bacon essay of travel summary

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Of Travel – Francis Bacon – Complete Explanation

by Francis Bacon

Complete explanation of the essay alongside the original text

TRAVEL, in the younger sort, is a part of education, in the elder, a part of experience. He that travelleth into a country, before he hath some entrance into the language, goeth to school, and not to travel.

Explanation

When a young child travels around in alien places, he learns a lot from the sight and sound around him. In the process, his awareness grows and his learning process is accelerated. So, travel for a young child has good educational value. So, the countryside becomes a school for him, although in an informal way.

That young men travel under some tutor, or grave servant, I allow well; so that he be such a one that hath the language, and hath been in the country before; whereby he may be able to tell them what things are worthy to be seen, in the country where they go; what acquaintances they are to seek; what exercises, or discipline, the place yieldeth.

A youngster travelling to an unknown place under the watchful eye of a knowledgeable chaperon is always desirable. By virtue of the knowledge and experience, the chaperon can guide the young traveler where to go, what to see, and the type of people to befriend. The able guide can also tell the youngster about the pastime, hobbies and crafts the places are famous for.

For else, young men shall go hooded, and look abroad little. It is a strange thing, that in sea voyages, where there is nothing to be seen, but sky and sea, men should make diaries; but in land-travel, wherein so much is to be observed, for the most part they omit it; as if chance were fitter to be registered, than observation.

Without the company of a guide, he will fail to observe the important and interesting things in the new places. While on a voyage in the sea, the sea farer gets to see nothing other than the vast expanse of blue water and the un-ending sky above. In such a case, the voyager should maintain a travel diary. When travelling over land, there is an overwhelming abundance of new sights and sounds and myriad things to observe. People generally fail to keep note of every detail of what they come across.

Let diaries, therefore, be brought in use. The things to be seen and observed are: the courts of princes, especially when they give audience to ambassadors; the courts of justice, while they sit and hear causes; and so of consistories ecclesiastic; the churches and monasteries, with the monuments which are therein extant; the walls and fortifications of cities, and towns, and so the heavens and harbors; antiquities and ruins; libraries; colleges, disputations, and lectures, where any are; shipping and navies; houses and gardens of state and pleasure, near great cities; armories; arsenals; magazines; exchanges; burses; warehouses; exercises of horsemanship, fencing, training of soldiers, and the like; comedies, such whereunto the better sort of persons do resort; treasuries of jewels and robes; cabinets and rarities; and, to conclude, whatsoever is memorable, in the places where they go.

So, maintain a diary is always a good idea. In the diary, one can record his observations about the following:

The royal courts of princes, kings and sovereigns. He can observe the opulence, splendor, courtiers, and the practices followed in the courts. The elaborate protocol followed while formally accepting the ambassadors from other countries is worth observing and noting.
The royal courts that hear pleas, and dispense justice also offer interesting sights. The practices followed in the Roman courts and those in the English clergy are also interesting.
The churches, monasteries, their architectural styles offer much visual delight. It is advisable to observe and record these in the diary.
The city walls, the fortresses and the watch towers that ring a city to ward off invaders are also very interesting to watch.
The beautiful towns and harbours also deserve to be seen with observant eyes.
The antiquities, the ruins standing as witness to past attacks of marauding invaders are worth seeing minutely.
Colleges, universities, centers of learning, town halls where debates are held, stadia etc. bear testimony to the intellectual vigour of any society. So, they should be visited too.
Shipping facilities and naval yards are the yardsticks of a nation’s maritime prowess. So, they deserve to be keenly looked at.
Public office buildings are the citadels of power and authority. They are deliberately built majestically to tower over other private buildings nearby. They project the state’s power. Similarly, parks and recreational open spaces speak about the taste and habits of the way people spend their leisure time. Their architecture reflect the aesthetic sense of the character of a race. So, these public places are to be visited and keenly observed.
Visit to the country’s armoury and ammunition storage facilities is quite enlightening too.
Visits to warehouses, stock exchanges and wholesale markets are also of good educational value.
Seeing equestrian sports and horse rearing centers indicate the ability of the country to use horse for military and recreational purposes.
Visit to opera houses shows how cultured the upper sections of the society are.
Exhibition of fine jewelry, fine clothing, antiques etc. throws light on the wealth and taste of the people.
In this way, one needs to visit all places of interest to bring back a treasure trove of highly rewarding information and knowledge.

