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Of Vain-Glory
by Francis Bacon |
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It was prettily devised of AEsop, The fly sat upon the axle-tree
of the chariot wheel, and said, What a dust do I raise! So are there
some vain persons, that whatsoever goeth alone, or moveth upon greater
means, if they have never so little hand in it, they think it is
they that carry it. They that are glorious, must needs be factious;
for an bravery stands upon comparisons. They must needs be violent, to
make good their own vaunts. Neither can they be secret, and
therefore not effectual; but according to the French proverb, Beaucoup
de bruit, peu de fruit; Much bruit little fruit. Yet certainly,
there is use of this quality in civil affairs. Where there is an
opinion and fame to be created, either of virtue or greatness, these
men are good trumpeters. Again, as Titus Livius noteth, in the case of
Antiochus and the AEtolians, There are sometimes great effects, of
cross lies; as if a man, that negotiates between two princes, to
draw them to join in a war against the third, doth extol the forces of
either of them, above measure, the one to the other: and sometimes
he that deals between man and man, raiseth his own credit with both,
by pretending greater interest than he hath in either. And in these
and the like kinds, it often falls out, that somewhat is produced of
nothing; for lies are sufficient to breed opinion, and opinion
brings on substance. In militar commanders and soldiers, vain-glory is
an essential point; for as iron sharpens iron, so by glory, one
courage sharpeneth another. In cases of great enterprise upon charge
and adventure, a composition of glorious natures, doth put life into
business; and those that are of solid and sober natures, have more
of the ballast, than of the sail. In fame of leaming, the flight
will be slow without some feathers of ostentation. Qui de
contemnenda gloria libros scribunt, nomen, suuminscribunt. Socrates,
Aristotle, Galen, were men full of ostentation. Certainly vain-glory
helpeth to perpetuate a man's memory; and virtue was never so
beholding to human nature, as it received his due at the second
hand. Neither had the fame of Cicero, Seneca, Plinius Secundus,
borne her age so well, if it had not been joined with some vanity in
themselves; like unto varnish, that makes ceilings not only shine
but last. But all this while, when I speak of vain-glory, I mean not
of that property, that Tacitus doth attribute to Mucianus; Omnium quae
dixerat feceratque arte quadam ostentator: for that proceeds not of
vanity, but of natural magnanimity and discretion; and in some
persons, is not only comely, but gracious. For excusations,
cessions, modesty itself well governed, are but arts of ostentation.
And amongst those arts, there is none better than that which Plinius
Secundus speaketh of, which is to be liberal of praise and
commendation to others, in that, wherein a man's self hath any
perfection. For saith Pliny, very wittily, In commending another,
you do yourself right; for he that you commend, is either superior
to you in that you commend, or inferior. If he be inferior, if he be
to be commended, you much more; if he be superior, if he be not to
be commended, you much less. Glorious men are the scorn of wise men,
the admiration of fools, the idols of parasites, and the slaves of
their own vaunts.
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contact: morgan at morgan@westegg.com |
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