The Essays of Francis Bacon/XII Of Boldness

by Francis Bacon

XII. Of Boldness.

It is a trivial grammar-school text, but yet worthy a wise man's consideration. Question was asked of Demosthenes,^[1] what was the chief part of an orator? he answered, action: what next? action: what next again? action. He said it that knew it best, and had by nature himself no advantage in that he commended. A strange thing, that that part of an orator which is but superficial, and rather the virtue of a player, should be placed so high, above those other noble parts of invention, elocution, and the rest; nay almost alone, as if it were all in all. But the reason is plain. There is in human nature generally more of the fool than of the wise; and therefore those faculties by which the foolish part of men's minds is taken are most potent. Wonderful like is the case of Boldness, in civil business; what first? Boldness: what second and third? Boldness. And yet boldness is a child of ignorance and baseness, far inferior to other parts. But nevertheless it doth fascinate and bind hand and foot those that are either shallow in judgment or weak in courage, which are the greatest part; yea and prevaileth with wise men at weak times. Therefore we see it hath done wonders in popular states; but with senates and princes less; and more ever upon the first entrance of bold persons into action than soon after; for boldness is an ill keeper of promise. Surely as there are mountebanks^[2] for the natural body, so are there mountebanks for the politic^[3] body; men that undertake great cures, and perhaps have been lucky in two or three experiments, but want the grounds of science, and therefore cannot hold out. Nay you shall see a bold fellow many times do Mahomet's miracle. Mahomet^[4] made the people believe that he would call an hill to him, and from the top of it offer up his prayers for the observers of his law. The people assembled; Mahomet called the hill to come to him, again and again; and when the hill stood still, he was never a whit^[5] abashed, but said, If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill. So these men, when they have promised great matters and failed most shamefully, yet (if they have the perfection of boldness) they will but slight it over, and make a turn, and no more ado. Certainly to men of great judgment, bold persons are a sport to behold; nay and to the vulgar also, boldness has somewhat of the ridiculous. For if absurdity be the subject of laughter, doubt you not but great boldness is seldom without some absurdity. Especially it is a sport to see, when a bold fellow is out of countenance; for that puts his face into a most shrunken and wooden posture; as needs it must; for in bashfulness the spirits do a little go and come; but with bold men, upon like occasion, they stand at a stay; like a stale^[6] at chess, where it is no mate, but yet the game cannot stir. But this last were fitter for a satire than for a serious observation. This is well to be weighed; that boldness is ever blind; for it seeth not dangers and inconveniences. Therefore it is ill in counsel, good in execution; so that the right use of bold persons is, that they never command in chief, but be seconds, and under the direction of others. For in counsel it is good to see dangers; and in execution not to see them, except they be very great.

1. Demosthenes, born 384 or 385, died 322 B.C., the greatest Greek orator. His best orations are the three Philippics, 351, 344, and 341 B.C., and the famous speech, On the Crown, 330 B.C.
2. Mountebank. A quack doctor who mounts a bench or platform to sell his wares. Ben Jonson gives a good description of an Elizabethan mountebank in his satirical comedy, Volpone. ii. 1.
3. Politic. Political.
4. Mohammed, or Mahomet, 'the praised one,' 570–632 A.D., founder of Mohammedanism, or Islam ('surrender,' namely, to God).
5. Whit. The smallest part; a jot, tittle, or iota: often used adverbially, and generally with a negative. "For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles." II. Corinthians xi. 5.
6. Stale. Stale-mate, in chess, the position of a king when he cannot move but into check.