A Finding List: Part 1.

Bacon’s Words and Phrases of the English then of the Latin

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W-X-Y-Z

W (English)

War A civil war indeed is like the heat of a fever, but a foreign war is like the heat of exercise, and serves most of all to keep the body in health. (Bacon, De Aug., Bk. VIII).

Weight in air and water Bacon derived this method of weighing in air and water from Porta, who in his Natural Magic speaks of it as so great a thing as to entitle him to say ύπερεύρηκα, Grk; [over found, over found] referring of course to the story or Archimedes. (Bacon, Medical Remains).

What a wonderful thing, for example, is that which is told of Cæsar, that he could dictate to five secretaries at once. (Bacon, De Aug).

What is Truth? Said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer. (Bacon, Essays: Of Truth).

Whereof Of whom nevertheless. (Bacon, Adv., Bk. II).

Whetstone To give the whetstone, as a prize for lying. This was a standing jest among our ancestors, as a satirical premium to him who told the greatest lie. This explains the force of Bacon’s sarcasm, who, when Sir Digby boasted of having seen the Philosophers Stone in his travels, but was puzzled to describe it, interrupted him, saying, “Perhaps it was a Whetstone.”

Whipping Was the common penalty, inflicted upon insane people, in Bacon’s time, even so good a man as Sir Thomas More sent women who were acknowledged to be insane to the whipping post before he was himself put to death. The author of the Shakespeare dramas also approved of this punishment. And so did Bacon. One of Bacon’s most intimate friends on the continent, one whom he delighted to visit at his home in Geneva, was Theodore Beza. Beza, the ruler of the theocratic state of Geneva during nearly the whole of Elizabeth’s reign, entertained many young Englishmen or Scotchmen, who were studying theology. Among Beza’s Elizabethan guests was Anthony Bacon, brother of Francis Bacon, who afterwards sojourned in the South of France for as long a period as twelve years (1579-91). Beza was especially severe against those who believed insanity to be a natural malady, and declared: “Such persons are refuted both by sacred and profane history.”

Whosoever seeketh, knoweth that which he seeketh for in a general notion; else how shall he know it when he hath found it. (Bacon, Adv., Bk. II).
The larger your anticipation is, the more direct and compendious is your search. (Bacon, Adv., Bk. II).

Why should a few received authors stand up like Hercules’ Columns Beyond which there should be no sailing or discovering, since we have so bright and benign a star to conduct and prosper us? (Bacon, Adv., Bk. II).

Why should I be angry with a man for loving himself better than me? (Bacon, Essays: IV).

Wicked There is great danger in the reproval of the wicked. For not only will the wicked man lend no ear to advice, but turns again on his reprover, whom being now made odious to him, he either directly assails with abuses, or afterwards traduces to others. (Bacon, De Aug., Bk. VIII).

Will Example transformeth the will of man into the similitude of that which is much observant and familiar towards it. (Bacon, Discourse of the Intellectual Powers).
He had rather have his will than his wish. (Bacon, Promus, fol. 84).

Winding staircase All rising to great place is by a winding stair. (Bacon, Essays: XI).

Winds Their names used by Bacon may be found in Pliny, (II. 44), except Iapyx for which is to be found in Seneca, Nat. Quæst. V., 17. (Bacon, Hist. Vent). The origin of winds is told by Bacon and refers to one story by Oviedo in 1535, that a vessel in 1484 going from Spain to England was driven out of its course so far as to reach the West Indies; that on their return home all the crew, which had been reduced to the pilot and three or four sailors, were sick, and shortly afterwards died; that the pilot died in the house of Columbus, and that from him Columbus obtained exclusive possession of the discovery, which had been accidentally made. (Ramusios). 1

Wise One of the philosophers was asked, “What a wise man differed from a fool?” He answered, “Send them both naked to those that know them not, and you shall perceive.” (Bacon, Apo. 5355).
A wise son rejoiceth the father, but an ungracious son shames the mother. (Bacon, Essay: Of Parents and Children).  Taken from the Proverbs X. 1: “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.”
Here are distinguished the domestic comforts and tribulations of a father and mother respectively, touching their children. For a wise and prudent son is of most comfort to the father, who knows the value of virtue better than the mother, and accordingly has more joy in the virtuous inclination of his son; he may feel a satisfaction also in the course he has pursued, whereby he has brought up his son so well and implanted sound morality in him by precept and example. But the mother has most sorrow and discomfort at the ill fortune of her son, both because the affection of a mother is more gentle and tender, and because she is conscious perhaps that she has spoiled and corrupted him by her indulgence. (Bacon, De Aug., Bk. VIII., pp. 243–244).

Wit The honourablest part of talk is to give the occasion. (Bacon, Essay: Of Discourse).

Wonder Causeth astonishment or an immoveable posture of the body; casting up of the eyes to heaven; and lifting up of the hands. (Bacon, Syl. Sylv).

Words There are many forms which, though they mean the same, yet affect differently, as the difference is great in the piercing of that which is sharp and that which is flat though the strength of the percussion be the same. Certainly there will be no man who will not be more affected by hearing it said, “Your enemies will be glad of this” than by hearing it said only, “This will be evil for you.” Therefore these points and stings of words are by no means to be neglected. (Bacon, De Aug., Bk. VI.; Promus 1,418, 725).
Work any man You must either know his nature and fashions, and so lead him; or his ends, and so persuade him; or his weakness and disadvantages, and so awe him; or those that have interest in him, and so govern him. (Bacon, Essays: XLVII).

Wooing Fortune has somewhat of the nature of a woman, who, if she be too much wooed, is commonly the farther off. (Bacon, Adv).

Writing for the future I must confess my desire to be that my writings should not court the present time, or some few places, in such sort as might make them either less general to persons, or less permanent in future ages. (Bacon, Letter to Sir Toby Matthew, 1609).

X (Greek)

Xylobalsamo Grk; ξυλοβάλσαμο; technical name of the twigs of the tree which yields the balm of Gilead. (Bacon, Nov. Org., Aphorismorum XLIV).

Y (English)

Yersina pestis The plague, formerly known as Pasteurella pestis, now named after Yersin who first described it in 1894.

Youth There is implanted in youth contempt for authority of age; so every man must grow wise at his own cost. (Bacon, De Aug., Bk. VI. Antithetha).

Z (English)

Zeal They that err from zeal, though we cannot approve them, yet we must love them. (Bacon, De Aug., Bk. VI. Antitheta).
Zeal, affection, alacrity. Impatience a zeal and good affection. “I can do all things through Him that strengthened me. (Bacon, Promus 1,242).