Bacon's Essays/Of Great Place

by Francis Bacon

XI

OF GREAT PLACE

Men in Great Place^[1] are thrice Servants: Servants of the Soveraigne or State; Servants of Fame^[2]; and Servants of Businesse: So as^[3] they have no Freedome, neither in their Persons, nor in their Actions, nor in their Times. It is a strange desire, to seeke Power and to lose Libertie; Or to seeke Power over others and to lose Power over a Man's Selfe. The Rising unto Place is Laborious, And by Paines Men come to greater Paines; And it is sometimes base, And by Indignities Men come to Dignities. The standing is slippery, and the Regresse is either a downefall, or at least an Eclipse, which is a Melancholy Thing. Cùm non sis qui fueris, non esse cur velis vivere^[4]. Nay, retire Men cannot when they would; neither will they when it were Reason^[5]: But are impatient of privatenesse^[6] even in Age and Sicknesse, which require the Shadow^[7]; Like old Townesmen, that will be still^[8] sitting at their Street doore, though thereby they offer Age to Scorne. Certainly Great Persons had need to borrow other Men's Opinions to thinke themselves happy; For if they iudge by their owne Feeling they cannot finde it: But if they thinke with themselves what other men thinke of them, and that other men would faine be as they are, then they are happy, as it were by report, When perhaps they finde the Contrary within. For they are the first that finde their owne Griefs, though they be the last that finde their owne Faults. Certainly, Men in Great Fortunes are strangers to themselves, and while they are in the pusle^[9] of businesse, they have no time to tend their Health either of Body or Minde. Illi Mors gravis incubat, qui, notus nimis omnibus, ignotus moritur sibi^[10]. In Place, There is License to doe Good and Evill; wherof the latter is a Curse; For in Evill the best condition is not to will, The Second, not to Can^[11]. But Power to doe good is the true and lawfull End of Aspiring. For good Thoughts (though God accept them,) yet towards men are little better then good Dreames, Except they be put in Act; And that cannot be without Power and Place, As the Vantage and Commanding Ground. Merit and good Works is the End of Man's Motion^[12]; And Conscience^[13] of the same is the Accomplishment of Man's Rest. For if a Man can be Partaker of God's Theater^[14], he shall likewise be Partaker of God's Rest. Et conversus Deus, ut aspiceret Opera quæ fecerunt manus suæ, vidit quod omnia essent bona nimis^[15]; And then the Sabbath^[16].

In the Discharge of thy Place, set before thee the best Examples; For Imitation is a Globe^[17] of Precepts. And after a time, set before thee thine owne Example; And examine thy selfe strictly, whether thou didst not best at first. Neglect not also the Examples of those that have carried themselves ill in the same Place; Not to set off thy selfe by taxing^[18] their Memory, but to direct thy selfe what to avoid. Reforme, therfore, without Braverie^[19] or Scandall^[20] of former Times and Persons; but yet set it downe^[21] to thy selfe, as well to create good Precedents as to follow them. Reduce^[22] things to the first Institution, and observe wherin and how they have degenerate^[23]; but yet aske Counsell of both Times; Of the Ancient Time, what is best, and of the Latter Time, what is fittest. Seeke to make thy Course Regular^[24], that Men may know before hand what they may expect; But be not too positive^[25] and peremptorie; And expresse thy selfe well^[26], when thou digressest from thy Rule. Preserve the Right of thy Place; but stirre not questions of Jurisdiction: And rather assume thy Right in Silence and de facto^[27] then voice it^[28] with Claimes and Challenges. Preserve likewise the Rights of Inferiour Places; And thinke it more Honour to direct in chiefe then to be busie in all. Embrace and invite Helps and Advices touching the Execution of thy Place^[29]; And doe not drive away such as bring thee Information as Medlers, but accept of them in good part.

