Bacon observes that even the Bible emphasises Job’s afflictions and overlooks Solomon’s felicities: “the pencil of the Holy Ghost hath laboured more in describing the afflictions of Job, than the felicities of Solomon.”īacon concludes with two illustrations. According to Bacon, prosperity leads to comfort and thus to vices in a Christian environment, but adversity, by requiring moral fortitude, leads to the development of virtue. READ ALSO: Character Sketch of The Tiger Kingīacon compares Hercules, who sailed a powerful vessel to liberate Prometheus from his shackles to the Christian, who “that sailed in the frail bark of the flesh, through the waves of the world.” In other words, Hercules sailed in relative prosperity, which facilitated his voyage the Christian, on the other hand, confronts the world in a weak body. As a result, adversity is beneficial in that it results in miracles.
It is true greatness, to have in one the frailty of a man, and the security of a God.” Everyone is aware that miracles occur, but those who have firm faith in God do not question it, whereas non-believers do, because they do not believe that miracles have control over nature, but that adversity causes miracles to occur, that is, when something goes wrong, God corrects it through a miracle. It is yet a higher speech of his, than the other (much too high for a heathen). “Certainly if miracles be the command over nature, they appear most in adversity. Thus, anyone who can persevere in the face of adversity is to be admired.īacon demonstrates his point through religion that is faith.
While prosperity enables man to enjoy material rewards and worldly pleasures, adversity nurtures and improves a man’s moral and spiritual characteristics. While prosperity is wonderful, adversity should not be criticised, reviled, or despised. Prosperity is manageable for Bacon, but adversity is far too difficult. Bacon opens the essay with a quote from Seneca “the good things, which belong to prosperity, are to be wished but the good things, which belong to adversity, are to be admired.” This means that prosperity is manageable while adversity is difficult. Through the use of references and quotations, Francis Bacon captures our attention and maintains our interest.The present essay is the result of Bacon’s experiences as Lord Chancellor at the height of prosperity and his subsequent deprivation and fall. This essay discusses the advantages and disadvantages of adversity and prosperity.
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