Francis Bacon - The Essays 1601
OF BOLDNESS
It is a trivial grammar-school text,
but yet worthy a wise man's consideration.
Question was asked of Demosthenes,
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 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
for the natural body,
so are there mountebanks
for the politic 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 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 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 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 danger, 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.
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