The sum of behaviour is to retain a man's own dignity, without intruding upon the liberty of others. Behaviour seemeth to me as a garment of the mind, and to have the conditions of a garment. For it ought to be made in fashion; it ought not to be too curious; it ought to be shaped so as to set forth any good making of the mind, and hide any deformity; and above all, it ought not to be too strait, or restrained for exercise or motion. 5. Evils of too much attention to behaviour. 1. The danger of affectation. 2. Waste of time. The open declaration of this is impolitic, being taken and used as spurs to industry, and not as stirrups to insolency, rather for resolution than for presumption or outward declaration, have been ever thought sound and good; and are, no question, imprinted in the greatest minds, who are so sensible of this 2. The knowledge of the advancement of life is deopinion, as they can scarce contain it within. ficient...... 231 3. The investigation of this subject concerns learning, both in honour and in substance. Pragmatical men should not go away with an opinion that learning is like a lark, that can mount, and sing, and please herself, and nothing else; but may know that she holdeth as well of the hawk, that can soar aloft, and can also descend and strike the upon prey. It is the perfect law of inquiry of truth, "that nothing be in the globe of matter, which should not be likewise in the globe of crystal, or form;" that is, that there be not any thing in being and action, which should not be drawn and collected into contemplation and doctrine. 3. Waste of mind, and checking aspirings to 4. Learning esteems the architecture of fortune as of higher virtues. NEGOTIATION ..... 229 1. This knowledge, to the derogation of learning, hath not been collected into writing. Of the three wisdoms which we have set down to pertain to civil life, for wisdom of behaviour, it is by learned men for the most part despised, as an inferior to virtue, and an enemy to meditation; for wisdom of government, they acquit themselves well when they are called to it, but that happeneth to few; but for the wisdom of business, wherein man's life is most conversant, there be no books of it, except some few scattered advertisements, that have no proportion to the magnitude of this subject. 2. This knowledge is reducible to precept, illustrated by the proverbs of Solomon.... 229 an inferior work......... 5. This doctrine is reducible to science. 6. Precepts respecting this knowledge. 232 7. The fundamental precept is to acquire knowledge of the particular motives by which those with whom we have to deal are actuated..... 232 8. 9. Obtain that window which Momus did require: who seeing in the frame of man's heart such angles and recesses, found fault The sinews of wisdom are slowness of belief. that there was not a window to look into them. General modes of acquiring a knowledge of others 233 1. A general acquaintance with knowing men. 2. A good mediocrity in liberty of speech and secrecy: indulging rather in freedom of speech. 3. A watchful and serene habit of observing when acting. 3. Ancient fables and parables contain information 10. Modes by which the knowledge of man is acquired. upon this subject.. 231 4. The proper form of writing upon this subject is discourse upon history or examples. 5. Of discourses upon history of times, and upon lives, and upon letters.... ..... 231 KNOWLEDGE OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LIFE.. 231 1. Preliminary observations. 1. This is the wisdom of pressing a man's own fortune. This is the knowledge “sibi sapere:" sapere is to move from the centre to the circumference:-sibi sapere, from the circumference to the centre. 2. Many are wise for themselves, yet weak for the public. Like ants, which are wise creatures for themselves, but very hurtful for the garden. 3. Faber quisque fortunæ propriæ, Livy attributeth it to Cato the first, "in hoc viro tanto vis animi et ingenii inerat, ut quocunque loco natus esset, sibi ipse fortunam facturus videretur." Deeds. 16. They are not to be trusted without a diligent consideration of their magnitude and nature. Natures and End of Men. 17. This is the surest key to unlock men's minds. It is an error frequent for men to shoot 1. Caution. 2. Colour. 3. Confidence. 19. Princes are best interpreted by their natures; pri- 34. A man should not dismantle himself by showing vate persons by their ends. 20. The variety and predominancy of affections are to be estimated. 35. Of the Knowledge of Ourselves..... 233 36. 22. A man ought to make an exact estimate of his merits and defects: accounting these with the most, and those with the least. Though men look oft in a glass, yet they do suddenly forget themselves. Particular Considerations respecting Self-Knowledge. 23. The consonance, or dissonance of his constitution and temper with the times. Tiberius was never seen in public. Augustus lived ever in men's eyes. 24. The adaptation of his nature to the different professions and courses of life. 25. The competitors in different professions; that the course may be taken where there is most solitude. As Julius Cæsar did, who at first was an orator or pleader; but when he saw the excellency of Cicero, Hortensius, Catulus, and others, for eloquence, and saw there was no man of reputation for the wars but Pompeius, upon whom the state was forced to rely, he forsook his course begun toward a civil and popular greatness, and transferred his designs to a martial greatness. 