Francis Bacon’s Essay “ Of Studies ” : A complete

Paraphrase.
englishforalledu.blogspot.com/2020/09/francis-bacons-essay-of-studies.html

By Mr. N. N.
Pal

“OfStudies”, an aphoristic essay of the famous essayist Francis Bacon, was first
published in 1597. The grave subject matter , unique style and universal values of this
essay has given him a high place in the world literature.

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Paraphrase of the Essay:

Study fills the reader with a sort of aesthetic ‘delight’, endless pleasure. It gives us
‘ornament’ that means an elegant mode of speaking. It also helps us to acquire
experience and wisdom with the help of which we can combat the crisis and adversity of
life. This quality is called ‘ability’. So, study serves three purposes : pleasing the readers
(delight), enabling the readers to have command over language (ornament) and
endowing the readers with practical wisdom (ability). When a man is alone
(privateness) and in a state of leisure (retiring), he needs the company of books that
makes his forlornness enjoyable. A well studied person is able to speak fluently, logically
and in attractive manner and by dint of which he can easily impress others.

One who reads copiously can develop the power of judgement, can understand what is
right and what is wrong and with this quality he can discharge his duties properly. An
expert man can only execute . He only follows the blue-prints and gives it a material
shape. But a learned man or well-studied person is full of resourcefulness, he has the
power of invention , he gives direction, makes planning and says the proper sequence of
work. For example, the mason may be an expert man and the engineer will be learned
one whose plans and directions are executed by the mason.

Over reading is not encouraged because it creates a sort of idleness and prevents the
reader's mind from thinking independently. Be a book lover, not a book-worm. When
one uses rhetoric much, the matter of deception comes. Some persons makes their
judgement strictly according to the rules laid down in books. They are a sort of slaves to
a 'set of rules'. In the case of scholar it is humour.

Man has some natural abilities like thinking, feeling, imagination etc. which can be
polished, modified, enhanced and improved only by studies, added with experience. If a
plant it is not trimmed by the gardener, it grows without any pattern and looks

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inattractive. Similarly study gives order to our natural knowledge and makes it more
relevant as well as useful. Only study is not sufficient. Experience is necessary as it
guides our knowledge and it helps us to be practical and to make the study useful.

Bacon refers to three categories of people: crafty man, simple man and wise man. Crafty
man, being full of cunningness, shows no respect to study. They are gifted with much
common sense by exploiting of which they easily achieve the material success in life. So,
study is mere waste of time to them. Simple men, who have practically no access to
academic exercises are charmed and interested to studies and they admire it. Only wise
men know how to utilize study and enrich their minds. Study gives knowledge but can
not teach the reader how to utilize that knowledge in the practical field of life. Here
Bacon lays stress on observation. A true reader should be a keen observer of the matters
of life. Observation adds to his experience which helps him to make use the book-based
knowledge. So, reading alone is not sufficient, it should be augmented by observations.

Many persons have the idea that reading book is for contradicting and that is a credit to
them. Bacon condemns it much. Some persons read and believe everything what is
written in book without weighing the validity of the ideas expressed by the author. They
should develop some faculty of scanning and the illogical portions written in study
materials should he rejected by them. The true objective of study is to weigh and
consider.

Bacon says that all books are not identical or of same quality. Some books are of little
substance and some are of great value. For this various standard, various method of
reading are established. Some books are to be read in parts, some without curiosity and
some, very few in number, with diligence and attention. For example, a magazine is
read lightly, only tasted; a railway time table is read in parts, the notes for the
examination are swallowed and topics like Freedom, Paradise Lost etc. are duly chewed
and digested, that is, they are read with rapt attention. Some books are read with the
help of deputy and assistants who make the summary of the books. This summarized
version of the original text is said the distilled book by Bacon and such book is insipid
or tasteless like distilled water. This is not healthy for mind also.

Reading makes a full man that does not mean a complete man or total man. Full man
means a man full of book based knowledge. Conference contributes to readiness and
presence of mind. Exactness can be achieved by continuous writing. So, the three things
- deep knowledge, ready wit and exactness jointly result in the perfection of one's mind
and personality. Then a complete man is born. Some relaxations are given by Bacon.
One may do well without 'conference' if one is innately endowed with extra-ordinary
presence of mind. Writing very little, one may do well if one is with exceptionally great
memory. Cunningness is essential for a man who reads little and this enables a man to
manage the situations like a learned one, though the former conceals his less-studies
and little-learning.

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Towards the end of the essay Bacon deals with the utility of the study of different
subjects. History enriches our mind with knowledge of past. Poetry, making us
imaginative, makes us witty. Mathematics adds to our subtlety and exactness. Natural
philosophy like physics, chemistry, metaphysics etc. provides us with depth. Moral
science makes us grave, serious minded and sober. Logic and rhetoric makes us expert
and impressive speaker.

To make the utility of study clear Bacon has given a Latin proverb : "abeunt studia
in mores". When translated into English it means ‘studies pass into character’. In
other words, studies mould a character or the character of a man is determined by what
he reads. Studies generally give a man solidity, power of endurance and courage to
confront. So, obstacles are no more obstacles to a well-studied or learned man.

Studies have some healing properties and it can serve as remedies to some defects of
mind. For example, a wandering mind can be made calm with the help of mathematics.
Study of ‘Schoolmen’, the hair-splitter philosopher of middle- age, can cure the mind
which lacks distinguishing power. The demonstration of anything makes one attentive
step by step. When the memory does not operate well, we must study law books which
teach us to call up the old cases and establish the desired conclusion. So, for every
defect of mind there must have a proper remedy or recipe and that comes from
profound and profuse study.

Reference :
University Study Guide

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