Introduction
Of Friendship is one of the remarkable essays masterfully composed by Francis Bacon. The Friendship Essay was first published in 1612. The first version was a short piece of paper. Later on, in 1625, the updated version of the essay was published, which is now present and comparatively longer than the previous one.
About Sir Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon (born on 22 January 1561 in York House, Strand in London—died on 19 April 1626 in London, England) was a well-versed English scholar, considered a scientist, and popularly known as an essayist. He wrote a number of essays on different topics, arguing about human behavior and nature. Some of his other famous essays are Of Friendship, Of Love, Of Revenge, Of Studies, Of Death, Of Truth, Of Beauty, Of Philosophy, Of Ambitious, Of Custom, and Of Education.
Bacon wrote the Of Friendship essay at the request of his close friend, Toby Matthews. Francis Bacon has used vivid thoughts and employed an analytical, comparative, and constructive approach in his essay.
Analysis of “Of Friendship Essay”
Sir Francis Bacon begins this essay with a quotation from Aristotle’s book on politics (Book 1, Chapter 2).
“Whatever is delighted in Solitude,
is either a wild beast or god.”
Bacon puts forward the idea that human nature requires friends’ companionship and social contact to interact. If a person avoids the interaction, he/she deceives his/her natural state. Sir, Francis Bacon does not criticize those who are unaccustomed to standing in a crowd or those who feel shy in a crowd and therefore seek vacant places and isolation. Such people prioritize peace, which helps them to contemplate the inner self. In short, voluntary relief from company and social contact can have positive results also.
In the essay, Bacon mentions the references of the philosophers like Epimenides, the Canadian, and Numa the Roman, who posit their own analysis-based theories to their contemporaries. Francis Bacon differentiates that these philosophers could avail positive things from society if they had joined friends’ company. Bacon suggests that there is a big difference between friends and close friends.
Bacon further indicates that those who can live in solitude are inclined to attend spiritual peace and implies the characteristics of the god. On the contrary, those who pretend to live in solitude in order to catch people’s attention are like wild beasts; they ultimately need a company to discover and interact with one another. The author describes that voluntary retreat can bring positive results to them also.
“A person can feel lonely too”
Moreover, Bacon suggests that if a person is in the crowd but is not interested in conversation and engaged in his business, the conversation becomes futile. Sir Francis Bacon also uses the Latin word “adage,” which means a big city having great solitude. It is because long distances cause desperation and separation; the people in big cities are more busy and self-centered, and therefore it is difficult to cultivate true friendship therein.
However, in small towns people live near and have plenty of time to know one another; for small cities people are not so much engaged in their business, and therefore cultivating true friendship there is easier because these small towns have united communities. According to Bacon, the foundation of true friendship is based on passions and true feelings, for friendship requires passion and gratitude, which tie up the friends’ hearts together.
A Cure for Ailing Hearts
Bacon indicates that true friendship is like a cure because the human heart requires vigor and energy in the hour of difficulty, and the friend is he who offers his company and conversations to eradicate the suffering and disappointment of a friend. In short, the love, gratitude, and affection of a friend is the best cure.
Friendship can be bought.
Sir Francis Bacon implies that the elite people are skilled at catching friends through sending gifts and badges of honor. The elite people want to have influential friends so that they get favor and advantage from them in times of need. However, Bacon suggests that such friends do not stand with them for a long time because such friends lack emotional cooperation with their benefactors.
Desperation and suffering in friendship
Bacon presents the example of few people who suffered in friendship. He says the Roman Ruler Sylas handed over Pampey the moniker the great. However, Pomey deceived Sylas. Pompey started calling Sylas the setting sun and himself the rising of the Roman Empire. There are a lot of experiences and examples that can be found in society where people do good deeds to others; in return, they receive nothing but a deception.
Therefore, a true friend is one who is attached to his friend’s emotions and passions. What he feels and faces, his friend should be in that state, too.
Three fruits of friendship
1- The first fruit of friendship
The connection and communication of man’s self to his friends represent two contradictory effects. First, it boosts his joy, and second, it reduces grief and desperation in half. It is certain obvious that when a person imparts joy to his friends, he feels joy more than others.
Likewise, when he utters his grief to his friend, he feels light and less burdened. It is true that when a person shares his feelings with his friends, he becomes not only optimistic but also healthier. According to Sir Francis Bacon, the first fruit of friendship is affection/care because friendship requires affection and communication, whereas these together can be called an initial stage.
2- The Second Fruit of Friendship
The second fruit is understanding. It implies a mutual understanding between friends. If a person fails to understand his friends’ needs and wants, he cannot maintain friendship for a long period of time; he may lose his time and friends together, and Friendship requires understanding of things from different perspectives.
The mutual understanding may help a friend to play a crucial role as a counselor or advisor. Sharing true feelings with true friends can help lessen the stress. A friend’s advice may work if a person is stressed or feeling distraught in his mood. This would happen if there was a mutual understanding between friends.
3- The third fruit of friendship
The third fruit is like pomegranate. The pomegranate fruit has manifold fruits in itself. The third fruit describes many advantages of friendship: friends as counselors, as assistants, as lifesavers, grievance-sharing partners, supportive partners, and business partners.
Importance of Friendship
Fellowship plays a crucial role in emotional support, sense of belonging, personal growth, decision-making, memorization, and cultural and social support. Friendship offers a sense of belonging and acceptance because it creates a space where friends feel confident without fear of judgement. Fellowship is also important for personal growth because it offers constructive support and encouragement in certain difficult situations.
Bacon exposes certain traits in Of Friendship essay. Bacon employs analytical, philosophical, practical, comparative, and constructive approaches in this essay. According to Bacon, true friendship is beneficial in numerous ways.
True friendship brings joy, removes sorrows, and offers company when a person feels lonely. Bacon resonates with readers, presenting valuable reflections on the nature of true friendship and its enduring importance in people’s lives. However, Bacon warns that false friendship can cause suffering and desperation for people. Friends who are not emotionally attached can be men of their own interest.
Conclusion
Of Friendship essay is a remarkable work by Sir Francis Bacon. The essay represents different aspects of friendship and exposes different traits of friendship. The Loyal Friends assuage unpleasant feelings and bring healing life. Sir Francis Bacon concludes the essay by criticizing the people who do not have friends; he puts them in the category of unsociable men as an aloof of being not fit for society.