26. In the choice of friends to consult similar nature. As we may see in Cæsar; all whose friends and followers were men active and effectual, but not solemn, or of reputation. 27. Caution is not being misled by examples. In which error it seemeth Pompey was, of whom Cicero saith, that he was wont often to say, "Sylla potuit, ego non potero ?" The Art of Revealing a Man's Self. 28. From not properly revealing a man's self, the less able man is often esteemed before the more able. 29. The setting forth virtues, and covering defects is advantageous.. 234 30. Self-setting-forth requires art, lest it turn to arrogance. too much dulceness, goodness, and facility of nature, without sparkles of liberty, spirit, and edge. The mind should be pliant and obedient to occasion... 233 Nothing is more politic than to make the wheels of our mind concentric and voluble with the wheels of fortune. Precepts for the architect of his own fortune. 1. He should not engage in too arduous mat ters.......... Fatis accede deisque. 235 2. He should be able to plan and to execute. 3. He should observe a good mediocrity in the declaring or not declaring himself. 235 4. He should judge of the proportion or value of things. We shall find the logical part, as I may term it, of some men's minds good, but the mathematical part erroneous; that is, they can well judge of consequences, but not of proportions and comparisons, preferring things of show and sense before things of substance and effect.2 5. He should consider the order in which objects should be attained.......... 236 1. The mind should be amended. 2. Wealth and measure should be at tained.3 3. Fame and reputation should be ac quired. Because of the peremptory tides and currents it hath; which, if they be not taken in their due time, are seldom recovered, it being extreme hard to play an after-game of repu tation.4 Men run after the satisfaction of their sottish appetites, Bacon says, "God in the first day of creation made nothing but light, allowing one whole day to that work, without creating any material thing therein: so the experiments of Neither give thou Æsop's cock a gem, who would be bet-light and not of profit should be first investigated." ter pleased and happier if he had a barley-corn. The examples of God teaches the lesson truly: "He sendeth his rain, and maketh his sun to shine, upon the just and unjust:" but he doth not rain wealth, nor shine honour and virtues upon men equally common benefits are to be communicated with all, but peculiar benefits with choice.-Bacon's Essay on Goodness and Goodness of Nature. There are various sentiments similar to this in Shakspeare. "There is a tide in the affairs of men," &c. So in Antony and Cleopatra. Who seeks and will not take when once 'tis offered, The Advancement of Learning was published in 1605. in time to come. Government is a part of knowledge, secret and reIn the governors towards the government all things Statesmen are the proper persons to write on uniought to be manifest. versal justice.... 4. Of universal justice. 8. He should reserve a power to retreat. 237 3. 9. He should be cautious in his friendships "Et ama tanquam inimicus futurus, et odi 37. Fortunes may be obtained without precept. 5. 6. They come tumbling into some men's laps; and a number obtain good fortunes by diligence in a plain way, little intermeddling, and 7. keeping themselves from gross errors. 38. Of vicious precepts for self-advancement... 237 39. The number of bad precepts for advancement in life is greater than good..... 237 ... It is in life as it is in ways, the shortest way is commonly the foulest, and surely the fairer way is not much about. 40. In the pursuit of fortune, man ought to set before his eyes the general map of the world... 237 All things are vanity and vexation of spirit. -Being without well-being is a curse; and the greater the being, the greater the curse. 8. 238 There are in nature certain fountains of justice, whence all civil laws are derived but as streams; and like as waters do take tinctures and tastes from the soils through which they run, so do civil laws vary according to the regions and governments where they are planted, though they proceed from the same fountains. Of the wisdom of a law maker.... .... 238 Bacon intends a work in aphorisms upon universal justice.2 Of the laws of England........ 239 The whole book is not much better than that noise or sound which musicians make while they are tuning their instruments; which is nothing pleasant to hear, but yet is a cause why the music is sweeter afterwards: so have I been content to tune the instruments of the muses, that they may play that have better hands. Observations upon the prospects of the progress of knowledge. REVEALED RELIGION.......... 239 1. It is the sabbath of all men's labours. 41. The incessant and sabbathless pursuit of fortune 2. The prerogative of God extends to man's reason, leaveth not the tribute which we owe to God of our time. It is to small purpose to have an erected face towards heaven, and a perpetual grovelling spirit upon earth, eating dust, as doth the serpent. 