CRITICAL APPRECIATION

“OF TRUTH”
“Of Truth" is the opening essay in the final edition of the philosopher, statesman
and jurist Francis Bacon's "Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral" (1625).Francis
Bacon is known for his worldly wisdom. He was a man of practical wisdom with
compact and condensed thoughts. “OF TRUTH” is Bacon's masterpiece that shows
his keen observation of human beings with special regard to truth.
Sir Francis Bacon starts his essay while referring to the Ancient Roman
Governor Pilate, who made the situation critical without doing an analysis of
truth. Pilate asked for truth but did not wait for it. If he would have known the
truth, he may have not passed the judgment to crucify the Christ. He then talks
about skeptical minds, who are not easily convincible. He doubts that Pilate was
also skeptical. There are people who do not have strong beliefs. Numerous people
are there in the world, who change their minds frequently. They consider that fixed
beliefs are a sign of mental slavery. Whenever they think or take decisions, they
use their free will; they stubbornly ignore every belief. In Greeks, there was a
school of philosophers having skeptics. They may have died now but skeptical
people are there even today in this world.
Advancing his essay, Bacon explores the reasons why the people do not like
truth. One of them is that the discovery of truth requires effort and
time.  Secondly, both the parties (plaintiff and defendant) struggle to prove
themselves right. Indeed, Sir Francis Bacon has rightly said that. Effort and time
are required to discover the truth. The second reason, which Bacon provides for not
speaking the truth, is that it is hard to digest. When it is discovered, people hardly
believe it.  More than that the real reason of man's disliking to truth is that man
is attached to lies which Bacon says, "a natural though corrupt love of the lie
itself." He is confused that why people tell a lie for the sake of a lie. Nevertheless,
he understands that poets sell lies because it gives pleasure to human beings.
Traders tell lies because they want to sell their goods but lying for the sake of lie is
not understandable. Bacon gives a real-life example. He says that if the audience
sees a spectacle on the stage in daylight it will look as it is. On the other hand, if
the same show is presented by candlelight, then it will attract more people; it
would give pleasure to the audience. Lie, in the same way, has a beautiful and
shiny cover, due to which people like lie instead of truth. However, if the truth
were mixed with a lie then it would also give pleasure.
Moreover, people have created their own false beliefs, judgments, and opinions. If
these things were snatched from them, their condition would become miserable as
these things give them hope and strange kind of pleasure. t is a fact that man
prefers to cherish illusions, which make his life more interesting. With a profound
observation of man's psychology, Bacon states that if deprived of false pride and
vanities, the human mind would contract like a deflated balloon and these human
beings would become poor, sad and ill. However, poetic untruth is not gone
unnoticed by Bacon's piercing intellect. He says though poetic untruth is a wine of
the Devil in priest's eyes, yet it is not as harmful as the other lies are. Bacon, being
a literary artist illustrates this concept with an apt imagery that the poetic untruth is
but the shadow of a lie.  Bacon agrees that the poetry is a lie but he says that it is
not harmful at all. He divides lies into two categories: short-term and long-term.
Poetry tells lies but people soon forget it; therefore, it causes no harm to them.
Only those lies are harmful that sink in the mind and are difficult to forget.
Bacon mentioning the blessings of creator says ; ‘’Light’’ was the first thing,
which the God had created. Then, He bestowed men, rational faculty. Since then,
He is illuminating the human minds. Bacon advises that whenever a person takes a
decision, he should rely on his rationality. It would be based upon truth. He quotes
Lucretius, who says that realization of truth is the greatest pleasure in the world.
When someone realizes the truth, he becomes aware of its importance. He also
recognizes his false beliefs and silly hopes. Truth also nips the pride in the bud
due to which a person becomes pitiful and humble.
Bacon's moral idealism  and his firm belief in wonders of truth is evidently
reflected when he advances his argument in favor of truth ,he asserts that the earth
can be made paradise only with the help of truth. Man should ever stick to truth
in every matter, do the act of charity and have faith in every matter, do the act of
charity and have faith in God. Bacon's strong belief in truth and Divinity is stated
thus:

"Certainly, it is heaven upon earth, to have a man's mind move in charity, rest in
Providence, and turn upon the poles of truth."
Bacon, highlighting the importance of truth in our lives argues that truth has its
own significance. Falsehood brings disgrace and truth brings honor. Even those
people, who do not speak truth, know its worth. Furthermore, the truth is required
not only in the field of theology and philosophy but also in every field of life.
Bacon further asserts that liars are like a snake that move upon the belly and not
upon the feet revealing that liars don’t possess the power to stand and resist as truth
i always stands out.  Bacon refers Montaigne, who says that a liar is always brave
towards God but coward towards humans. By telling a lie, a liar directly challenges
God. He knows that he must face God on doomsday, yet he promotes falsehood.
Thus, he is brave enough to get punishment in eternal life. Bacon adds that
falsehood is the height of wickedness and as such will invite the Judgment of God
upon all human beings on Doom’s Day. Therefore, Bacon concludes his essay with
didacticism with a tinge of Christian morality.
In the essay, “OF TRUTH”, there is no digression. All the arguments in the essay
pertain to the single main idea, truth. Bacon's wide learning is clearly observed
when he refers to Pilate (history), Lucian (Greek literature), Creation,
Montaigne (a French essayist). “OF TRUTH” is enriched with striking similes
and analogies, such as he equates liars as a snake moving basely on its belly,
mixture of falsehood is like an alloy of gold and silver and many more. His tone in
this essay is didactic; style is lucid, and examples are rich. Solid references from
Greeks, Romans, other subjects and various philosophers demonstrate experience
and knowledge of the writer in every field of life.
 The essay “OF TRUTH” is not ornamental as was the practice of the Elizabethan
prose writers. Bacon is simple, natural and straightforward in his essay though
Elizabethan color is also found in “OF TRUTH” because there is a moderate use
of Latinism in the essay. The economy of words is found in the essay not alone,
but syntactic brevity is also obvious in this essay. We find conversational ease in
this essay, which is the outstanding feature of Bacon's style. There is a peculiar
feature of Bacon, i.e., aphorism. Short, crispy, memorable, and witty sayings are
found in this essay making it a compelling and worth reading essay.     
Therefore, Bacon's essay “OF TRUTH” is rich in matter and manner. This is
really a council 'civil and moral'.