As for triumphs, masks, feasts, weddings, funerals, capital executions, and such shows, men need not to be put in mind of them: yet are they not to be neglected.

Social occasions like marriages, funerals, feasts, public executions, victory celebrations etc. are, no doubt, important, but they need not be documented or observed so keenly.

If you will have a young man to put his travel into a little room, and in short time to gather much, this you must do: first, as was said, he must have some entrance into the language before he goeth; then he must have such a servant, or tutor, as knoweth the country, as was likewise said: let him carry with him also some card, or book, describing the country where he travelleth, which will be a good key to his inquiry; let him keep also a diary; let him not stay long in one city or town, more or less as the place deserveth, but not long: nay, when he stayeth in one city or town, let him change his lodging from one end and part of the town to another, which is a great adamant of acquaintance; let him sequester himself from the company of his countrymen, and diet in such places where there is good company of the nation where he travelleth: let him, upon his removes from one place to another, procure recommendation to some person of quality residing in the place whither he removeth; that he may use his favour in those things he desireth to see or know; thus he may abridge his travel with much profit.

Bacon proceeds to give some ‘do’s and ‘don’ts for a travel expedition to yield maximum value. These are as follows:

The youngster has to have some basic learning before he sets out on his journey.
He must have a dedicated and knowledgeable guide. This man must be well-conversant with the country he is visiting.
The guide should carry with him some books, catalogues or brochures about the places he has in his travel. These will prove to be handy in course of the travel.
The learner must have a diary where he can jot down whatever he sees as he moves from place to place.
He should not stay more than it is necessary to stay in one place.
In case he stays in a city or a town for a longer duration, he must change his lodging, and move to another in the other end of the town to get the maximum exposure.
While staying in a place, he must not choose to stay among people from his own place. Instead, he must choose to live among people of the host country, so that he gets to observe their habits.
He must procure and carry with him letters of introduction from eminent people from his own locality to those in the places he is going to visit. This will ease travel, stay and availability of other conveniences.

As for the acquaintance which is to be sought in travel, that which is most of all profitable, is acquaintance with the secretaries and employed men of ambassadors; for so in travelling in one country he shall suck the experience of many: let him also see and visit eminent persons in all kinds, which are of great name abroad, that he may be able to tell how the life agreeth with the fame; for quarrels, they are with care and discretion to be avoided: they are commonly for mistresses, healths, place, and words; and let a man beware how he keepeth company with choleric and quarrelsome persons; for they will engage him into their own quarrels.

In the places where he goes, he must seek out people of eminence like ambassadors, senior bureaucrats, and other eminent people who can offer practical help in sight-seeing, gathering information, and in availing other comforts needed during travel in a new place. He should avoid getting into arguments, quarrels and fights with locals. He should avoid the company of mistresses and quarrelsome people, because these are the persons who drag him to unnecessary fights and unpleasant situations.

When a traveller returneth home, let him not leave the countries where he hath travelled altogether behind him; but maintain a correspondence by letters with those of his acquaintance which are of most worth; and let his travel appear rather in his discourse than in his apparel or gesture; and in his discourse, let him be rather advised in his answers, than forward to tell stories: and let it appear that he doth not change his country manners for those of foreign parts; but only prick in some flowers of that he hath learned abroad into the customs of his own country.

On returning to his native home, he must not completely forget the people and places he has visited. He must maintain the link through correspondence with those eminent men who had extended courtesy and help to him during his sojourn. His heightened knowledge and awareness acquired during the journey are not to be shown off through elaborate attire or mannerisms of the foreign lands. This might invite ridicule and derision. On the contrary, his new wisdom must reflect in his talking and lectures to his fellowmen. He should be concise and factual in his accounts, and not weave stories. He must not give an impression that he has forsaken his country manners and dress to adopt those of the lands he has visited. He should selectively describe all the good things he has learnt abroad.

Click here for explanations of more essays by Francis Bacon.

