Of Love by Francis Bacon (Complete Text)

Hareshwar Roy,
Of Love by Francis Bacon (Complete Text)

The stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man; for as to the stage, love is even matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies; but in life it doth much mischief; sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a fury. You may observe, that amongst all the great and worthy persons (whereof the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent,) there is not one that hath been transported to the mad degree of love, which shows, that great spirits and great business do keep out this weak passion. You must except, nevertheless, Marcus Antonius, the half partner of the empire of Rome, and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely,) that love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept. It is a poor saying of Epicurus, "Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus;" as if man, made for the contemplation of heaven, and all noble objects, should do nothing but kneel before a little idol, and make himself a subject, though not of the mouth (as beasts are,) yet of the eye, which was given him for higher purposes.

It is a strange thing to note the excess of this passion, and how it braves the nature and value of things by this, that the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole, is comely in nothing but in love: neither is it merely in the phrase; for whereas it hath been well said, "That the arch flatterer, with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man's self;" certainly the lover is more; for there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of himself as the lover doth of the person loved; and therefore it was well said, "That it is impossible to love and to be wise." Neither doth this weakness appear to others only, and not to the party loved, but to the loved most of all, except the love be reciprocal; for it is a true rule, that love is ever rewarded, either with the reciprocal, or with an inward, or secret contempt; by how much the more men ought to beware of this passion, which loseth not only other things, but itself. As for other losses the poet's relation doth well figure them: "That he that preferred Helena, quitted the gifts of Juno and Pallas;" for whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection, quitteth both riches and wisdom. This passion hath his floods in the very times of weakness, which are, great prosperity and great adversity, though this latter hath been less observed; both which times kindle love, and make it more frequent, and therefore show it to be the child of folly. They do best, who, if they cannot but admit love, yet make it keep quarter, and sever it wholly from their serious affairs and actions of life; for if it check once with business, it troubleth men's fortunes, and maketh men that they can no ways be true to their own ends. I know not how, but martial men are given to love: I think it is, but as they are given to wine; for perils commonly ask to be paid in pleasures. There is in man's nature a secret inclination and motion towards love of others, which, if it be not spent upon some one or a few, doth naturally spread itself towards many, and maketh men become humane and charitable, as it is seen sometimes in friars. Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton love corrupteth and embaseth it.

Note: 'Of Love' is one of the most famous essays of Francis Bacon. A shorter version appeared in the 1612 edition of the Essays; Bacon rewrote and enlarged it for the third edition of 1625, and the text above follows that final version. The essay shows Bacon's characteristic attitude: he judges love not as a poet but as a practical philosopher and statesman, weighing its effect on judgment, work and character.

Glossary:

beholding - indebted; owing much
mischief - harm, trouble
siren - a mythical sea creature whose sweet song lured sailors to destruction
fury - one of the avenging goddesses of classical myth; here, a maddening force
transported - carried away; overcome by emotion
Marcus Antonius - Mark Antony, Roman general and co-ruler with Octavian; ruined by his love for Cleopatra
Appius Claudius - Roman decemvir; despite his wisdom he fell into shameful love
decemvir - a member of a council of ten men who governed Rome and framed its laws
voluptuous - devoted to luxury and sensual pleasure
inordinate - unrestrained, excessive
austere - strict, severe and self-disciplined
fortified - strongly defended
Epicurus - ancient Greek philosopher who taught that pleasure is the chief good
"Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus" - Latin: "We are a sufficiently great theatre to one another" (Epicurus)
excess - extreme, boundless intensity
braves - defies, challenges
perpetual hyperbole - constant exaggeration
comely - suitable, fitting, decent
arch - chief, principal
petty - small, inferior
have intelligence - are in secret communication
reciprocal - returned; mutual
contempt - scorn, a feeling of disrespect
relation - story, account
Helena - Helen of Troy, whose abduction by Paris caused the Trojan War
quitted - gave up, abandoned
Juno - queen of the Roman gods, who offered Paris power and riches
Pallas - Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom, who offered Paris wisdom
esteemeth - values, regards
amorous - relating to love
floods - times of fullest flow, like a high tide
prosperity - success and good fortune
adversity - misfortune, hard times
kindle - to light, stir up
keep quarter - a military phrase: to remain within one's proper bounds or station
sever - separate, cut off
check - clash, interfere
martial - warlike; belonging to soldiers
perils - dangers
humane - kind, compassionate, benevolent
friars - members of religious orders who devote themselves to charity
inclination - natural tendency
nuptial - relating to marriage
perfecteth - makes perfect, completes
wanton - immoral, uncontrolled, lustful
corrupteth - makes morally bad
embaseth - lowers in dignity, degrades
Location: B-37, City Homes Colony, Jawahar Nagar Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India
Dr. Hareshwar Roy beautifully connects global research with local literature. Born in 1964 in Jamuaon (Bhojpur, Bihar), he studied at Patna University and earned his Ph.D. from APS University, Rewa. Currently, he serves as Professor of English at Government P.G. College Satna, Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Roy bridges two worlds: in class, he explains international migration and literary history, while in his heart, he keeps the rich spirit of the Bhojpuri language alive. He has published over 45 research papers focused on Indian Diaspora Writing. As an author in English, he has written Diasporic Articulation in the Novels of M.G. Vassanji, A Study of M.G. Vassanji's Novels, Varieties of Indianity in the Works of M.G. Vassanji and Rohinton Mistry, Diaspora and Indian Diaspora: A Brief Study, Short Notes of English Literature - I and Short Notes of English Literature - II. Rooted in his soil, he is a celebrated Bhojpuri poet featured on 'Kavita Kosh' and in popular collections like Hamar Pahchan Ha Bhojpuri, Hamra Pyar Ho Gail, and Bhojpuri Kavitayein. Ultimately, his life and writings serve as an inspiring example of how academic scholarship and local roots thrive together perfectly.

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