42. The adopting vicious precepts cannot be tolerated by the intended good ends. 43. Fortune, like a woman, if too much wooed, is the further off...... 238 44. Divinity points upwards to the kingdom of God: philosophy inwards to the goods of the mind. The human foundation hath somewhat of ment of Learning in existence, with Shakspeare's autograph in it. The same sentiment is expressed by Dryden. Heaven has to all allotted soon or late, The same sentiment is contained in the Essays. "It is usually said of Fortune that she has locks before, but none behind." "Fortune is like Time, if you do not take him by the forelock; he turns his bald noddle to you;" or at least, turneth the handle of the bottle first to be received; and after the belly, which is hard to clasp. 1 Events are not in our power; but it always is to make a good use of the very worst. Minute Philosopher. and to his will. 3. Sacred theology is grounded upon the oracle of God. 4. The use of reason in matters spiritual is exten sive. The Christain Faith, as in all things so in this, deserveth to be highly magnified; holding and preserving the golden mediocrity in this point between the law of the heathen and the law of Mahomet, which have embraced the two extremes. For the religion of the heathen had no constant belief or confession, but left all to the liberty of argument; and the religion of Mahomet, on the other side, interdicteth argument altogether: the one having the very face of error, and the other of imposture. 5. Uses of reason in spiritual matters.......... 240 1. In the conception of revealed mysteries. 2. In inferences from revelation. 6. A treatise on the limits of reason in spiritual matters is wanting. This would be an opiate to stay and bridle not only the vanity of curious speculations, wherewith the schools labour, but the fury of controversies, wherewith the church laboureth. 7. Parts of divinity. THE NATURE OF THE REVELATION. 1. Its limits. 2. Its sufficiency. 3. Its acquisition. 8. The points fundamental and of perfection ought to be distinguished..... 241 We see Moses when he saw the Israelite and the Egyptian fight, he did not say, Why strive you? but drew his sword and slew the Egyptian: but when he saw the two Israelites fight, he said, You are brethren, why strive you? The coat of our Saviour was entire without seam, and so is the doctrine of the Scriptures in itself; but the garment of the church was of divers colours. The Limits of the Information..... 241 9. Considerations respecting the limits. 1. The inspiration of individuals. 2. The inspiration of the church. The Sufficiency of the Information.... 241 10. Considerations respecting the sufficiency. 1. Fundamental and perfective points of reli- They ought to be piously and wisely distin- 2. The gradations of light for the generation The Acquisition of the Information... 241 11. It rests upon the sound interpretation of Scrip ture. They are the fountains of the waters of life. 12. Different modes of interpreting Scripture. 1. Methodical. 2. Solute or at large. This divine water which excelleth so much that of Jacob's well, is drawn forth much in the same kind as natural water useth to be out of wells and fountains; either it is first forced up into a cistern, and from thence 22. Deviations from religion. Atheism. Heresy. Idolatry. fetched and derived for use; or else it is 23. There is no deficience in divinity. drawn and received in buckets and vessels im- 13. Methodical mode of interpretation. It seems to be more ready, but is more subject to corrupt. 14. Objects of methodical interpretation. 1. Summary brevity. 2. Compacted strength. 3. Complete perfection. 15. Solute method of interpretation..... 242 16. There have been divers curious but unsafe modes. 243 I can find no space or ground that lieth va cant and unsown in the matter of divinity; so diligent have men been, either in sowing of good seed, or in sowing of tares. Thus have I made as it were a small Globe of the Intellectual World, as truly and faithfully as I could discover; with a note and description of those parts which seem to me not constantly occupate, or not well converted by the labour of man. KNOWLEDGE OF MAN. 1. Man as an individual. 201. 1. History, relating to the memory." 1. Memorials. 2. Appendices. 192. 2. Epistles. (3. Apophthegms. 2. Poetry, 1. Narrative. relating to the imagination. 192. 3. Philosophy, relating to the understanding. 2. Representative. 3. Parabolical. 1. Discovery. 2. Exposition of dreams. 201. 1. Physiognomy. 201. 1. Action of body on mind. 202. 2. Action of mind on body. 202. 2. Philosophical. 199. 3. Magical. 199. 2. Appendices.2. Calendar of discoveries. 200. 51. Calendar of inventions. 199. 3. Human Philosophy, or Knowledge of Man. 201. (a) 1. The undivided state of man. 2. 2. Impression, 1. Of Conversation. 228. 2. Man in Society 228.2. Of Negotiation. 229. 3. Of Government. 238, 1. Divination. 206. 1. Its origin. 2. Fascination. 206. 1. Invention. 207. 51. Of arts and sciences. 2. Of argument. 209. 2. Judgment. 210. 1. The Understanding. 3. Memory. 212. 2. Its faculties. 2. Nature of memory. 212. 1. Helps of memory. 212. 1. Literate Experience. 209. 2. Novum Organum. 12. Philosophical. 1. Grammar. 213.1. Literary. Tradition. 212. 2. Rhetoric. 215. 3. Appendices. 2. The Will. 218.1. Te Image of Good. 219. 12. The Culture of the Mind. 223.. 1. The Art Critical. 12. The Art of Instruction. |