Of Love
by
Francis Bacon
(Essay)
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.
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