Love by Francis Bacon Summary:

Bacon opens the essay by claiming that the love or romance shown on the stage,
plays, and theatres is highly unrealistic, far from reality. On stage, love is
portrayed as a noble trait leading to joy and excitement. It often brings tragedy
and sorrow. However, in the real life, love does the real disasters by bringing
dark and foreboding. History has a record that all the great, noble, and worthier
man who has done something great in the life have refused this week passion
and keep themselves and their business away from such things.

Bacon illustrates the example of Marcus Antonius, a member of Roman royalty

who was given a chance to rule over 1/3rd of the empire, and Appius Claudius,
the second member of royalty who was given the other 1/3rd of empire, to explain
the destructing effects of love. The former was the man of ambition and power,
however, amorous, impulsive, and restrained. He had little or no control over his
heart and wandered in pursuit of love and lust. While Claudius was a sober, sage
and wise man of great wisdom. He never brought himself disgrace while rushing
towards quixotic desire.
Bacon quotes the Greek philosopher Epicurus who promoted self-control, self-
discipline, and restraint in one’s life. He warned his followers against chasing the
worldly desires and says that “we are sufficient for one another”. By this, he
conveys a message that one must live his life fully, without indulging into conflicts
with others. One should not avenge other and must restrain himself from other
such misdeeds. He expresses his disproval for a man of great worth who bowed
in front of a woman he loves and makes themselves small and miserable.

Bacon, furthermore, talks about the unfettered love that destroys the man. He
says that such love devalues the man and make them insignificant in front of
others. Moreover, Bacon argues about romantic poetry in which the writer
exaggerates the beauty of his beloved unnecessary. To him, such exaggeration
is only suitable for romance and writing; they are not applicable in practical life. A
paramour who detriments his discriminating influence to transfer flattering words
to his woman evidently negotiates with his intellect, and judging power. A proud
man will never make his beloved to rule over him by pouring sugarcoated words
on her. For Bacon, a wise man must not love as it is impossible to be wise and to
love at the same time.

In an unrequited love, the praises and compliment of a man for his beloved
woman appear to be a weakness of his character. Moreover, when her woman
doesn’t feel responding the paramour, she treats his love as a pitiable weakness
of his character. The love of man can result in two things: either the woman will
respond to him in the same way or will create an inward feeling of insignificant in
a woman for the man. So, Bacon warns, the man before falling in love should
understand one thing that it doesn’t harm anything but man’s self-esteem.

Those who see the world as nothing but a place to fulfill their carnal desires
destroy themselves. They losses both affluence and wisdom in search or sexual
pleasures in the world. Bacon argues that such passions are overwhelmed in the
period of prosperity than of adversity. Carnal pleasures get accentuated in the
time of both happiness and distress and can be called as “child of folly”.
However, these sensual pleasure when are uncontrolled can lead to the
destruction of business, wealth, and health.

The army men seem to have a special attraction for love as they have for the
wine. Bacon discusses the men’s nature and argues that men have a special
inclination towards love for other. He makes his love universal by expanding it
towards everyone, no matter such love gentle and kind and people who have
some spiritual and religious belonging have this kind of love. In the end, Bacon
says that the love that arises from marriage is the root cause of mankind’s
creation, while love in friendship makes it perfect but lust corrupts it and
embarrass it.