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Of Friendship – Francis Bacon – Complete Explanation
Of Ambition – Francis Bacon – Complete Explanation
Of Marriage and Single Life – Francis Bacon – Complete Explanation
Of Anger – Francis Bacon – Complete Explanation
Of Death – Francis Bacon – Complete Explanation
Of Wisdom for a Man’s Self – Francis Bacon – Complete Explanation
Of Revenge – Francis Bacon – Complete Explanation
Of Adversity – Francis Bacon – Complete Explanation

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Of Travel by Francis Bacon

"Let him sequester himself from the company of his countrymen"

An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

A statesman, scientist, philosopher, and author, Francis Bacon is generally regarded as the first major English essayist . The first edition of his "Essayes" appeared in 1597, not long after the publication of Montaigne's influential "Essais." Editor John Gross has characterized Bacon's essays as "masterpieces of rhetoric ; their glowing commonplaces have never been surpassed."

By 1625, when this version of "Of Travel" appeared in the third edition of "Essayes or Counsels, Civill and Morall," European travel was already part of the education of many young aristocrats. (See the essay by Owen Felltham also titled "Of Travel." )

Observe and Keep a Diary

Consider the value of Bacon's advice to the present-day traveler: keep a diary, rely on a guidebook, learn the language, and avoid the company of fellow countrymen. Also notice how Bacon relies on list structures and parallelism to organize a number of his recommendations and examples .

"Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder a part of experience. He that travelleth into a country, before he hath some entrance into the language , goeth to school, and not to travel. That young men travel under some tutor or grave servant, I allow well; so that he be such a one that hath the language, and hath been in the country before; whereby he may be able to tell them what things are worthy to be seen in the country where they go, what acquaintances they are to seek, what exercises or discipline the place yieldeth; for else young men shall go hooded, and look abroad little. It is a strange thing, that in sea-voyages, where there is nothing to be seen but sky and sea, men should make diaries ; but in land travel, wherein so much is to be observed, for the most part they omit it; as if chance were fitter to be registered than observation: let diaries, therefore, be brought in use. The things to be seen and observed are, the courts of princes, especially when they give audience to ambassadors; the courts of justice, while they sit and hear causes; and so of consistories ecclesiastic [church councils]; the churches and monasteries, with the monuments which are therein extant; the walls and fortifications of cities and towns; and so the havens and harbours, antiquities and ruins, libraries, colleges, disputations , and lectures, where any are; shipping and navies; houses and gardens of state and pleasure, near great cities; armories, arsenals, magazines, exchanges, burses, warehouses, exercises of horsemanship, fencing, training of soldiers, and the like: comedies, such whereunto the better sort of persons do resort; treasuries of jewels and robes; cabinets and rarities; and, to conclude, whatsoever is memorable in the places where they go; after all which the tutors or servants ought to make diligent inquiry. As for triumphs, masks, feasts, weddings, funerals, capital executions, and such shows, men need not to be put in mind of them: yet are they not to be neglected."

Hire a Tutor

Overseas travel during Francis Bacon's time wasn't something just anyone could do, and without air travel, it wasn't something one did on a lark for a quick vacation, either. It took a lot longer to get somewhere, so once there, you were going to stay a while. In this section he advises travelers to have a tutor in the language or a servant who's been to the place before as a guide. Today this advice still can apply, though you don't have to hire someone to go with you. Maybe you know someone who's been to the country or city before and can give you dos and don'ts. You can have a travel agent put together an itinerary for you. When you get there, you can hire a local guide or find tours at the local tourism office. Bacon's point is to draw on others' knowledge of the place before you go, so you don't end up walking around blindfolded ("hooded") and not able to fully understand the place while you experience it.

Learning any of the local language that you can before you depart only helps you in the daily details of getting from point A to point B and finding the absolute essentials: food and drink, a place to sleep, and lavatory facilities, though Bacon was too genteel to point these items out specifically.

Record Details of Your Experiences

Bacon advises people to keep a journal of what they see and experience, which is good advice as well. Trips last only so long, and memories of the finer details can fade. If you write them down, though, you'll be able to re-experience the trip later, through your first-impression eyes. And don't just write down a few things on the way over there and then drop it. Keep it up throughout your trip where you'll be seeing new things all the time.

