4. Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
• Francis Bacon, Viscount St.
Alban, (/ˈbeɪkən/; 22 January 1561 – 9 April
1626)
• was an English philosopher, statesman,
scientist, jurist, orator, essayist and author.
• best known for his promotion of the scientific
method.
• born on January 22, 1561 in London, England.
5. Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
• Bacon served as attorney general and Lord
Chancellor of England, resigning amid charges
of corruption.
• His more valuable work was philosophical.
• Bacon took up Aristotelian ideas, arguing for
an empirical, inductive approach, known as the
scientific method, which is the foundation of
modern scientific inquiry.
• Bacon died of pneumonia in 1626.
6. Of Studies
• STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for
ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness
and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for
ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of
business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps
judge of particulars, one by one; but the general
counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs,
come best, from those that are learned. To spend too
much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much
for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment
wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar.
7. They perfect nature, and are perfected by
experience: for natural abilities are like natural
plants, that need proyning, by study; and studies
themselves, do give forth directions too much at
large, except they be bounded in by experience.
Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire
them, and wise men use them; for they teach not
their own use; but that is a wisdom without them,
and above them, won by observation. Read not to
contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for
granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh
and consider.
8. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some
books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but
not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with
diligence and attention. Some books also may be read
by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that
would be only in the less important arguments, and the
meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like
common distilled waters, flashy things. Reading maketh
a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an
exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had
need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had
need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had
need have much cunning, to seem to know, that he doth
not. Histories make men wise; poets witty; the
mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral
grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend.
9. Abeunt studia in mores. Nay, there is no stond or
impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit
studies; like as diseases of the body, may have
appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and
reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking
for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a
man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics;
for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so
little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to
distinguish or find differences, let him study the
Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores. If he be not
apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to
prove and illustrate another, let him study 197 the
lawyers’ cases. So every defect of the mind, may have a
special receipt.
10.
11. Of Delays
• FORTUNE is like the market; where many times, if
you can stay a little, the price will fall. And again, it
is sometimes like Sibylla’s offer; which at first
offereth the commodity at full, then consumeth
part and part, and still holdeth up the price. For
occasion (as it is in the common verse) turneth a
bald noddle, after she hath presented her locks in
front, and no hold taken; or at least turneth the
handle of the bottle first to be received, and after
the belly, which is hard to clasp. There is surely no
greater wisdom than well to time the beginnings
and onsets of things.
12. Dangers are no more light, if they once seem light;
and more dangers have deceived men than forced
them. Nay, it were better to meet some dangers
half way, though they come nothing near, than to
keep too long a watch upon their approaches; for if
a man watch too long, it is odds he will fall asleep.
On the other side, to be deceived with too long
shadows (as some have been when the moon was
low and shone on their enemies’ back), and so to
shoot off before the time; or to teach dangers to
come on, by over early buckling towards them; is
another extreme.
13. The ripeness or unripeness of the occasion (as we
said) must ever be well weighed; and generally it is
good to commit the beginnings of all great actions to
Argus with his hundred eyes, and the ends to
Briareus with his hundred hands; first to watch, and
then to speed. For the helmet of Pluto, which maketh
the politic man 1 go invisible, is secrecy in the
counsel and celerity in the execution. For when
things are once come to the execution, there is no
secrecy comparable to celerity; like the motion of a
bullet in the air, which flieth so swift as it outruns
the eye.
14.
15. Of Revenge
• 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, putteth 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
Solomon, 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;
16. therefore they do but trifle with themselves, that
labor in past matters. There is no man doth a
wrong, for the wrong’s sake; but thereby to
purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or honor, or
the like. Therefore 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 to 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 before hand, and
it is two for one.
17. 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 enemies; but you never
read, that we are commanded to forgive our
friends. But yet the spirit of Job was in a better
tune:
18. 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; for
the death of Henry the Third of France; 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
infortunate.
21. Mitch Albom
• Mitchell David "Mitch" Albom (born May 23, 1958)
is an American best-selling author, journalist,
screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television
broadcaster, and musician.
• His books have sold over 35 million copies
worldwide.
• Having achieved national recognition for sports
writing in the earlier part of his career.
• He is perhaps best known for the inspirational
stories and themes that weave through his books,
plays and films.
22. • Born May 23, 1958 in Passaic, New Jersey.
• Albom lived in Buffalo, New York for a little while,
until his family settled in Oaklyn, New Jersey which
is close to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• He grew up in a small, middle-class neighborhood
from which most people never left.
• Mitch was once quoted as saying that his parents
were very supportive, and always used to say,
“Don’t expect your life to finish here. There’s a big
world out there. Go out and see it.”
23. LIST OF CHARACTERS
Major Characters
• Morrie Schwartz
• The novel is centered around him; Morrie is
Mitch’s former college professor who was
diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gherig's disease); he
meets with Mitch in his home every Tuesday to
teach him about the meaning of life.
• Mitch Albom
• Morrie's former student; he has since become a
journalist and leads a very fast paced life; finds
Morrie after hearing he is sick on "ABC's
Nightline" and visits him every Tuesday.
24. Minor Characters
• Ted Koppel
• A famous television newsman/personality; he
interviews Morrie three times for the “ABC's
Nightline” show; he eventually describes Morrie as
his friend and is almost in tears during his last
interview with Morrie.
• Charlotte
• Morrie’s wife, who is also a college professor; she
keeps her job as a professor even while Morrie is
sick because it is what he wished for her.
25. • Janine
• Mitch’s wife; she takes a phone call from Morrie,
whom she had never met, and accompanies Mitch to
his next visit with Morrie. As a professional singer, she
never sings upon request; however, when Morrie
asked her to sing she did without hesitation and
moved him to tears.
• Peter
• Mitch’s younger brother who lives in Spain; he has
pancreatic cancer and refuses any help from his
family. He seems reluctant to rekindle his relationship
with Mitch, but by the end of the novel, we see that
he has warmed up and may be letting his brother
back into his life.
26. • Charlie
• Morrie’s father who came to America from Russia. He
neglects Morrie and his brother; he even insists that
Morrie keeps the death of their mother a secret from
his younger brother. He dies after escaping muggers;
Morrie had to travel to New York to identify his body at
the city morgue.
• Eva
• Morrie’s stepmother who came into his life when he
was about nine years old. She provided much love to
Morrie and his brother, David. She highly valued
education and served as a great motivation for Morrie
to work hard at his education. Morrie’s love for
education stemmed from Eva, which later lead to his
career as a professor.
27. • David
• Morrie’s younger brother who developed polio at a
young age.
• Connie
• Morrie’s at-home health care aide; she assists
Morrie in going to the bathroom, getting up and
into his chair and also with his meals.
