The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

ON GENERAL NATURALIZATION. 157
Speaker, was it not, think you, a true answer that the battle near Granson, the rich jewel of BurSolon of Greece made to the rich King Crcesus of gundy, prized at many thousands, was sold for a
Lydia, when he showed unto him a great quan- few pence by a common Swiss, that knew no
tity of gold that he had gathered together, in os- more what a jewel meant than did'4sop's cock.
tentation of his greatness and might? But Solon And, again, the same nation, in revenge of a scorn,
said to him, contrary to his expectation, c "Why, was the ruin of the French king's affairs in Italy,
sir, if another come that hath better iron than Lewis XII. For that king, when he was pressed
you, he will be lord of all your gold." Neither somewhat rudely by an agent of the Switzers to
is the authority of Machiavel to be despised, who raise their pensions, brake into words of choler:
scorneth that proverb of state, taken first from a "'1What," said he, "will these villains of the
speech of Mucianus, That moneys are the sinews mountains put a tax upon me." Which words
of war; and saith, " There are no true sinews of lost him his duchy of Milan, and chased him out
war, but the very sinews of the arms of valiant of Italy.
men." - All which examples, Mr. Speaker, do well
Nay more, Mr. Speaker, whosoever shall look prove Solon's opinion of the authority and masinto the seminaries and beginnings of the monar- tery that iron hath over gold. And, therefore, if I
chies of the world, he shall find them founded in shall speak unto you mine own heart, methinks
poverty. we should a little disdain that the nation of Spain,
Persia, a country barren and poor, in respect of which howsoever of late it hath grown to rule,
Media, which they subdued. yet of ancient time served many ages; first under
Macedon, a kingdom ignoble and mercenary Carthage, then under Rome, after under Saracens,
until the time of Philip the son of Amyntas. Goths, and others, should of late years take unto
Rome had poor and pastoral beginnings. themselves that spirit as to dream of a monarchy
The Turks, a band of Sarmatian Scythes, thatin in the west, according to that device,, Video
a vagabond manner made incursion upon that part solem orientem in occidente," only because they
of Asia, which is yet called Turcomania; out of have ravished from some wild and unarmed
which, after much variety of fortune, sprung the people mines and store of gold; and on the other
Ottoman family, now the terror of the world. side, that this island of Britain, seated and
So, we know, the Goths, Vandals, Alans, manned as it is, and that hath, I make no ques1Huns, Lombards, Normans, and the rest of the tion, the best iron in the world, that is, the best
northern people, in one age of the world made soldiers in the world, shall think of nothing but
their descent or expedition upon the Roman em- reckonings and audits, and "~meum et tuum,"
pire, and came not, as rovers, to carry away prey, and I cannot tell what.
and be gone again; but planted themselves in a Mr. Speaker, I have, I take it, gone through
number of rich and fruitful provinces, where not the parts which I propounded to myself, wherein
only their generations, but their names, remain if any man shall think that I have sung a " plato this day; witness Lombardy, Catalonia, a chebo," for mine own particular, I would have
name compounded of Goth and Alan, Andalusia, him know that I am not so unseen in the world,
a name corrupted from Vandalitia, Hungaria, but that I discern it were much alike for my priNormandy, and others. vate fortune to rest a " tacebo," as to sing a'" plaNay, the fortune of the Swisses of late years, cebo" in this business: but I have spoken out
which are bred in a barren and mountainous of the fountain of my heart, " Credidi propter
country, is not to be forgotten; who first rained quod locutus sum:" I believed, therefore I spake.
the Duke of Burgundy, the same who had aimost So as my duty is performed: the iudgment is
ruined the kingdom of France, what time after yours; God direct it for the best.
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