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ground too fast. There is nothing makes a man [2] suspect much, more than to know little and, therefore, men should remedy suspicion by procuring to know more, and not to keep their suspicions in smother. What would men have? do they think those they [3] employ and deal with are saints? do they not think they will have their own ends, and be truer to themselves than to them? therefore there is no better way to moderate suspicions, than to account upon such suspicions as true, and yet to bridle them as false: for so far a man ought to make use of suspicions, as to provide as if that should be true that he suspects, yet it may do him no hurt. Suspicions that the mind [4] of itself gathers are but buzzes; but suspicions that are artificially nourished, and put into men's heads by the tales and whisperings of others, have stings. Cer- [5]

Likely [Probabiles sint, annon.-Lat. Ed.] Recent usage rather requires or not.

[2.] To know little: Equivalent ? more: Equivalent ?

Or no:

Fearful: Synonyme ?

Procuring to know

In smother in a stifled state; in

:

obscurity. Used also in Essay on Friendship.

Bridle, &c.: check,

[3.] Account upon : Equivalent ? restrain them as though they were false. We should hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. As if: that if. The use of as (in Bacon's time) instead of that, produces no small embarrassment in the mind of a modern reader.

[4.] Suspicions that: It would sound better here to substitute which for that. stings: Explain the metaphor.

Buzzes.

...

[5.] Mean: means. The virtuous conversation of Christians was a mean to work the conversion of the heathen to Christ.' To clear, &c.: Notice the appropriate and beautiful figure here employed.

Communicate them with: What change

tainly the best mean to clear the way in this same wood of suspicions, is frankly to communicate them with the party that he suspects; for thereby he shall be sure to know more of the truth of them than he did before; and withal shall make that party more circumspect, not to give further cause of suspicion; but this should not be done to men of base natures: for they, if they find [6] themselves once suspected, will never be true. The Italian says, "Sospetto licentia fede;" as if suspicion did give a passport to faith; but it ought rather to kindle it to discharge itself.

does modern usage here require?

Circumspect: careful.

The omission of the comma would render the sense more plain. Should not: Bacon wrote it would not. 'Suspicion releases faith.'

As Bacon says in
Suspicion breaks

Sospetto, &c.: Did give, &c.: did set faith, or fidelity at liberty-or permit it to depart. his Antitheta-Suspicio fidem absolvit : the bonds of trust (or fidelity).' On the other hand he also says:-Merito ejus fides suspecta est, quam suspicio labefacit: 'The fidelity (or sincerity) which suspicion weakens is justly suspected.' Sospetto, &c.: 'Suspicion is the passport to faith.' But it ought, &c.: a clause rendered obscure chiefly from the vague use of the pronoun it; the meaning perhaps is: 'But it ought rather to excite fidelity in order to discharge itself.' Bacon, though a profound and original, is too frequently a very obscure and a very careless writer, when compared with the best, or even the common-place writers of the present day. The Latin is more plain than the English: ( Quasi suspicio fidei missionem daret; cum potius fidem accendere deberet, ut se ipsam liberaret;' i. e. ‘as if suspicion should give a dismission to fidelity; when, rather, it ought to inflame fidelity, that it (fidelity) might free itself (from suspicion).'

1. Divide the longer sentences into two or more, and the Essay into Paragraphs.

2. Write an Analysis of the Essay.

3. Present the whole Essay in a modern dress, and in good taste.

4. What beautiful simile, and what expressive metaphor does the Essay contain?

5. What class of persons is especially addicted to unfavorable suspicions? Repeat the proverb that illustrates this point. What class is exempt from such suspicions, and why?

6. Bacon's portrait of Henry VII, so far as the subject of the Essay is concerned?

7. Name the words in this Essay that have undergone a change of meaning since Bacon's day.

ESSAY XVIII.

DISCOURSE.

[1] SOME in their discourse desire rather commendation of wit, in being able to hold all arguments, than of judgment, in discerning what is true; as if it were a praise to know what might be said, and not what [2] should be thought. Some have certain commonplaces and themes, wherein they are good, and want variety; which kind of poverty is for the most part tedious, and when it is once perceived, ridiculous.

[1.] Wit: in the large sense of intellect, genius, force of mind. Since the time of Bacon, it has been chiefly employed to denote the power or the act of presenting some word, thought, or object under some new and unexpected aspect or relation, so as to produce a pleasant surprise or a sense of the ludicrous. According to Dryden, "wit is discovered when thoughts and words are elegantly adapted to the subject." Locke observes that it is the putting those ideas together with quickness and variety wherein can be found any resemblance or congruity, thereby to make up pleasant pictures in the fancy. Sidney Smith, himself a great wit, has two very interesting Lectures on the subject, in his Moral Philosophy.

Hold all arguments: maintain all sorts of argument. "It has been remarked that a censure of this nature has been applied by some to Dr. Johnson, and possibly with some good reason."-D.. A praise a condensed or elliptical expression, for what? And not, &c. and not what should [merely] be thought, [not said.] Thus reads the Latin :'Acsi laudabile esset invenire quid dici possit, non quid taceri debeat.'

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[2.] Wherein, &c.: Paraphrase. [In quibus luxuriantur, cætera steriles et jejuni.-Lat. Ed.]

The honourablest part of talk is to give the occa- [3] sion; and again to moderate and pass to somewhat else, for then a man leads the dance. It is good [4] in discourse, and speech of conversation, to vary and intermingle speech of the present occasion with arguments, tales with reasons, asking of questions with telling of opinions, and jest with earnest for it is a dull thing to tire, and as we say now, to jade any thing too far. As for jest, there be certain things which [5]

[3.] To give the occasion: to give the incident, the topic of conversation. [Ansam sermonis præbere.] Moderate: regulate, control the conversation.

Montagu, in his Life of Bacon, says: The art of conversation, that social mode of diffusing kindness, and knowledge, he considered to be one of the valuable arts of life, and all that he taught he skillfully and gracefully practised. When he spoke, the hearers only feared that he should be silent, yet he was more pleased to listen than to speak, 'glad to light his torch at any man's candle.' He was skillful in alluring his company to discourse upon subjects in which they were most conversant. He was even happy to commend, and unwilling to censure; and when he could not assent to an opinion, he would set forth its ingenuity, and so grace and adorn it by his own luminous statement, that his opponent would not feel lowered by his defeat."

[4.] Of the present occasion: about present things or matters of recent occurrence. Tales, &c.: narratives with

reasonings.

To tire: the object seems to be omitted, for there is no propriety in regarding thing as its object. Hence it should be, to tire one, that is by pursuing too far any one subThe author had recommended

ject or style of discourse.

variety of topic or illustration.

Jade: over-ride, or drive.

"I do not now fool myself to let imagination jade me.”—Shak.

[Satietatem siquidem et fastidium parit in aliquo subjecto

diutius hærere.]

[5.] There be; Modern usage ?

as by privilege.

:

Privileged exempted

Wits: intellectual faculties.

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