70 BACON'S ESSAYS 



limited by a man's estate ; and governed with such regard, 

 as it be within his compass ; and not subject to deceit and 

 abuse of servants ; and ordered to the best shew, that the 

 bills may be less than the estimation abroad. Certainly, if 

 a man will keep but of even hand, his ordinary expenses 

 ought to be but to the half of his receipts ; and if he think 

 to wax rich, but to the third part. It is no baseness for 

 the greatest to descend and look into their own estate. 

 Some forbear it, not upon negligence alone, but doubting 

 to bring themselves into melancholy, in respect they shall 

 find it broken. But wounds cannot be cured without 

 searching. He that cannot look into his own estate at all, 

 had need both choose well those whom he employeth, and 

 change them often ; for new are more timorous and less 

 subtle. He that can look into his estate but seldom, it 

 behove th him to turn all to certainties. 



A man had need, if he be plentiful in some kind of 

 expense, to be as saving again in some other. As if he be 

 plentiful in diet, to be saving in apparel ; if he be plentiful 

 in the hall, to be saving in the stable ; and the like. For 

 he that is plentiful in expenses of all kinds will hardly be 

 preserved from decay. In clearing of a man's estate, he 

 may as well hurt himself in being too sudden, as in letting 

 it run on too long. For hasty selling is commonly as 

 disadvantageable as interest. Besides, he that clears at 

 once will relapse ; for finding himself out of straits, he will 

 revert to his customs : but he that cleareth by degrees 

 induceth a habit of frugality, and gaineth as well upon his 

 mind as upon his estate. Certainly, who hath a state to 

 repair, may not despise small things ; and commonly it is 

 less dishonourable to abridge petty charges, than to stoop 

 to petty gettings. A man ought warily to begin charges 

 which once begun will continue : but in matters that return 

 not he may be more magnificent. 



