Gems.

Freethought Review, Volume I, Issue 7, 1 April 1884, Page 5

Gems.

[apothegms from the essays of lord bacon.] Revenge triumphs over death; love slights; honor aspireth to it; grief flieth to it; fear preoccupieth it. The virtue of Prosperity is temperance ; the virtue of Adversity is fortitude: which in morals is the most heroical virtue. Cain s envy was the more vile and malignant towards his brother Abel because, when his sacrifice was better accepted, there was nobody to look on. Virtue is like precious odours, most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed; for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue. Clear and round dealing is the honor of man’s nature, and mixture of falsehood is like alloy in coin of gold and silver, which may make the metal work the better, but it embaseth it. Men of noble birth are noted to be envious towards new men when they rise. For the distance is altered : and it is like a deceit of the eye that, when others come on, they think themselves go back. It was a notable observation of a wise father and no less ingeniously confessed, that those which heed and persuaded pressure of conscience, were commonly interested therein themselves for their own ends. Dissimulation is but a faint kind of policy, or wisdom. For it asketh a strong wit and a strong heart to know when to tell truth, and to do it. Therefore it is the weaker sort of politicians that are the greatest dissemblers. As for talkers, and futile persons, they are commonly vain and credulous withal. For he that talketh what he knoweth, will also talk what he knoweth not. Therefore set it down that an habit of secrecy is both politic and moral. Men have a foolish manner (both parents, and schoolmasters, and servants), in creating and breeding an emulation between brothers during childhood ; which many times sorteth to discord when they are men, and disturbeth families. Chaste women are often proud and forward, as presuming upon the merit of their chastity. It is one of the best bonds, both of chastity and obedience, in the wife, if she thinks her husband wise ; which she never will do if she find him jealous. Let parents choose betimes the vocations and courses they mean their children should take ; for then they are most flexible. And let them not too much apply themselves to the disposition of their children, as thinking they will take best to that which they have most mind to. A man that hath no virtue in himself ever envieth virtue in others. For men’s minds will either feed upon their own good, or upon other’s evil and who wanteth the one will prey upon the other ; and whoso is out of hope to attain another s virtue, will seek to come at even hand by depressing another’s fortune. ° Lucretius the poet, when he beheld the act of Agamemnon, that could endure the sacrificing of his own daughter, exclaimed: — Tantum reliyio potuit suadere malorum (to deeds so dreadful could religion prompt.) What would he have said, if he had known of the massacre in France, or the powder treason of England. _ Ihis is certain, that a man that studieth revenge keeps his own words green, which otherwise would heal and do well. Public revenges are for the most part fortunate; as that for the death of Caesar; for the death of Pertinax ; for the death of Plenry the Third of France ; and many more. But in private revenges it is not so. Ray rather, vindictive persons have the life of witches, who, as they are mischievous, so end they unfortunate.— B.