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Notes
Unit 5: Francis Bacon - Of Truth: Critical Analysis

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
5.1 Of Truth-Critical Analysis
5.2 Summary
5.3 Key-Words
5.4 Review Questions
5.5 Further Readings

Objectives
After reading this Unit students will be able to:
• Analyse Bacon’s Essay ‘Of Truth’.

Introduction

Bacon’s essay Of Truth is, considered as an apology for poetical fiction, and for the masking and
mumming of his theatre, on the score of man’s absolute love of lies, and hatred of truth. The
modern love of novels is a very strong corroboration of this statement. Put a profound truth in the
form of a problem novel and thousands will read it, attracted by its outward dress, whereas
written as a treatise it would attract little attention! How many readers have Lord Bacon’s works
compared to the plays attributed to Shakespeare!

5.1 Of Truth-Critical Analysis

It is very important to observe that Bacon’s essay Of Truth occupies the first or foremost place in
the collection. Also that this essay opens and concludes with the allusion to our Savior, who was
the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Bacon commences with the words “What is truth? said jesting
Pilate, and would not stay for an answer.” And the essay ends with the words, “ Surely the wickedness
of falsehood and breach of faith cannot possibly be so highly expressed, as in that it shall be the
last peal to call the judgment of God upon the generations of men. It being foretold that when
Christ cometh He shall not find faith upon the earth.” This is repeated in the essay “Of Counsel.”
It is worthy of note, too, what Bacon says of Pilate, that he”would not stay for an answer” implying
that there was an answer, but that he did not want to hear it, and this is often the attitude of the
world towards any problem that offends it’s prejudices, rouses its passions, or dares to challenge
its universal consent upon some echoed tradition which has never hitherto been looked into or
examined. In his essay “Of Atheism,” Bacon points out, how the judgment is prejudiced by the
feelings or affections, and how the mind is deprived of free judgment by the inclinations of the
heart.
“The Scripture saith, ‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God’; it is not said, The fool hath
thought in his heart,’ so as he rather saith it by rote to himself, as that he would have, than that he
can thoroughly believe it or be persuaded of it.”
This equally applies to the nature of all human beliefs that are allied by custom with consent and
sentiment —and perhaps most of all to the opposers of the Bacon authorship of the plays. They,

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