The vices of Authoritie are chiefly foure: Delaies; Corruption; Roughnesse; and Facilitie^[30]. For^[31] Delaies, Give easie Accesse; Keepe times appointed; Goe through with that which is in hand; And interlace not businesse^[32] but^[33] of necessitie. For^[31] Corruption, Doe not onely binde thine owne Hands, or thy Servants hands, from taking, but binde the hands of Sutours also from offring. For Integritie used^[34] doth the one; but Integritie professed, and with a manifest detestation of Bribery, doth the other. And avoid not onely the Fault, but the Suspicion. Whosoever is found variable, and changeth manifestly without manifest Cause, giveth Suspicion of Corruption. Therefore, alwayes, when thou changest thine Opinion or Course, professe it plainly, and declare it, together with the Reasons that move thee to change; And doe not thinke to steale it^[35]. A Servant, or a Favorite, if hee be inward^[36], and no other apparent Cause of Esteeme, is commonly thought but a By-way to close^[37] Corruption. For Roughnesse, It is a needlesse cause of Discontent: Severitie breedeth Feare, but Roughnesse breedeth Hate. Even Reproofes from Authoritie ought to be Grave and not Taunting. As for Facilitie^[38], It is worse then Bribery^[39]. For Bribes come but now and then; But if Importunitie or Idle Respects^[40] lead a Man, he shall never be without. As Salomon saith, To respect Persons is not good; For such a man will transgresse for a peece of Bread.

It is most true, that was anciently spoken; A place sheweth the Man: And it sheweth some to the better and some to the worse: Omnium consensu capax Imperij, nisi imperasset^[41], saith Tacitus of Galba: but of Vespasian he saith, Solus Imperantium Vespasianus mutatus in melius^[42]; Though the one was meant of Sufficiencie^[43] the other of Manners and Affection^[44]. It is an assured Signe of a worthy and generous Spirit, whom Honour amends. For Honour is, or should be, the Place of Vertue; And as in Nature Things move violently to their Place, and calmely in their Place, So Vertue in Ambition^[45] is violent, in Authoritie setled and calme. All Rising to Great Place is by a winding Staire; And if there be Factions, it is good to side a Man's selfe^[46], whilest hee is in the Rising, and to ballance Himselfe^[47], when hee is placed. Use the Memory of thy Predecessour fairely and tenderly; For if thou dost not, it is a Debt will sure be paid, when thou art gone^[48]. If thou have Colleagues, respect them, and rather call them^[49] when they looke not for it then exclude them when they have reason to looke to be called. Be not too sensible^[50] or too remembring^[51] of thy Place, in Conversation and private Answers to Sutours; But let it rather be said, When he sits in Place^[52], he is another Man.

 

1. high office
2. reputation
3. so that
4. ('Tis an old saying that) when you are no longer what you once were, there is no reason why you should wish to live.
5. reasonable
6. private life
7. a life of indoor retirement
8. always
9. entanglement
10. Death comes heavily upon him who dies known only too well to everybody else, but a stranger to himself.
11. be able
12. the object of man's action
13. consciousness
14. For if a man can contemplate, as God did, the spectacle of good works done by himself
15. And God turned to behold the works which His hands had made, and He saw the they were all very good
16. i.e. rest
17. compact collection
18. censuring
19. ostentation
20. defamation
21. propose
22. Trace up
23. degenerated
24. according to fixed rules
25. rigid
26. explain your reasons clearly
27. in fact
28. assert it
29. the administration of your office.
30. weakness
31. As regards
32. do not mix up business
33. except
34. the practice of integrity
35. that you can do it by stealth
36. intimate
37. secret
38. pliancy
39. receiving bribes
40. personal preferences
41. By common consent he would have been deemed fit for empire had he never been emperor
42. Vespasian was the only emperor that was changed for the better by empire.
43. administrative capacity
44. morals and disposition
45. in seeking office
46. to take a side
47. to be neutral
48. i.e. your successor will pay the same meagre tribute to your own memory
49. call them in to your assistance
50. sensitive
51. obtrusively mindful
52. When he is performing his official duties