Of Friendship

Of Friendship
-Francis Bacon
“Of Friendship” is one of the essays written by Francis bacon. Francis bacon
is an English philosopher and a statesman. He is also known as Lord verulam. He
got influence from the French writer, Michel de Montaigne. The essay “Of
Friendship” by Francis Bacon celebrated the intimacy between friends which is
subjected to both prosperity and adversity without succumbing to the clouds of
doubt and jealousy. The essay was written on the request of his friend Toby
Matthew.
Bacon introduces the text with thoughts of Aristotle on companionship. He

says that human nature demands company and social contact. If they are isolated,
either they will be wild beast or heavenly God. At the same time he doesn’t
criticize the people who feel shy in a crowd. Such people will think deeply and will
be like a double edged sword. He also points out some philosophers like
Epimenides the Candian, Numa the Roman, Empedocles the Sicilian, and
Apollonius of Tyana, who postulated theories unique to their age and
contemporaries.
Bacon differentiates between kinship and crowd. He also says the pros of
living in small city and cons of big city. According to Bacon, a friendship demands
the involvement of passions and feelings. He compares a healthy heart and a
friend. He says friendship is the panacea. Bacon states the problems that were
faced by kings or princes to become a friend of someone.
Bacon comments on some historical examples. He says that Roman ruler

Sylla gave Pompey the moniker of ‘the Great’. However, consumed by arrogance
Sylla’s friend Pompey reprimanded and rebuked him in public when they had
some disagreement. Pompey derided Sylla as the setting sun while calling himself
the rising sun of Roman power. He says that historical people like Sylla and
Pompey’s friendship is not loyal and they don’t have noble heart.
The principal fruit of friendship is the ease and discharge of the fullness and
swellings of the heart. Bacon's essay is centered on what he calls the "fruit of
friendship," of which there are three, and the first is the ability to get rid of all
one's frustrations by having a true friend to listen. The second fruit has another
half that is just as important, and that is counsel from the friend, which, according
to Bacon, is "drier and purer" than the counsel that comes from within oneself.
Bacon compares the third fruit of friendship to a pomegranate, which hundreds of
kernels. Bacon argues that there are many things a man cannot do for himself--
praise himself (modestly), ask for help that a friend can do for him with no
embarrassment. These are among the many kernels of friendship embodied in the
third fruit.
A friend helps a man to improve his conduct and avoid folly and
mistakes. A friendly advice is unbiased and is thus reliable and at the same time it
is pleasant.A man cannot be more than one place at the same time, but if he has a
friend he can get things done through him instead of doing them himself. If a man
dies without fulfilling some desire, a friend can continue to make efforts to achieve
that desire.
Thus, friends bring a lot easy in such difficult situations and help
break barriers of communication. Bacon ends the essay condemning an unsociable
man without friends as an aloof being not fit to belong to society.
Of Friendship by Francis Bacon ''Analysis''
The essay ‘’Of Friendship’’ first published in 1612 was very brief. The present version
published in 1625,is practically a new composition much longer than original version. The
essay was actually written at the request of Bacon’s intimate friend Toby Matthew.
Bacon begins his essay with a reference to Aristotle who remarks that a man who loves
solitude is either a beast or divine being. Of course, Bacon does not share the view fully. He
affirms that love for isolation may be a symptom of a person’s savagery, but it can seldom
be the grace of godliness. In fact, solitude becomes graceful only when this is preferred to
have a higher spiritual meditation. Bacon’s main material in the essay Of Friendship
focuses the fruits of friendship. He specially mentions the different benefits that friendship
offers. His clear observation is that friendship brings relief and ease in human mind and
frees it from worries and anxieties. The oppressed and suffocated mind can have no
medical remedy like the ailing physical body. It needs a true friend to whom, in the
Baconian language,’’ you may impart griefs, joys, fears, hopes, suspicions, counsels and
whatsoever lieth upon the heart to oppress it…….’’

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Bacon introduces the text with thoughts of Aristotle on companionship. He

Bacon comments on some historical examples. He says that Roman ruler

Of Friendship by Francis Bacon ''Analysis''

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