Unit One “Of Love”（Francis Bacon)

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1 Unit One “Of Love”（Francis Bacon)
主讲教师：王腊宝教授

2 I. Bacon's Quotes Beauty is as summer fruits, which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last; and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth, and an age a little out of countenance 美犹如盛夏的水果，是容易腐烂而难保持的，世上有许多美人，她们有过放荡的青春，却迎受着愧悔的晚年。 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. 天生的能力好像天然生成的植物，必须通过学习加以修整；然而学习本身如若不由实践去约束，必然方向纷杂而漫无目的。 Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set 美德好比宝石，在朴素背景的衬托下反而更华丽。 knowledge is power 知识就是力量。

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4 Of Love The stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man. For as to the stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies; but in life it doth much mischief; sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a fury. You may observe, that amongst all the great and worthy persons (whereof the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent) there is not one, that hath been transported to the mad degree of love: which shows that great spirits, and great business, do keep out this weak passion. You must except, nevertheless, Marcus Antonius, the half partner of the empire of Rome, and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely) that love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept. It is a poor saying of Epicurus, Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus; as if man, made for the contemplation of heaven, and all noble objects, should do nothing but kneel before a little idol and make himself a subject, though not of the mouth (as beasts are), yet of the eye; which was given him for higher purposes. It is a strange thing, to note the excess of this passion; and how it braves the nature, and value of things; by this, that the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole, is comely in nothing but in love. Neither is it merely in the phrase; for whereas it hath been well said, that the arch-flatterer, with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man's self; certainly the lover is more. For there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of himself, as the lover doth of the person loved; and therefore it was well said; that it is impossible to love, and to be wise. Neither doth this weakness appear to others only, and not to the party loved; but to the loved most of all: except the love be reciproque. For it is a true rule, that love is ever rewarded, either with the reciproque, or with an inward and secret contempt. By how much the more, men ought to beware of this passion, which loseth not only other things, but itself. As for the other losses, the poet's relation doth well figure them: that he that preferred Helena, quitted the gifts of Juno, and Pallas. For whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection, quitteth both riches and wisdom. This passion hath his floods in the very times of weakness; which are, great prosperity, and great adversity; though this latter hath been less observed: both which times kindle love, and make it more fervent, and therefore show it to be the child of folly. They do best, who if they cannot but admit love, yet make it keep quarters and sever it wholly from their serious affairs, and actions, of life; for if it check once with business, it troubleth men's fortunes, and maketh men, that they can no ways be true to their own ends. I know not how, but martial men are given to love: I think, it is but as they are given to wine; for perils commonly ask to be paid in pleasures. There is in man's nature, a secret inclination and motion, towards love of others, which if it be not spent upon some one or a few, doth naturally spread itself towards many, and maketh men become humane and charitable; as it is seen sometime in friars. Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton love corrupteth, and embaseth it.

5 Sir Francis Bacon Viscount St Alban Full name Francis Bacon
Born22 January 1561 London, England Died9 April 1626 (aged 65) Highgate, England

6 培 根 培根被认为是现代科学时代的始祖。他是第一个意识到科学技木能够改造世界面貌的哲学家，热情支持实验科学研究。 　 l561年，培棍生于伦敦。他是英国伊丽莎白女王时代一 高级职员的长子。12岁入剑桥大学三一学院，但不久离开 那里，没有获得大学毕业证书。16岁开始工作，随英国驻注大 使去巴黎在使馆工作过一段时间。18岁时父亲去世，没留下什么钱，培根被迫去上学学习法律。21岁开始从事律师业。23岁时被选为英国下议院议员。伊丽莎白女王向议会 提出增加税收计划，培根表示反对通过这个提案，女王因而讨厌培根，培根成了伊西克斯的朋友和参谋。伊西克斯是个贪婪的贵族分子，同情培根，他决定发动反对伊丽莎白女王的政变。 培根劝告他应该忠于女王，但伊西克斯不听，政变以失败而告终。因为培根在伊西克斯受审及被判死刑一案中起了某种作用，致使各阶层人民对培根有些不满情绪。 　　　 年，伊丽莎白女王去世，培根当上继任国王詹姆斯一世的顾问，虽然詹姆斯—世没有受培根劝言的约束，但却很喜欢他。因此在詹姆斯一世执政期间，培根平步青云，节节高升，1617年担任掌玺大臣，1618年就任大法官，1620 年受封为子爵。 　　　 不期灾难降临了。培根被指控受贿，其实受贿在当时已是司空见惯，绝非新鲜，但培根在议会里的劲敌抓住这个机会，将他赶出了官场。培根对受贿供认不讳，被判在伦敦塔坐牢，交付大批罚金，终生禁止做官。但国王释放了他，免除了他的罚金，培根只不过丧失了政治生命。培根这样评论议会决定：“我是英国50年来最公正的法官，而议会对我的判决是200年来议会所作出的最公正的判决。” 　　 培根的若干著作为他赢得了声誉。他的第一部著作《论说文集》发表于1597年。这部著作用辛辣评论风格写成，但却闪闪发光，引入入胜，在世界流传极广。即本精品文摘。

7 Trinity College, Great Court with fountain

8 Memorial to Francis Bacon, in the chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge

9 Birth and Death Bacon was born on 22 January at York House near the Strand in London, the son of Nicholas Bacon by his second wife Anne (Cooke) Bacon. At his April 1626 funeral, over thirty great minds collected together their eulogies of him. It appears from these that he was not only loved deeply, but that there was something about his character which led men even of the stature of Ben Jonson to hold him in reverence and awe. A volume of the 32 eulogies was published in Latin in 1730.

