylist in English prose
• In Novum Organum Bacon is concerned with the question of valid knowledge
• Bacon’s Nuvum Organum is Philosophical treatise
• The theme of Bacon’s The New Atlantis is the advancement of science
• “Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton love corrupteth and
• embaseth it”. Where do these words occur? Francis Bacon’s Essay “Of Love”
• The theme of Bacon’s The New Atlantis is discovery of the new world
• With Bacon the essay form is The aphoristic expression of accumulated public wisdom(NET)
• Matheson says, in his final evaluation of Bacon as an essayist: “The Essays have won him a place apart, and are the source of his fame with the world at large.They introduce a new form of composition into English Literature which was destined to have a varied and fruitful development. They are for the most

part detached and impersonal, and there is nothing in them to mark the tragedy of his life. ”

OF REVENGE BY FRANCIS BACON

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 doth but offend the law; but the revenge of that wrong, putteth the law out of office. Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince’s part to pardon. And Solomon, I am sure, saith, It is the glory of a man, to pass by an offence. That which is past is gone, and irrevocable; and wise men have enough to do, with things present and to come; therefore they do but trifle with themselves, that labor in past matters. There is no man doth a wrong, for the wrong’s sake; but thereby to purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or honor, or the like. Therefore why should I be angry with a man, for loving himself better than me? And if any man should do wrong, merely out of ill- nature, why, yet it is but like the thorn or briar, which prick and scratch, because they can do no other. The most tolerable sort of revenge, is for those wrongs which there is no law to remedy; but then let a man take heed, the revenge be such as there is no law to punish; else a man’s enemy is still before hand, and it is two for one. Some, when they take revenge, are desirous, the party should know, whence it cometh. This is the more generous. For the delight seemeth to be, not so much in doing the hurt, as in making the party repent. But base and crafty cowards, are like the arrow that flieth in the dark. Cosmus, duke of Florence, had a desperate saying against perfidious or neglecting friends, as if those wrongs were unpardonable; You shall read (saith he) that we are commanded to forgive our enemies; but you never read, that we are commanded to forgive our friends. But yet the spirit of Job was in a better tune: Shall we (saith he) take good at God’s hands, and not be content to take evil also? And so of friends in a proportion. This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal, and do well. Public revenges are for the most part fortunate; as that for the death of Caesar; for the death of Pertinax; for the death of Henry the Third of France; and many more. But in private revenges, it is not so. Nay rather, vindictive persons live the life of witches; who, as they are mischievous, so end they infortunate.

• In the medieval age there was fight everywhere, it was called as Fueds
• Opening line of the essay OF Revenge , “Revenge is the wild justice”
• The more man’s nature runs to , the more ought law to weed it out
• Revenge offends the law
• “ Certainly in taking revenge a man is but even with his enemy but passing it over, he is superior”
• Solomon said “It is glory of a man to pass by an offence”
• “There is no man doth a wrong , for the wrong’s sake but thereby to purchase himself profit or pleasure or honour or the like”. Therefore why should I be angry with a man for loving himself better than me”

• Man doing wrong is compared with Thorn or Briar (wild rose with long prickly stems) it is their nature to prick and scratch “And if any man is doing wrong merely out of ill nature, why yet It is but like the thorn or briar, which prick and scratch, because they can do no other”
• Some great people led out their real identity while take revenge but base and crafty (cunning) cowards take revenge without telling identity, they are compared with an arrow that flies in the dark
• An injury committed because of self love is forgivable
• Cosimo de medici (Duke of Florence ) in 16th century tells desperately “wrong or injury committed by a perfidious –(wrong friends) is unpardonable
• You shall read, “we are commended to forgive our enemies but you never read that we are commended to forgive our friends” quote said by Cosimo de Medici (Duke of Florence)
• For this Bacon replies that in the Bible , the spirit of Job tells us “shall we take good at God’s hands and not be content to take evil also ?And so of friends in Proportion ” this is applied to Friends also, we accept the good things done by Our friends, like wise if a friend does any wrong , we should accept that too
• “This is certain that a man studieth of Revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise heal and do well”- A Man always thinks of taking Revenge is keeping his wounds green, if he doesn’t think revenge , wound would heal
• Pardon is better form of Revenge
• If there is no remedy by law, that type of revenge is tolerable
• Public revenges are fortunate, those who took, revenge for public revenges are given below
• 1.Mark Antony took revenge for the death of Julius Ceasar

• 2.Spetimus Severus took revenge for the death of Pertinax
• 3. Henry IV took Revenge for the death of Henry III
• Public revenges are fortunate but private revenges are not so fortunate, they will end our lives in a miserable manner
• “Vindictive persons live the life of withces , who as they are mischievous , so end they unfortunate” this is the last line of the essay “Of Revenge”

OF STUDIES BY FRANCIS BACON

STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best, from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning, by study; and studies themselves, do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know, that he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores. Nay, there is no stond or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies; like as diseases of the body, may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores.

If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study 197 the lawyers’ cases. So every defect of the mind, may have a special receipt.

• Studies is used for delight in private and retirement
• Studies is used as ornament in discourse (Conversation)
• Studies is used as ability in taking Judgment /handling of business
• But if we spent too much of times in study it is called as sloth(laziness)
• If we use studies too much as ornament, it is called as affectation(false display)
• If we use studies too much to judge, it is called as showing the eccentricity of a scholar(humour of a scholar)

• Crafty man (cunning men) condemn studies
• Simple men admire studies
• Wise men use studies
• “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, some few to be chewed and digested” famous quote from “OF Studies”
• “Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man”
• “If a man writes little , he needs great memory”
• “If he confers little he needs to have present wit”(Discuss)
• If he reads little , he needs to have much cunning
• The study of history make men wise
• The study of poetry make men witty
• The study of maths makes men Subtle(clever)
• The study of natural philosophy makes men deep/Grave
• The study of moral makes men grave (serious minded)
• The study of logic and rhetoric (art of using language) makes men able to contend (debate and reasoning ability)
• “Abeunt Studia in Mores” studies become habits, studies pass into character
• Every disease of body may get cured by correct exercises
• Bowling is good for stones and reins
• Shooting is good for lungs and breast
• Gentle walking is good for stomach
• Riding is good for head
• Like that if a man’s wit is wandering , he has to study maths to control his wavering mind and develop his concentration power
• If a man is unable to differentiate between things like “Cymini Sectors” he has to study middle age scholar’s philosophy , then he will develop decision making

• “Cymini Sectors” means experts in hair splitting, here it refers one who makes fine differentiation
• If a man is unable to examine a subject carefully from point , he has to study lawyer’s case
• “Read not to contradict and confute nor to believe and to take for granted nor to find talk and discourse but to weigh and discourse”
• “Every defect of mind have a special receipt”(remedy)- the last line of the essay “Of Studies”