Of Truth — Francis Bacon (Text)
Below is the text of the essay Of Truth by Bacon. The text can be found from the internet for free from various websites.
WHAT is truth? said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer. Certainly there be that delight in giddiness, and count it a bondage to fix a belief; affecting free-will in thinking, as well as in acting. And though the sects of philosophers of that kind be gone, yet there remain certain discoursing wits, which are of the same veins, though there be not so much blood in them, as was in those of the ancients. But it is not only the difficulty and labor, which men take in finding out of truth, nor again, that when it is found, it imposeth upon men’s thoughts, that doth bring lies in favor; but a natural, though corrupt love, of the lie itself. One of the later school of the Grecians, examineth the matter, and is at a stand, to think what should be in it, that men should love lies; where neither they make for pleasure, as with poets, nor for advantage, as with the merchant; but for the lie’s sake. But I cannot tell; this same truth, is a naked, and open day-light, that doth not show the masks, and mummeries, and triumphs, of the world, half so stately and daintily as candle-lights. Truth may perhaps come to the price of a pearl, that showeth best by day; but it will not rise to the price of a diamond, or carbuncle, that showeth best in varied lights. A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure. Doth any man doubt, that if there were taken out of men’s minds, vain opinions, flattering hopes, false valuations, imaginations as one would, and the like, but it would leave the minds, of a number of men, poor shrunken things, full of melancholy and indisposition, and unpleasing to themselves? One of the fathers, in great severity, called poesy vinum daemonum, because it fireth the imagination; and yet, it is but with the shadow of a lie. But it is not the lie that passeth through the mind, but the lie that sinketh in, and settleth in it, that doth the hurt; such as we spake of before. But howsoever these things are thus in men’s depraved judgments, and affections, yet truth, which only doth judge itself, teacheth that the inquiry of truth, which is the love-making, or wooing of it, the knowledge of truth, which is the presence of it, and the belief of truth, which is the enjoying of it, is the sovereign good of human nature. The first creature of God, in the works of the days, was the light of the sense; the last, was the light of reason; and his sabbath work ever since, is the illumination of his Spirit. First he breathed light upon the face of the matter or chaos; then he breathed light into the face of man; and still he breatheth and inspireth light into the face of his chosen. The poet, that beautified the sect, that was otherwise inferior to the rest, saith yet excellently well: It is a pleasure, to stand upon the shore, and to see ships tossed upon the sea; a pleasure, to stand in the window of a castle, and to see a battle, and the adventures thereof below: but no pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage ground of truth (a hill not to be commanded, and where the air is always clear and serene), and to see the errors, and wanderings, and mists, and tempests, in the vale below; so always that this prospect be with pity, and not with swelling, or pride. Certainly, it is heaven upon earth, to have a man’s mind move in charity, rest in providence, and turn upon the poles of truth.
To pass from theological, and philosophical truth, to the truth of civil business; it will be acknowledged, even by those that practise it not, that clear, and round dealing, is the honor of man’s nature; and that mixture of falsehoods, is like alloy in coin of gold and silver, which may make the metal work the better, but it embaseth it. For these winding, and crooked courses, are the goings of the serpent; which goeth basely upon the belly, and not upon the feet. There is no vice, that doth so cover a man with shame, as to be found false and perfidious. And therefore Montaigne saith prettily, when he inquired the reason, why the word of the lie should be such a disgrace, and such an odious charge? Saith he, If it be well weighed, to say that a man lieth, is as much to say, as that he is brave towards God, and a coward towards men.
For a lie faces God, and shrinks from man. Surely the wickedness of falsehood, and breach of faith, cannot possibly be so highly expressed, as in that it shall be the last peal, to call the judgments of God upon the generations of men; it being foretold, that when Christ cometh, he shall not find faith upon the earth.
VOCABULARY
Pilate: The Roman governor of Judaea who presided over the trial of Jesus Christ. Jesting: speaking in a light manner; not serious. There be that: there are some how. Here the word ‘be’ is used in place of ‘are’. Giddiness: inconsistency, un- steady in behaviour and thought; frequent change of opinion. Count: think, consider. Bondage: restriction. to fix a belief: to follow steadily one set of beliefs or views. Affecting: aiming at, desiring. This use is obsolete. Sects of philosophers of that kind: the reference is to the school of Greek philosophers known as sceptics. They were guided by the principle of ‘honest doubt’ with reference to all belief. They doubted the truth of everything and advocated free thought regarding everything. Discoursing: unsteady, discursive; continuously shifting. Wits: minds. same veins: same disposition or inclination as the sceptics. Blood: vitality or vigour; here it means ‘such good arguments.’ Imposeth upon: restrains. In: used in the sense of ‘into’. One of the later school of Grecians: a probable reference to Lucian, a satirist. He was born in about 125 A.D. and wrote the satire called the Lover of lies. at a stand to think: at a loss; unable to understand or reach a conclusion. Make for: lead to; tend to give.
I cannot tell: I do not know how it is. Stately: used as an adverb here to mean magnificent or majestic. Come to: reach the level. Sheweth: appears, looks. carbuncle: a precious stone of red colour. Varied lights. Different and changing light. Vain: affected; not based on truth. Valuations: estimations. Imaginations as one would: wishful thinking: believing that what we hope or think is true. Melancholy and indisposition: sadness and a feeling of illness. One of the Fathers: one of the early Church authorities. Great severity: extreme harshness. Poesy: poetry. Vinum dae monum: a Latin term, wine of the devil. Lie that…… the hurt: the lie that takes a strong hold in his heart and makes a permanent impression on his mind and influences his every thought and action is bad and harmful. Spake: spoke. Howsoever: although. Men’s depraved judgments and affections: corrupt opinions and ideas. Truth, which only doth judge itself: only those who have known truth and experienced it, know its value. Knowledge: In Latin, the word is rendered “receiving and assenting to what is true”.
Belief: in Latin, “the enjoyment and embracing of truth.” Sovereign: highest. The first creature of God: the first thing created by God; creature is often used by Bacon to mean ‘a created thing.’ Sabbath: the seventh day of the week and the day of rest. Illumination of his spirit: the enlightenment of men’s minds by the spirit of God. The poet…rest: the reference is to Lucretius who belonged to the sect of Greek philosophers called Epicureans. This sect believed pleasure to be the highest moral principle. Apparently, Bacon thinks their philosophy to be inferior to the other sects. Tost: tossed. Vantage: a position of advantage. Serene: calm. So always that: always provided that. prospects: views. Swelling: vanity, self-aggrandizement. Charity: sympathy and pity. providence: God. Theological: religious. Civil business: every day social life. Clear and round dealing…nature: fair, honest, and straight forward conduct is honourable to man.
Embaseth: degrades. Goings of the serpent: the movements of a snake. Perfidious: deceitful; treacherous, dishonest. Montaigne: a writer in the 16th century who invented the essay form. A French nobleman, he wrote the Essais. Saith prettily: says in a fine manner. word of the lie: the charge of falsehood. Odious: hateful; offensive. Weighed: examined; considered. Breach of faith: breaking a promise. Last peal: this refers to the trumpet call to announce the day of Judgment. It being foretold: it having been prophesied in the Bible. Faith: Bacon uses the word in the sense of good faith; faith in the sense, honesty or truthfulness.
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