"Of Studies" Excerpt By Francis Bacon
"Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use
for delight is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse;
and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business. For expert
men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the
general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best from
those that are learned.
To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for
ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the
humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience:
for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning, by study;
and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except
they be bounded in by experience.
Crafty men condemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use
them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them,
and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor
to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to
weigh and consider.
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be
chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts;
others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and
with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and
extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less
important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are
like common distilled waters, flashy things.
Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an
exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great
memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read
little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.
Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural
philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt
studia in mores [Studies pass into and influence manners]. Nay, there is no
stone or impediment in the wit but may be wrought out by fit studies; like
as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises.
Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and
breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like.
So if a man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in
demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin
again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him
study the Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores [splitters of hairs]. If
he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and
illustrate another, let him study the lawyers’ cases. So every defect of
the mind may have a special receipt."
Bacon published three editions of his essays (in 1597, 1612, and
1625), and the last two were marked by the addition of more essays. In many
cases, they became expanded works from earlier editions. This is the
best-known version of the essay "Of Studies", taken from the 1625 edition
of "Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral".
Version From the First Edition (1597)
"Studies serve for pastimes, for ornaments, for abilities; their chief
use for pastimes is in privateness and retiring; for ornaments in
discourse; and for ability in judgment; for expert men can execute, but
learned men are more fit to judge and censure. To spend too much time in
them is sloth; to use them too much for ornament is affectation; to make
judgment wholly by their rules is the humor of a scholar; they perfect
nature, and are themselves perfected by experience; crafty men contemn
them, wise men use them, simple men admire them; for they teach not their
use, but that there is a wisdom without them and above them won by
observation. Read not to contradict nor to believe, but to weigh and
consider.
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to
be chewed and digested: that is, some are to be read only in parts, others
to be read but curiously, and some few to be read wholly with diligence and
attention. Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready, and writing an
exact man; therefore, if a man write little, he had need of a great memory;
if he confer little, he had need of a present wit; and if he read little,
he had need have much cunning to seem to know that he doth not know.
Histories make wise men; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural
philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend."
K RAJARAM IRS 13525
On Tue, 13 May 2025 at 08:01, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
> *Books are an incredible source of wisdom. *
>
> *And the more you read, the more knowledge you'll feed your brain. Plus,
> reading has many other great benefits. Ether you like novels or non-fiction
> books, reading has many benefits. *
>
> *When you read, you increase both your intellectual and psychological
> capacity, while opening up a whole new world filled with information and
> knowledge and also from increasing your vocabulary to maintaining your
> mental health, books can do it all!*
>
> N Jambunathan Rengarajapuram-Kodambakkam-Chennai-Mob:9176159004
>
> *" What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you
> become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to
> a goal, not to people or things "*
>
>
>
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Thatha_Patty" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To view this discussion visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZooLLd4%2BMvnkSnXXz4QRxRUF-3UWau88vWdj0j%3D1hbuAvQ%40mail.gmail.com.
