In an effort to educate myself, I am reading The Oxford Book of Essays, chosen and edited by John Gross. [copies for sale here] There’s 142 of the blighters, so it will take me all year. To make this “stick” I am going to blog each essay.
This essay is online
Who was the author: Francis Bacon 1561–1626
What happened the year they were born (and the C02 ppm): UFOs over Nuremberg. 270ppmish
The Big Events they were alive for: The Armada. Shakespeare. The death of Elizabeth, the rumblings towards the English Civil War. Galileo. Early colonies
What happened in the year they died (and the C02 ppm): The purchase of Manhattan etc. 270ish
My awareness of/appreciation of this author (if any): Mostly unfamiliar with him. Should probably read the Wikipedia entry closely?!
What’s the essay?
The essay is called “Of Innovations.” It’s 1 page long. For me, the key take-aways were…
Innovation is hard!
Best line(s)
AS THE births of living creatures, at first are illshapen, so are all innovations, which are the births of time.
and he that will not apply new remedies, must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator; and if time of course alter things to the worse, and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better, what shall be the end?
All this is true, if time stood still; which contrariwise moveth so round, that a froward [difficult to deal with; contrary] retention of custom, is as turbulent a thing as an innovation; and they that reverence too much old times, are but a scorn to the new.
Stuff I had to look up
And lastly, that the novelty, though it be not rejected, yet be held for a suspect; and, as the Scripture saith, that we make a stand upon the ancient way, and then look about us, and discover what is the straight and right way, and so to walk in it.
It was Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the Lord: “Stand ye in the highways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk therein.’
According to this site
The sense is: God’s prophet has declared that a great national calamity is at hand. “Make inquiries; stand in the ways; ask the passers by. Your country was once prosperous and blessed. Try to learn what were the paths trodden in those days which led your ancestors to happiness. Choose them, and walk earnestly therein, and find thereby rest for your souls.” The Christian fathers often contrast Christ the one goodway with the old tracks, many in number and narrow to walk in, which are the Law and the prophets.
Connects to (watch this space – if there are later essays that resonate with this one, I’ll come back and add a link to the post for that essay).
Machiavelli on this.
“It should be borne in mind that there is nothing more difficult to manage, or more doubtful of success, or more dangerous to handle than to take the lead in introducing a new order of things. For the innovator has enemies in all those who are doing well under the old order, and he has only lukewarm defenders in all those who would do well under the new order. This lukewarmness arises partly from the incredulity of men who do not truly believe in new things until they have had a solid experience of them. Thus it happens that whenever his enemies have the opportunity to attack the innovator, they do so with the zeal of partisans, and the others only defend him tepidly, so that he, together with them, is put in danger.”
marchudson.net 
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