10 List of published works
Essays (1597) The Elements of the Common Law of England (1597) A Declaration of the Practises & Treasons Attempted and Committed by Robert, late Earl of Essex and his Complices (1601) Francis Bacon His Apology, in Certain Imputations Concerning the late Earl of Essex (1604) Certain Considerations Touching the Better Pacification and Edification of the Church of England (1604) Valerius Terminus of the Interpretation of Nature (1604) The Proficience and Advancement of Learning (1605) De sapientia veterum liber (1609) The Charge of Sir Francis Bacon, Knight, the King's Attorney-General, Touching Duels (1614) The Wisdom of the Ancients (1619) Novum Organum (1620) The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh (1622) Apophthegms, New and Old (1625) The Translation of Certain Psalms (1625) The New Atlantis (1626) Sylva Sylvarum (1627) Scripta in naturali et universli philisophia (pub. 1653) Baconiana, Or Certain Genuine Remains Of Sr. Francis Bacon (pub. posth. 1679)

11 Bacon and Shakespeare

12 The Baconian theory of Shakespearn authorship
The Baconian theory of Shakespearean authorship holds that Sir Francis Bacon wrote the plays conventionally attributed to William Shakespeare. The mainstream view is that William Shakespeare of Stratford, an actor in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men), wrote the poems and plays that bear his name. The Baconians, however, hold that scholars are so focused on the details of Shakespeare's life that they neglect to investigate the many facts that they see as connecting Bacon to the Shakespearean work. Sir Francis Bacon's letter to John Davies, "so desiring you to be good to concealed poets." The main Baconian evidence is founded on the presentation of a motive for concealment, the circumstances surrounding the first known performance of The Comedy of Errors, the close proximity of Bacon to the William Strachey letter upon which many scholars think The Tempest was based, perceived allusions in the plays to Bacon's legal acquaintances, the many supposed parallels with the plays of Bacon's published work and entries in the Promus (his private wastebook), Bacon's interest in civil histories, and ostensible autobiographical allusions in the plays. Because Bacon had first-hand knowledge of government cipher methods, most Baconians see it as feasible that he left his signature somewhere in the Shakespearean work. Supporters of the standard view, often referred to as "Stratfordian" or "Mainstream", dispute all contentions in favour of Bacon, and criticize Bacon's poetry as not being comparable in quality with that of Shakespeare.

13 External Links on the Internet
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Francis Bacon Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Francis Bacon Wikisource has original works written by or about: Francis Bacon The Francis Bacon Society

14 Text Analysis (1) Language points
The stage is more beholding to love... 本意为viewing/observing，这里意为suitable as a venue for... sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a fury... siren 和fury分别指woman tantalizing and seducing 和woman roaring in anger transported to the mad degree of love... 表示被carried away Marcus Antonius, the half partner of the empire of Rome 这里指凯撒大帝的副将，江山帝国重任系于一身的重臣，莎士比亚的《安东尼与克莱奥佩特拉》中所说的安东尼便是此人。 Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; 罗马帝国十大执政官之一。 Epicurus, Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus 崇尚享乐主义的哲学家伊壁鸠鲁是也，拉丁引文意为：“人生不过一个大戏台。” make himself a subject, though not of the mouth (as beasts are), yet of the eye 人活着如被一张嘴主导了如同野兽，好色者与野兽的区别在于让自己成了眼镜的奴隶。 how it braves the nature, and value of things，the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole 爱情让人无视事实地谈论（夸大）食物的本质和价值 Neither doth this weakness appear to others only, and not to the party loved; but to the loved most of all: except the love be reciproque. 爱情造成的上述缺点，被爱者不光知道，其实最清楚的莫过于她了，除非被爱者同样爱着前者，为爱情所困的她因而也失去了判断力。 As for the other losses, the poet's relation doth well figure them: that he that preferred Helena, quitted the gifts of Juno, and Pallas. 这里所说的诗人指荷马。Juno 和Pallas分别指智慧和财富之神。 make it keep quarters and sever it wholly from their serious affairs, and actions, of life 把爱情挡在远处，不为所扰。 as it is seen sometime in friars 指僧人，他们能把自己的爱普施于许多人。 Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton love corrupteth, and embaseth it. 作者比较三种爱，认为婚姻之爱可以延续人类生命，朋友之爱完善人类，但淫荡的爱使人类走向腐化和毁灭。

15 Text Analysis(2) Bacon's views on Love Introduction:
The stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man. For as to the stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies; but in life it doth much mischief; sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a fury. It seems...love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept. Two kinds of responses: all the great and worthy persons...great spirits, and great business, do keep out this weak passion. Marcus Antonius/ Appius Claudius/ Epicurus Three problems with love: excess of this passion /perpetual hyperbole/ flattering/ it braves the nature, and value of things quitteth both riches and wisdom it check once with business, it troubleth men's fortunes, and maketh men, that they can no ways be true to their own ends. Conclusion: There is in man's nature, a secret inclination and motion, towards love of others, which if it be not spent upon some one or a few, doth naturally spread itself towards many, and maketh men become humane and charitable; as it is seen sometime in friars. Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton love corrupteth, and embaseth it.

16 Homework 1. Read at least three other essays by the same author; use whatever help that you may find through the internet. 2. Write a short commentary on Francis Bacon's views on love with reference to any one of his contemporaries (e.g. Shakespeare) or someone in the romanticist movement(John Keats for instance). Note: Your comment may be done in relation to Bacon's essays on other topics.