Bacon: On Love (Bacon: Of Love)

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The stage is more suited to love than human life. On the stage, love is always a theme for comedies, and occasionally for tragedies; but in real life it causes much harm, sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a fury. Love on the stage is far more beautiful than love in real life. Because on stage, love is merely material for comedies and tragedies, but in life, it often brings misfortune. It sometimes resembles that **witch of men (1), and at other times it resembles that goddess of revenge (2).** You may observe that among all the great and worthy persons (whose memories endure, whether from ancient or recent times), there isn’t a single one who was driven to a mad degree by love; this shows that great spirits and important responsibilities keep such a weak passion at bay. Nevertheless, exceptions exist: Marcus Antonius, co-ruler of the Roman Empire, and Appius Claudius, one of the ten rulers and lawmaker. The former was indeed a man of excessive indulgence and lustfulness, while the latter was a man of strictness and wisdom. Thus it seems (though rarely) that love can find its way in, not only into an open heart but also into one that is seemingly well-protected, if proper vigilance is not maintained. You can see that none of those truly great people (whether ancient or modern, whose names remain in human memory) became insane because of love. Because for great causes, only Antony and Clodia of Rome are exceptions (3). The former is naturally lustful and dissolute, whereas the latter is a serious and resourceful person. This shows that love can not only fill a broad and open heart, but sometimes it can also penetrate into a tightly guarded mind—as long as no strict control is exercised. It is a poor saying of Epicurus, “Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus”; as if man, created for the contemplation of heaven and all noble things, should do nothing but kneel before a small idol and make himself a subject, if not by speech (as beasts are), then by sight; which sense was given to him for higher purposes. Epicurus once said a foolish thing: “Life is nothing but a great theater.” ”It seems that humans, who should strive to pursue noble causes, are meant to act merely like puppets, going through the motions. Although a slave to love is different from those beasts who care only about eating and drinking, he is still a slave to appearances. After all, God gave people eyes for a nobler purpose. It is a strange thing to observe the excess of this passion, and how it defies the nature and value of things; for the use of perpetual hyperbole is appropriate only in love. And it isn’t merely a matter of wording – while it’s true that the greatest flatterer, with whom all lesser flatterers are in league, is one’s own self, the lover goes even further. For no proud man has ever thought so absurdly highly of himself as a lover does of the person he loves; hence it was said that it is impossible to love and be wise at the same time. This weakness is not apparent only to others, but also to the person who is loved, especially if the love is not mutual. For it is a true rule that love is always rewarded, either with reciprocity or with inward, secret contempt. Excessive pursuit of love inevitably diminishes a person’s own value. For example, it is only in love that such exaggerated and flattery-filled words are always necessary. On other occasions, the same words can only bring ridicule. The ancients had a famous saying: “The greatest flattery is always reserved for oneself.” ”----Only flattery toward a lover is an exception. Because even the proudest people are willing to belittle themselves in front of their lovers. As the ancients said well: “Even gods find it hard to remain wise in love.” ”This weakness of a lover is obvious not only in the eyes of outsiders but also in the eyes of the person being pursued—unless she (he) is also pursuing them. Thus, such is the price of love: if one does not receive reciprocated love, one will feel a deep-seated contempt within oneself – it is a law that holds true forever. All the more should men beware of this passion, which loses not only other things but itself as well! As for the other losses, the poet’s description gives a good illustration of them: he who favored Helen gave up the gifts of Juno and Pallas. For whoever values romantic affection too highly gives up both wealth and wisdom. It is clear, then, that people should be extremely cautious of such a feeling. Because it not only causes one to lose other things, but also can make one lose oneself. Even as for other kinds of losses, ancient poets have long told us that those who pursue Helen give up wealth and wisdom (5). This passion has its peaks at times of weakness; these are times of great prosperity as well as great adversity, although the latter has been less noticed. Both such times ignite love and intensify it, which is why it can be considered a product of folly. Those who, although they must acknowledge the existence of love, manage to keep it separate from their serious matters and actions in life, do best. For if love gets in the way of one’s responsibilities, it disrupts people’s fortunes and prevents them from remaining true to their own goals. It is therefore necessary to be very cautious about this emotion. Because it not only causes one to lose other things, but also can make one lose oneself. Even as for other kinds of losses, ancient poets have long told us that those who pursue Helen give up wealth and wisdom (5). I do not know how, but warriors tend to fall in love: I think it is just as with their love for wine; for dangers usually demand to be compensated with pleasures. I don’t understand why so many soldiers are prone to falling in love; perhaps it’s similar to their addiction to alcohol, as a life full of danger requires joy as a form of compensation. It is inherent in human nature to have a secret inclination and drive toward loving others; if this tendency is not directed toward one person or a few, it naturally spreads to many others, making people kind and charitable – as can be seen in some monks. There may be a general tendency toward universal love in people’s hearts, and if it is not focused on a specific individual, it will inevitably be directed toward a wider range of people, turning them into kind-hearted individuals, just like some monks. Marital love creates humanity; friendly love perfects it; but unrestrained love corrupts and degrades it. The love between husband and wife enables humanity to reproduce. The love of friends provides help. But that love of indulgence and lust only leads to people’s downfall and destruction! Note: (1) According to Greek mythology, there were witches in the Mediterranean who had beautiful voices and used them to lure passing ships into danger. (2) The original text reads “Flries”, the legendary god of hell. (3) Anthony, a general under Caesar. He was later defeated and killed due to his obsession with women. Claudia, a Roman consul, was also killed due to her lustfulness. (4) Epicharis (342–270 BC), an ancient Roman philosopher. (5) In Ancient Greek mythology, it is said that the queen Hera, the god of wisdom Athena, and the goddess of beauty Venus asked the prince of Troy to act as an arbitrator in their dispute over the Golden Apple. The three gods each made a wish: Minerva wished for wisdom, Venus wished for the beautiful Helen, and the Queen of the Gods wished for wealth. As a result, the prince gave the golden apple to Venus.