Sir Francis Bacon - Of Revenge

Francis Bacon – Of Revenge (1625)

Sir Francis Bacon is one of the most important intellectual figures of the English Renaissance, an advisor to both Queen Elizabeth I and James I--and indeed one of the most notable instances of an eminent philosopher taking an active part in public and political affairs, and as such, was significantly responsible for England's exploration of America. He is considered one of the founders of the modern scientific method and of empiricism--the view that intellectual matters should be decided based upon observation and experimentation upon the actual, physical world, and not on the authority of the ancients, or of logic and reasoning alone.
Bacon's relation to Shakespeare has long been discussed. It appears that he was a fan and advocate of Shakespeare and his company. But in the 19th century, he became the first of a long list of the playwright's contemporaries to be proposed as the "real" author of the plays known as Shakespeare's. It should be remembered that the originator of the theory was Delia Bacon, apparently seizing on a coincidence of names, who later went mad.


REVENGE is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out. For as for the first wrong, it doth but offend the law; but the revenge of that wrong pulleth the law out of office. Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince's part to pardon. And Salomon, I am sure, saith, It is the glory of a man to pass by an offence.
That which is past is gone, and irrevocable; and wise men have enough to do with things present and to come: therefore they do but trifle with themselves, that labour in past matters.
There is no man doth a wrong for the wrong's sake; but thereby to purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or honour, or the like. There why should I be angry with a man for loving himself better than me? And if any man should do wrong merely out of ill nature, why, yet it is but like the thorn or briar, which prick and scratch, because they can do no other.
The most tolerable sort of revenge is for those wrongs which there is no law or remedy; but then let a man take heed the revenge be such as there is no law to punish; else a man's enemy is still beforehand, and it is two for one.
Some, when they take revenge, are desirous the party should know whence it cometh: this is the more generous. For the delight seemeth to be not so much in doing the hurt as in making the party repent: but base and crafty cowards are like the arrow that flieth in the dark.
Cosmus, Duke of Florence, had a desperate saying against perfidious or neglecting friends, as if those wrongs were unpardonable: You shall read (saith he) that we are commanded to forgive our friends. But yet the spirit of Job was in a better tune: Shall we (saith he) take good at God's hands, and not be content to take evil also? And so of friends in a proportion.
This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds 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(1); for the death of Henry the Third of France (2); and many more. But in private revenges it is not so. Nay rather, vindictive persons live the life of witches; who as they are mischievous, so end they unfortunate.

(1) Publius Helvius Pertinax became emperor of Rome in 193 and was assassinated three months after his accession to the throne by a soldier in his praetorian Guard.

(2) King of France, 1574-1589, assassinated during the Siege of Paris.