Читать книгу Art in Theory - Группа авторов - Страница 77

After attending Cambridge, Bacon became a lawyer and subsequently attained some of the highest offices in England at the moment of its consolidation as a nation state and the inception of its imperial history. In addition to his duties to the state, Bacon conducted pioneering research into natural philosophy and the reform of learning in line with modern developments in science. Bacon’s Essays, published first in 1597 and expanded in 1612 and again in 1625, achieved a status comparable to those of Montaigne (cf. IC4). After initially being critical of plantations in Ireland, England’s first overseas colony, Bacon became interested in the colonization of America and, after the failure of the initial attempt at Roanoke (cf. IB8), became a subscriber to the refounded Virginia Company as well as the East India Company. It goes without saying that Bacon’s vision was remote from the reality of colonization. He recommends a patient exploitation of virgin lands, counsels against both the expulsion of indigenous peoples and against exporting malcontents and criminals to the colonies. He also recommends enlightened statesmanship in running the colony. On the possibility of encountering ‘savages’, he recommends a more humane policy than eventuated, and in the manner of one sincerely committed to the ‘civilizing mission’, recommends bringing representatives of the indigenous inhabitants to the home country ‘that they may see a better condition than their own’, and recommend its virtues on their return. Our extracts are from the Essays of Francis Bacon, edited by Ernest Rhys with an introduction by Oliphant Smeaton, London: J. M. Dent, Everyman, 1906, pp. 104–6.

Plantations are amongst ancient, primitive, and heroical works. When the world was young, it begat more children; but now it is old, it begets fewer: for I may justly account new plantations to be the children of former kingdoms. I like a plantation in a pure soil; that is, where people are not displanted to the end to plant in others. For else it is rather an extirpation than a plantation. Planting of countries is like planting of woods; for you must make account to leese almost twenty years’ profit, and expect your recompense in the end. For the principal thing that hath been the destruction of most plantations, hath been the base and hasty drawing of profit in the first years. It is true, speedy profit is not to be neglected, as far as may stand with the good of the plantation, but no further. It is a shameful and unblessed thing to take the scum of people, and wicked condemned men, to be the people with whom you plant: and not only so, but it spoileth the plantation; for they will ever live like rogues, and not fall to work, but be lazy, and do mischief, and spend victuals, and be quickly weary, and then certify over to their country to the discredit of the plantation. The people wherewith you plant ought to be gardeners, ploughmen, labourers, smiths, carpenters, joiners, fishermen, fowlers, with some few apothecaries, surgeons, cooks, and bakers. […]

For government, let it be in the hands of one, assisted with some counsel; and let them have commission to exercise martial laws, with some limitation. And above all, let men make that profit of being in the wilderness, as they have God always, and his service, before their eyes. Let not the government of the plantation depend upon too many counsellors and undertakers in the country that planteth, but upon a temperate number: and let those be rather noblemen and gentlemen, than merchants; for they look ever to the present gain. Let there be freedom from custom, till the plantation be of strength; and not only freedom from custom, but freedom to carry their commodities where they may make their best of them, except there be some special cause of caution. Cram not in people, by sending too fast company after company; but rather hearken how they waste, and send supplies proportionably; but so as the number may live well in the plantation, and not by surcharge be in penury … If you plant where savages are, do not only entertain them with trifles and gingles; but use them justly and graciously, with sufficient guard nevertheless: and do not win their favour by helping them to invade their enemies, but for their defence it is not amiss. And send oft of them over to the country that plants, that they may see a better condition than their own, and commend it when they return.