Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

his majesty what he meant? "I must stalk," said he, "for yonder town is shy, and flies me."

12. Count Gondomar sent a compliment to my lord St. Albans, wishing him a good Easter. My lord thanked the messenger, and said, "He could "not at present requite the count better than in returning him the like; that he wished his lordship a good Passover."

[ocr errors]

66

13. My lord chancellor Elsmere, when he had read a petition which he disliked, would say, "What 66 you would have my hand to this now?" And the party answering, "Yes;" he would say further, "Well, so you shall: nay, you shall have both my "hands to it." And so would, with both his hands, tear it in pieces.

14. I knew a wise man,* that had it for a byword, when he saw men hasten to a conclusion, Stay a little that we may make an end the sooner."

66

[ocr errors]

15. Sir Francis Bacon was wont to say of an angry man who suppressed his passion, "That he thought worse than he spake ;" and of an angry man that would chide, "That he spoke worse than " he thought."

16. He was wont also to say, "That power in an "ill man was like the power of a black witch; he "could do hurt, but no good with it." And he would add, "That the magicians could turn water "into blood, but could not turn the blood again to "water."

See this also in his Essay of Dispatch.

17. When Mr. Attorney Cook, in the exchequer, gave high words to Sir Francis Bacon, and stood much upon his higher place; Sir Francis said to him, "Mr. Attorney, the less you speak of your own greatness, the more I shall think of it: and the "more, the less."

[ocr errors]

18. Sir Francis Bacon coming into the earl of Arundel's garden, where there were a great number of ancient statues of naked men and women, made a stand, and, as astonished, cried out, "The resur"rection."

19. Sir Francis Bacon, who was always for moderate counsels, when one was speaking of such a reformation of the Church of England, as would in effect make it no Church; said thus to him, "Sir, "the subject we talk of is the eye of England; and "if there be a speck or two in the eye, we endeavour "to take them off, but he were a strange oculist .' who would pull out the eye."

20. The same Sir Francis Bacon was wont to say, "That those who left useful studies for useless "scholastic speculations, were like the Olympic "6 gamesters, who abstained from necessary labours, "that they might be fit for such as were not so."

21. He likewise often used this comparison; "The empirical philosophers are like to pismires; "they only lay up and use their store. The rationalists "are like to spiders; they spin all out of their own.

* See the substance of this in Nov. Org. Ed. Lugd. Bat. p. 105, and Inter Cogitata et Visa, p. 53.

"bowels. But give me a philosopher, who like the "bee, hath a middle faculty, gathering from abroad "but digesting that which is gathered by his own "virtue."

22. The lord St. Alban, who was not over hasty to raise theories, but proceeded slowly by experiments, was wont to say to some philosophers, who would not go his pace, Gentlemen, nature is a labyrinth, in which the very haste you move with, "will make you lose your way."

[ocr errors]

66

23. The same lord, when he spoke of the Dutchmen, used to say, "That we could not abandon "them for our safety, nor keep them for our profit." And sometimes he would express the same sense on this manner; "We hold the Belgic lion by the

"ears."

24. The same lord when a gentleman seemed not much to approve of his liberality to his retinue, said to him, "Sir, I am all of a piece; if the head be "lifted up, the inferior parts of the body must too."

25. The lord Bacon was wont to commend the advice of the plain old man at Buxton, that sold besoms: a proud lazy young fellow came to him for a besom upon trust; to whom the old man said, Friend, hast thou no money? borrow of thy back, "and borrow of thy belly, they'll ne'er ask thee "again,I shall be dunning thee every day."

66

26. Solon* said well to Croesus, (when in ostentation he shewed him his gold) "sir, if any other come

* See this in his Essay of the True Greatness of Kingdoms.

"that has better iron than you, he will be master of "all this gold."

27. Jack Weeks said of a great man, just then dead, who pretended to some religion, but was none of the best livers, "Well, I hope he is in heaven.

66

Every man thinks as he wishes; but if he be in "heaven, 'twere pity it were known."

VOL. III,

E E

ORNAMENTA RATIONALIA.*

A SUPPLY (BY THE PUBLISHER) OF CERTAIN WEIGHTY AND ELEGANT SENTENCES, SOME MADE, OTHERS COLLECTED BY THE LORD BACON; AND BY HIM PUT UNDER THE ABOVESAID TITLE; AND AT PRESENT NOT TO BE FOUND.

A COLLECTION OF SENTENCES OUT OF THE MIMI OF PUBLIUS; ENGLISHED BY THE PUBLISHER.

1. “

ALEATOR, quanto in arte est melior, tanto "est nequior."

A gamester, the greater master he is in his art, the worse man he is.

2. "Arcum, intensio frangit; animum, remissio." Much bending breaks the bow; much unbending, the mind.

3. "Bis vincit, qui se vincit in victoria."

He conquers twice, who upon victory overcomes himself.

4. Cum vitia prosint, peccat, qui recte facit.” If vices were upon the whole matter profitable, the virtuous man would be the sinner.

5. Bene dormit, qui non sentit quod male 66 dormiat."

He sleeps well, who feels not that he sleeps ill. 6. "Deliberare utilia, mora est tutissima."

To deliberate about useful things, is the safest delay.

* Tenison's Baconiana, page 60.

« ZurückWeiter »