The Second Book 77 



9. For lives, I do find it strange that these times have so 

 little esteemed the virtues of the times, as that the writing 

 of lives should be no more frequent. For although there 

 be not many sovereign princes or absolute commanders, 

 and that states are most collected into monarchies, yet are 

 there many worthy personages that deserve better than 

 dispersed report or barren elogies. For herein the inven- 

 tion of one of the late poets ^ is proper, and doth well enrich 

 the ancient fiction: for he feigneth that at the end of the 

 thread or web of every man's life there was a little medal 

 containing the person's name, and that Time waited upon 

 the shears; and as soon as the thread was cut, caught the 

 medals, and carried them to the river of Lethe ; and about 

 the bank there were many birds flying up and down, that 

 would get the medals and carry them in their beak a little 

 while, and then let them fall into the river : only there were 

 a few swans, which if they got a name, would carry it to a 

 temple where it was consecrate. And although many men, 

 more mortal in their affections than in their bodies, do 

 esteem desire of name and memory but as a vanity and 

 ventosity, 



Animi nil magnae laudis egentes ; • 



which opinion comet h from that root, Non prius laudes 

 contempsimus, quam laudanda facere desivimus : ^ yet that 

 will not alter Salomon's judgment, Memoria justi cum 

 laudibus, at impiorum nomen putrescet : * the one flourisheth, 

 the other either consumeth to present oblivion, or tumeth 

 to an ill odour. And therefore in that style or addition, 

 which is and hath been long well received and brought in 

 use, Felicis memories, pice memorice, boncB memoricB, we do 

 acknowledge that which Cicero saith, borrowing it from 

 Demosthenes, that Bona fama propria possessio defunc- 

 torum ; ^ which possession I cannot but note that in our times 

 it Ueth much waste, and that therein there is a deficience. 



* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, end of bk. 34, and opening of bk. 35. 

 {See Ellis' and Spedding's edition of the De Augm. Sc.) 



» Virg. ^n. V. 751, 



• Plin. Ep. iii. 21 : " Postquam desiimus facere laudanda, laudari 

 quoque ineptum putamus." Were Bacon's quotations usually from 

 memory ? * Prov. x. 7. 



» Cic. Philip, ix.: " Vita enim mortuorum in memoria vivorum 

 est posita." From Dem. adv. Lept. 488, Xv* fjv ^uwrcs iKTi^aavT9 

 tiSo^lav avTT) #co2 T«\fVTrfK6<riy airoii iiroSodelri. 



