OF GREAT PLACE

Francis Bacon

INTRODUCTION:

Bacon was a Lawyer, Politician and essayist. He was one of the last and greatest
renaissance men. He was a scientific man with devotion to truth for truth’s sake. He was a man
who used questionable ways to reach his interests and he laboured to find out the secret ways
of nature. As a politician he was cold, selfish but as a literary writer he was scientific and
philosophical.

GREAT MEN ARE THE SERVANTS OF THREE PLACES:

According to Bacon, the men who are in great positions are the servants of the
king, of business, and of fame. They take great pains to reach the high position. But when they
reach the height, they find more pains. Bacon says, the rising unto the power is labouries, and
by pains men come to greater pains. Bacon then points out the three results of attaining power.
Firstly, once people attain posts, they are no longer free to do as they wish because they have
to satisfy their masters. Secondly, the great men are always conscious of their fame. They want
to retain their fame and the fear of losing the fame makes them to be in tension. Lastly,
because of the duties and responsibilities of their work, they get no time to analyze about
themselves.

POWER TO DO GOOD- A NOBLE ACTION:

Bacon argues in favour of the ways to sustain success in life. It is here he expresses
his idealism. He states that power to do good is the true and lawful end of aspiring. The great
men, being in such high positions, have the option to do right and wrong. They can do either
very harmful things or good things. If they do any harm, it is a sin. Similarly if they do any good,
it is a blessing. Bacon says that the powerful men should do the good things to others, because
if they utilize their power in a good way, it is their honour to their position. Thus, Bacon
reiterates that the great men’s noble actions should create good followers to follow them. In
short, Bacon feels that a man in a position of power should devote his life to good actions that
are beneficial to mankind.

HIS ADVICE- DO’S AND DON’TS:

Bacon suggests that they should analyse their principles to find out whether they
have come away from their principle or not. He says that they have to neglect bad actions that
have been done in his place by their predecessors. Bacon gives three examples that are:
reformation, learning lessons and preserving the right. At the beginning they can hurt others
through their action. But later, they should know how to avoid bad things. Self- analysis is a
better tool for them. They should be role model for others. They should learn lessons from the
past and present and the plan the future. From the past, they should learn what is best and by
thinking of the future, they should learn what will be the fittest.

THE FOUR VICES OF THE GREAT MEN:

The great men make vices in four major areas,

 Delays
 Corruption
 Roughness
 Facility

To overcome delay, they have to be punctual. They have to make their action easy. They should
appoint time for every work and all the work must be done immediately. To avoid corruption
they have to be sincere. They should maintain integrity and warn the servants against receiving
bribes. They should not show favour to anyone. Roughness is a needless cause of discontent.
To eliminate roughness, one has to be kind. Facility is worse than bribery. It will lead to the bad
administration. So, he says that people have to be considered more careful.

HIS STYLE:

Bacon effectively uses his language and literary devices such as similies, metaphors
and personification. One of the important features of Bacon’s style is his opening statements
which immediately explain his theme and idea about the subject. This quality is called
‘terseness’. All Bacon’s essays are short and made up of terse and epigrammatic statements.

CONCLUSION:

Thus in this essay Bacon discusses the condition and qualification of people in great
places. He also explains the code of conduct for persons who occupy high public offices and dos
and don’ts for them. Moreover, in the essay, Of Great Places Bacon gives us his worldly
experience regarding the great men.