answer, 'Such and such a thing passed.' The lord would say, 'I thought he would mar a good dinner.' Discretion of speech is more than eloquence; and to speak agreeably1 to him with whom we deal, is more than to speak in good words, or in good order. A good continued speech, without a good speech of interlocution, shows slowness; and a good reply, or second speech, without a good settled speech, showeth shallowness and weakness. As we see in beasts, that those that are weakest in the course, are yet nimblest in the turn; as it is betwixt the greyhound and the hare. To use too many circumstances,2 ere one come to the matter, is wearisome; to use none at all is blunt.3

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 begets fewer: for I may justly account new plantations to be the children of former kingdoms. I like a plantation in a pure soil; that is, where people are not displanted to the end to plant in others. For else it is rather an extirpation than a plantation. Planting of coun

other instrument not designed to shed blood; hence also to attack in word-play, wit-fence, or scurrility. In Shakspeare's Com. of Err. ii. 2, Dromio deprecates ' another dry basting;' in Rom. and Jul. iv. 5, Peter says, 'Then have at you with my wit: I will dry-beat you with an iron wit, and put up my iron dagger;' and in Love's Lab. Lost, v. 2, we have All dry-beaten with pure scoff.'

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1 Agreeably] In such a way as is adapted.

2 Circumstances] Circumstantial details.

3 Blunt] Abrupt.

Plantations] Colonies.

5 Pure] Clear; free; unoccupied. Compare the meaning of purlieu.

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tries is like planting of woods; for you must make account to leese1 almost twenty years' profit, and expect your recompense in the end. For the principal thing that hath been the destruction of most plantations hath been the base and hasty drawing of profit in the first years. It is true, speedy profit is not to be neglected, as far as may stand with the good of the plantation, but no farther. It is a shameful and unblessed thing to take the scum of people and wicked condemned men, to be the people with whom you plant; and not only so, but it spoileth the plantation; for they will ever live like rogues, and not fall to work, but be lazy, and do mischief, and spend victuals, and be quickly weary, and then certify over to their country to the discredit of the plantation. The people wherewith you plant ought to be gardeners, ploughmen, labourers, smiths, carpenters, joiners, fishermen, fowlers, with some few apothecaries, surgeons, cooks, and bakers. In a country of plantation, first look about what kind of victual the country yields of itself to hand as chesnuts, walnuts, pine-apples, olives, dates, plums, cherries, wild honey, and the like, and make use of them. Then consider what victual, or esculent things there are, which grow speedily, and within the year; as parsnips, carrots, turnips, onions, radish, artichokes of Jerusalem,3 maize, and the like. For wheat, barley, and oats, they ask1 too much labour: but with pease and beans you may begin ; both because they ask less labour, and because they serve for meat as well as for bread. And of rice likewise cometh a great increase, and it is a kind of meat. Above all, there

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3 Artichokes of Jerusalem] The original name, of which this is a corruption, is girasole artichokes, from the Ital. girasole, the sunflower : girare signifying to turn, and sole the sun.

* Ask] Require. See p. 21, note 5.

ought to be brought store of biscuit,' oatmeal, flour, meal,2 and the like, in the beginning, till bread may be had. For beasts or birds, take chiefly such as are least subject to diseases, and multiply fastest: as swine, goats, cocks, hens, turkeys, geese, house-doves, and the like. The victual in plantations ought to be expended almost as in a besieged town; that is, with certain allowance. And let the main part of the ground employed to gardens or corn be to a common stock; and to be laid in, and stored up, and then delivered out in proportion; besides some spots of ground that any particular person will manure for his own private.3 Consider likewise, what commodities the soil where the plantation is doth naturally yield, that they may some way help to defray the charge of the plantation: so it be not, as was said, to the untimely prejudice of the main business: as it hath fared with tobacco in Virginia. Wood commonly aboundeth but too much; and therefore timber is fit to be one. If there be iron ure,5 and streams whereupon to set the mills, iron is a brave commodity where wood aboundeth.

› Biscuit]

Lat. Panis biscocti: bread that is twice baked. Our word is from the French cuire (au four), to bake.

