Francis Bacon - The Essays 1601
OF RICHES
I cannot call riches
better than the baggage of virtue.
The Roman word is better, impedimenta.
For as the baggage
is to an army,
so is riches to virtue.
It cannot be spared, nor left behind,
but it hindereth the march; yea,
and the care of it,
sometimes loseth or disturbeth the victory.
Of great riches there
is no real use,
except it be in the distribution;
the rest is but conceit. So saith Solomon, Where much is,
there are many consume it;
and what hath the owner,
but the sight of
it with his eyes?
The personal fruition in any man,
cannot reach to feel great riches:
there is a custody of them;
or a power of dole,
and donative of them;
or a fame of them;
but no solid use to the owner.
Do you not see what feigned prices,
are set upon little stones and rarities?
and what works of ostentation are undertaken,
because there might seem
to be some use of great riches?
But then you will say,
they may be of use,
to buy men out
of dangers or troubles. As Solomon saith,
Riches are as a strong hold,
in the imagination of the rich man.
But this is excellently expressed,
that it is in imagination,
and not always in fact.
For certainly great riches,
have sold more men,
than they have bought out.
Seek not proud riches,
but such as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and leave contentedly.
Yet have no abstract
nor friarly contempt of them. But distinguish,
as Cicero saith well of Rabirius Posthumus,
In studio rei amplificandae apparebat, non avaritiae praedam,
sed instrumentum bonitati quaeri.
Harken also to Solomon,
and beware of hasty gathering of riches;
Qui festinat ad divitias, non erit insons. The poets feign,
that when Plutus (which is Riches)
is sent from Jupiter,
he limps and goes slowly;
but when he is sent from Pluto, he runs,
and is swift of foot.
Meaning that riches gotten by good means, and just labor, pace slowly;
but when they come
by the death of others (as
by the course of inheritance, testaments, and the like),
they come tumbling upon a man.
But it mought be
applied likewise to Pluto,
taking him for the devil.
For when riches come
from the devil (as
by fraud and oppression, and unjust means),
they come upon speed.
The ways to enrich are many,
and most of them foul.
Parsimony is one of the best,
and yet is not innocent;
for it withholdeth men
from works of liberality and charity.
The improvement of the ground,
is the most natural obtaining of riches;
for it is our great mother's blessing, the earth's;
but it is slow.
And yet where men
of great wealth do stoop to husbandry,
it multiplieth riches exceedingly.
I knew a nobleman in England,
that had the greatest
audits of any man in my time; a great grazier, a great sheep-master,
a great timber man, a great collier, a great corn-master, a great lead-man,
and so of iron,
and a number of
the like points of husbandry.
So as the earth
seemed a sea to him,
in respect of the perpetual importation.
It was truly observed by one,
that himself came very hardly,
to a little riches, and very easily, to great riches.
For when a man's
stock is come to that,
that he can expect
the prime of markets,
and overcome those bargains,
which for their greatness are few men's money,
and be partner in
the industries of younger men,
he cannot but increase mainly.
The gains of ordinary
trades and vocations are honest;
and furthered by two things chiefly: by diligence,
and by a good name,
for good and fair dealing.
But the gains of bargains,
are of a more doubtful nature;
when men shall wait upon others' necessity,
broke by servants and
instruments to draw them on,
put off others cunningly,
that would be better chapmen,
and the like practices,
which are crafty and naught.
As for the chopping of bargains,
when a man buys
not to hold but
to sell over again,
that commonly grindeth double,
both upon the seller,
and upon the buyer.
Sharings do greatly enrich,
if the hands be well chosen, that are trusted.
Usury is the certainest means of gain,
though one of the worst;
as that whereby a
man doth eat his bread,
in sudore vultus alieni; and besides,
doth plough upon Sundays.
But yet certain though it be, it hath flaws;
for that the scriveners
and brokers do value unsound men,
to serve their own turn.
The fortune in being the first,
in an invention or in a privilege,
doth cause sometimes a
wonderful overgrowth in riches;
as it was with
the with the first sugar man, in the Canaries.
Therefore if a man
can play the true logician,
to have as well judgment, as invention,
he may do great matters;
especially if the times be fit.
He that resteth upon gains certain,
shall hardly grow to great riches;
and he that puts all upon adventures,
doth oftentimes break and come to poverty: it is good, therefore,
to guard adventures with certainties,
that may uphold losses. Monopolies,
and coemption of wares for re-sale,
where they are not restrained,
are great means to enrich;
especially if the party have intelligence,
what things are like
to come into request,
and so store himself beforehand.
Riches gotten by service,
though it be of the best rise,
yet when they are gotten by flattery, feeding humors,
and other servile conditions,
they may be placed amongst the worst.
As for fishing for
testaments and executorships (as
Tacitus saith of Seneca,
testamenta et orbos tamquam indagine capi),
it is yet worse;
by how much men
submit themselves to meaner persons, than in service. Believe not much,
them that seem to
despise riches for they despise them,
that despair of them; and none worse,
when they come to them. Be not penny-wise; riches have wings,
and sometimes they fly away of themselves,
sometimes they must be set flying,
to bring in more.
Men leave their riches,
either to their kindred,
or to the public; and moderate portions,
prosper best in both.
A great state left to an heir,
is as a lure
to all the birds
of prey round about,
to seize on him,
if he be not
the better stablished in years and judgment.
Likewise glorious gifts and foundations,
are like sacrifices without salt;
and but the painted sepulchres of alms,
which soon will putrefy, and corrupt inwardly.
Therefore measure not thine advancements, by quantity,
but frame them by measure:
and defer not charities till death; for, certainly,
if a man weigh it rightly,
he that doth so,
is rather liberal of another man's,
than of his own.
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