See historical buildings where "courts of princes" or "courts of justice" took place. See churches, monasteries, monuments, town walls and fortifications, harbors and shipyards, ruins, and colleges and libraries. You might be able to see fencing demonstrations or horse shows, though nowadays you're likely not to run into many "capital executions." You can take in plays and attend talks, see artifacts, and do whatever other activities of interest your guide or friend recommended are "musts" for the place.

Carry a Guide Book

In addition to hiring a tutor and keeping a journal, Bacon suggests using a guidebook to navigate new places. He recommends moving around as much as possible and cautions against staying too long in one area.

"If you will have a young man to put his travel into a little room, and in short time to gather much, this you must do: first, as was said, he must have some entrance into the language before he goeth; then he must have such a servant, or tutor, as knoweth the country, as was likewise said: let him carry with him also some card, or book, describing the country where he travelleth, which will be a good key to his inquiry; let him keep also a diary; let him not stay long in one city or town, more or less as the place deserveth, but not long: nay, when he stayeth in one city or town, let him change his lodging from one end and part of the town to another, which is a great adamant of acquaintance; let him sequester himself from the company of his countrymen, and diet in such places where there is good company of the nation where he travelleth: let him, upon his removes from one place to another, procure recommendation to some person of quality residing in the place whither he removeth; that he may use his favour in those things he desireth to see or know; thus he may abridge his travel with much profit."

Interact With Locals During Your Travels

Don't isolate yourself with your traveling group or people from your home country. Interact with the locals. Get recommendations from residents of the place you're visiting for what to see, do, and eat. Your travel will be richer when you follow advice from locals because you'll find places that you might not have otherwise found.

"As for the acquaintance which is to be sought in travel, that which is most of all profitable, is acquaintance with the secretaries and employed men of ambassadors; for so in travelling in one country he shall suck the experience of many: let him also see and visit eminent persons in all kinds, which are of great name abroad, that he may be able to tell how the life agreeth with the fame; for quarrels, they are with care and discretion to be avoided: they are commonly for mistresses, healths, place, and words; and let a man beware how he keepeth company with choleric and quarrelsome persons; for they will engage him into their own quarrels. When a traveller returneth home, let him not leave the countries where he hath travelled altogether behind him; but maintain a correspondence by letters with those of his acquaintance which are of most worth; and let his travel appear rather in his discourse than in his apparel or gesture; and in his discourse, let him be rather advised in his answers, than forward to tell stories: and let it appear that he doth not change his country manners for those of foreign parts; but only prick in some flowers of that he hath learned abroad into the customs of his own country."

For a 17th century aristocrat, it was probably easier to make acquaintance with ambassadors' employees, but they didn't have travel agents or the internet, either, to find out about destinations. It's definitely good advice to be on good behavior while traveling, though.

Learn From Your Experiences

Upon your return, as Bacon points out, your friends aren't going to want to hear you go on and on ad nauseam about your trip. Neither should you discard your previous way of life and completely adopt the customs of the place you've just returned from. But definitely do learn from your experience and incorporate knowledge and practices that you've picked up to make your life better—at home.

Of Truth, by Francis Bacon
"Of Studies" by Francis Bacon
Definition and Examples of Formal Essays
Of Discourse by Francis Bacon
What Is Enlightenment Rhetoric?
Francis Bacon on Youth and Age
Francis Bacon: "Of Parents and Children"
Comparison in Composition
What is Classification in Grammar?
What is a Familiar Essay in Composition?
What Are the Different Types and Characteristics of Essays?
E.B. White's Diction and Metaphors in 'Death of a Pig'
On Rhetoric, or the Art of Eloquence, by Francis Bacon
The Essay: History and Definition
Thinking About Reading
Adverb of Emphasis Intensifier

mastanappa puletipalli

Wednesday, october 04, 2017, of travel – francis bacon (summary), 8 comments:.

It's not contagious disease cholera., It's one humour choler ..that means anger..we should avoid choleric persons while travelling.

thanks for explanation on cholera with another meaning. thank you sir

This comment has been removed by the author.

Wonderful...great work

Thankyou so much ❤️ helpful ❤️‍🩹

Very helpful!

Kya bat hain

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