242 BACON 



the education of his son, so as to form good morals in him by 

 precept and example. On the other hand, the mother suf- 

 fers and partakes the most in the calamity of her son, because 

 the maternal affection is the more soft and tender : and again, 

 perhaps, because she is conscious that her indulgence has 

 spoiled and depraved him. 



Aphorism 8 



The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked 



shall rot I 



We have here that distinction between the character of good 

 and evil men, which usually takes place after death. For in 

 the case of good men, when envy, that pursues them whilst alive, 

 is extinguished, their name presently flourishes, and their fame 

 increases every day. But the fame of bad men, though it may 

 remain for a while, through the favor of friends and faction, yet 

 soon becomes odious, and at length degenerates into infamy, 



and ends, as it were, in a loathsome odor, 

 i 



Aphorism 9 



He who troubles his own house, shall inherit the wind m 

 This is a very useful admonition, as to domestic jars and dif- 

 ferences. For many promise themselves great matters from 

 the separation of their wives, the disinheriting of their children, 

 the frequent changing of servants, etc., as if they should thence 

 procure greater peace of mind, or a more successful administra- 

 tion of their affairs ; but such hopes commonly turn to wind ; 

 these changes being seldom for the better. And such disturb- 

 ers of their families often meet with various crosses and ingrati- 

 tude, from those they afterwards adopt and choose. They, by 

 this means, also bring ill reports, and ambiguous rumors upon 

 themselves. For as Cicero well observes, " All men's charac- 

 ters proceed from their domestics." n And both these mischiefs 

 Solomon elegantly expresses by the " possession of the wind" : 

 for the frustration of expectation, and the raising- of rumors, are 

 justly compared to the winds. 



Aphorism 10 



The end of a discourse is better than the beginning o 

 This aphorism corrects a common error, prevailing not only 

 among such as principally study words, but also the more pru- 



