78 BACON'S ESSAYS 



Cicero, writing to Atticus of Pompey his preparation against 

 Caesar, saith, Consilium Pompeii plane Themistocleum est; putat 

 enim^ qui maripotitur, eum rerum potiri. And, without doubt, 

 Pompey had tired out Caesar, if upon vain confidence he 

 had not left that way. We see the great effects of battles 

 by sea. The battle of Actium decided the empire of the 

 world. The battle of Lepanto arrested the greatness of 

 the Turk. There be many examples where sea-fights have 

 been final to the war ; but this is when princes or states 

 have set up their rest upon the battles. But thus much is 

 certain, that he that commands the sea is at great liberty, 

 and may take as much and as little of the war as he will. 

 Whereas those that be strongest by land are many times 

 nevertheless in great straits. Surely, at this day, with us 

 of Europe, the vantage of strength at sea (which is one of 

 the principal dowries of this kingdom of Great Britain) is 

 great ; both because most of the kingdoms of Europe are 

 not merely inland, but girt with the sea most part of their 

 compass ; and because the wealth of both Indies seems in 

 great part but an accessary to the command of the seas. 



The wars of latter ages seem to be made in the dark, in 

 respect of the glory and honour which reflected upon men 

 from the wars in ancient time. There be now, for martial 

 encouragement, some degrees and orders of chivalry; which 

 nevertheless are conferred promiscuously upon soldiers and 

 no soldiers ; and some remembrance perhaps upon the 

 scutcheon ; and some hospitals for maimed soldiers ; and 

 such like things. But in ancient times, the trophies erected 

 upon the place of the victory ; the funeral laudatives and 

 monuments for those that died in the wars ; the crowns 

 and garlands personal ; the style of Emperor, which the 

 great kings of the world after borrowed ; the triumphs of 

 the generals upon their return ; the great donatives and 

 largesses upon the disbanding of the armies ; were things 

 able to inflame all men's courages. But above all, that of the 

 Triumph, amongst the Romans, was not pageants or gaudery, 

 but one of the wisest and noblest institutions that ever was. 

 For it contained three things; honour to the general; riches 

 to the treasury out of the spoils ; and donatives to the 