2 Meal] Lat. Farinæ omnigenæ.

3 Manure for his own private] Private was often used to denote private business or privacy in Bacon's time. Thus in Shakspeare, K. John, iv. 3, 'Whose private with me, of the Dauphin's love,' &c.; and Tw. Night, iii. 4, 'Let me enjoy my private.' To manure, from the Fr. manœuvrer, literally, to work with the hand, signified to till or cultivate ground by any kind of husbandry. Milton, P. L. iv. 62, applies it, in an unusual way, to the work of pruning trees.

As it hath fared, &c.] Tobacco was the chief thing cultivated by the early colonists in Virginia, because of better wages being obtained from this than from any other source of industry.

5 Ure] Ore. The edition of 1625, in which this Essay first appeared, is carefully printed; but I have never met with ure for ore anywhere else.

6 Brave] Grand.

Making of bay salt, if the climate be proper for it, would be put in experience.1 Growing silk,2 likewise, if any be, is a likely3 commodity: pitch and tar, where store of firs and pines are, will not fail. So drugs and sweet woods, where they are, cannot but yield great profit. Soap ashes, likewise, and other things that may be thought of. But moil not too much under ground; for the hope of mines is very uncertain, and useth to make the planters lazy in other things. For government, let it be in the hands of one, assisted with some counsel: and let them have commission to exercise martial laws, with some limitation.

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And, above all, let men make that profit of being in the wilderness, as they have God always and His service before their eyes. Let not the government of the plantation depend upon too many counsellors and undertakers in the country that planteth, but upon a temperate number; and let those be rather noblemen and gentlemen than merchants: for they look ever to the present gain. Let there be freedoms from custom, till the plantation be of strength; and not only freedom from custom, but freedom to carry their commodities where they may make their best of them, except there be some special cause of caution. Cram not in people by sending too fast company after company; but rather hearken how they waste, and send supplies proportionably; but so as the number may live well in the plantation, and not by surcharge be in penury. It hath been a great en

1 Would be, &c.] Ought to be tried. See p. 135, note 3.

2 Growing silk] Vegetable silk.

3 Likely] Fair-looking; promising.

* As] That.

› Undertakers, &c.] Enterprising investers in the mother country. Custom] Custom duties.

Hearken] Inquire. So in Shakspeare, Tam. of Shr. i. 2, 'The youngest daughter whom you hearken for ;' 2 Hen. IV. ii. 4, 'Well, hearken the end;' and Much Ado, v. 1, 'Hearken after their offence ;' and Rich. III. i. 1, 'He hearkens after prophecies and dreams.'

dangering to the health of some plantations, that they have built along the sea and rivers, in marish1 and unwholesome grounds. Therefore, though you begin there to avoid carriage and other like discommodities, yet build still2 rather upwards from the streams than along. It concerneth likewise the health of the plantation that they have good store of salt with them, that they may use it in their victuals when it shall be necessary. If you plant where savages are, do not only entertain them with trifles and gingles, but use them justly and graciously, with sufficient guard nevertheless; and do not win their favour by helping them to invade their enemies, but for their defence it is not amiss; and send oft of them over to the country that plants, that they may see a better condition than their own, and commend it when they return. When the plantation grows to strength, then it is time to plant with women as well as with men ; that the plantation may spread into generations, and not be ever pieced 3 from without. It is the sinfullest thing in the world to forsake or destitute a plantation once in forwardness: for, besides the dishonour, it is the guiltiness of blood of many commiserable 5 persons.

XXXIV. OF RICHES.

I cannot call riches better than the baggage of virtue; the Roman word is better, impedimenta. For as the baggage is

Marish] This is our old derivative from the Fr. marais. Spenser, F. Q. V. x. 23, has 'Only these marishes and miry bogs;' and Milton, P. L. xii. 629, 'As evening mist, risen from a river, o'er the marish glides.'

2 Still] Always.

3 Pieced] Eked.

Destitute] Lat. Destituere, to abandon.

5 Commiserable] To be commiserated; pitiable.

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Impedimenta] This Latin term for baggage literally means hindrances of progress.