OF AMBITION BY FRANCIS BACON

Francis bacon’s of ambition speaks generally of

ambitious persons and their types, and it discusses on
dealing with those people. According to bacon,
ambition is like choler which is considered to be one of
the four fluids of human body. Choler is meant to
determine emotional disposition in humans likewise
Bacon says ambition determines a person’s character in
one way or the other. If a person is ambitious, he will be
filled with enthusiasm and energy, he will be
unstoppable. But, if that person is stopped he would be
dangerous. The essay emphasizes how an ambitious
person can be both useful and dangerous. It overviews
both the constructive part of an ambitious person and
destructive. Bacon even states an example from roman
history – the story of Tiberius. Bacon’s tone of writing
throughout the essay is like a advisor trying to alarm the
king and the prince on how to employ ambitious men,
how to control them and where not to use them. He
praises the optimistic qualities of ambitious persons,
like perfection, efficient, focused on his goals, energetic
etc.… At the same time he also points out the negative
aspects of employing them. Bacon’s theory states in the
following way that if an ambitious man is allowed to
work independently without any factors affecting him
he would be productive but if he is stopped by any
chance he might become discontented and start to hate
every person around him, and he may also be against
their development. This also arises a question - is bacon
trying to generalize the characteristics of an ambitious
man? . Each person’s character is determined by the
way he was bought up, things he had experienced and
there are a lot of things that influence a person’s
character. We cannot generalize women/men under a
single quality called being ambitious. The essay also
suggests how to employ an ambitious man and where to
employ him. For example,

“ Good commanders in the wars must be taken, be they never so ambitious; for the
use of their service, dispenseth with the rest; and to take a soldier without ambition,
is to pull off his spurs”

Bacon suggests that they can be used as commanders as

it will be of less danger and extract the potential of the
ambitious men. He also compares them with the ‘Blind
folded dove’ . Bacon emphasises that intellectual people
may not be trustworthy in higher positions of an
government and suggests people of close relations to
the monarch to such jobs. Bacon continuously
discusses on what jobs suit ambitious man and what
does not, to be more precise – where should they be
appointed and where not. Bacon exaggerates on the
consequences of having a ambitious man as an
employee.
And there comes a confusion, whether Bacon tries to be
an advisor to the king advising how to handle men and
where and where not to place them rather than
elaborating on the topic ambition. The intention of this
essay seems to be more of notifying the king and the
prince of dealing with ambitious men.

OF TRAVEL BY FRANCIS BACON

Bacon through his essay “Of travel” tries to guide a
young traveller on how to travel , how to do it
effectively and productively. Bacon believes that one
can learn more from travelling particularly young
men/women. Firstly he restricts a youth from travelling
to places where the language spoken is unknown to the
traveller. He importantly suggests that having a tutor
who is more knowledgeable along with them during the
travel, Otherwise one would fail to experience some of
the prominent details of travelling. Bacon prefers to
travel by land rather than by sea because one may come
across a lot of things while he does so. He also suggests
to maintain a travel journal and note down important
elements that one observes during the travel. Bacon
suggests some important things to be noted in the
journal like the courts of prince, especially the reception
they give to the ambassadors; the royal courts of justice,
the scene of hearing plea from accused; the churches
and monasteries and their way of living; the walls and
fortification; the country’s ancient buildings and ruins;
libraries; colleges, the ways lectures are delivered;
recreational areas; whatsoever that appeals to one’s
sight and memorable.
He also states that one should also visit eminent persons
while he is travelling around.

“Let him also see, and visit, eminent persons in all

kinds, which are of great name abroad; that he may be
able to tell, how the life agreeth with the fame.

Bacon lists down a lot of do’s and don’t s while

travelling, some are: carry along with him the letters of
introduction from the nobility of his own place for the
one he is visiting to , trying to shift from place of stay
during travel etc. Bacon also elaborates on how to
behave post the travel. He says that when the traveler
returns to his own country, he shouldn’t forget the
country he traveled to especially the people who helped
him during his travel. He must maintain a contact with
them through letters, he must not show off his
knowledge and awareness he acquired during traveling.
He ends the essay by saying that one shouldn’t
change his country’s manners after he returns to
his country.
“let him be rather advised in his answers, than forward
to tell stories; and let it appear that he doth not change
his country manners, for those of foreign parts; but
only prick in some flowers, of that he hath learned
abroad, into the customs of his own country”

This essay is in a advisory manner that Bacon engages

the reader by addressing the essentials a young
traveller should consider while travelling and the
elements he shouldn’t miss while travelling. He also
suggests the important places to visit in the area of
travel. Through his essay he tries to highlight the
greatness of travelling and how one can learn
immensely from it.