On Wealth

I cannot find a better word for wealth than the burden of virtue. It cannot be neglected or left behind, yet it hinders progress and is a burden that sometimes delays or even prevents victory. Great wealth has no real benefit except for what is distributed from it; the rest is mere vanity. No one can feel truly rich from what they spend on themselves, but only from the fact that they must guard their wealth, that they can be charitable and distribute donations, or that they become famous because of it—yet all of this is not the owner's tangible good. Various forms of ostentation are devised just to show that there is something to spend the wealth on. However, it is certain that more people have perished because of their great wealth than have been saved by it. Do not seek arrogant wealth, but one that you can acquire with honesty, live with sensibly, and joyfully distribute. But do not despise wealth, neither in principle nor out of asceticism. Be cautious of quick wealth accumulation. Wealth acquired through honest means and useful work accumulates slowly, but if it comes at the cost of others' death, it piles up on a person's neck. For if wealth comes from the devil (through deceit, oppression, or unlawful means), it comes quickly.

The ways of becoming rich are many, but most are dishonorable. Thriftiness is among the most honorable, but it prevents a person from being generous and charitable. Utilizing the land is the most natural source of wealth—this is the Great Mother, the Earth's gift—but it is slow. Still, where wealthy people turn to agriculture, their wealth grows in extraordinary ways. The profit from ordinary industries and occupations is honorable, and two things can increase it: diligence and a reputation for honesty. Profits from business are more dubious, as they rely on exploiting others' desperate situations, manipulating them, or shrewdly pushing aside those who might become better merchants, along with other dishonest tactics. When goods are bought not to be kept but to be resold, it strips both the seller and the buyer. Usury is the surest means of profiteering, but also the most wicked. Achieving precedence in some invention is lucky and sometimes a source of fabulous wealth. The person who only aims for sure profit is unlikely to amass great wealth, while the one who constantly takes risks usually fails and falls into poverty. Monopolies and purchasing entire market supplies for resale are excellent means of acquiring wealth. Becoming wealthy through various services, though it may bring quick success, is among the worst paths, as it often involves flattery and humiliating situations. Hunting for inheritances and executor commissions is even worse; it subjects a person to the control of more despicable individuals.

Do not bet your coin on your wager: wealth has wings, and sometimes it flies away on its own, while at other times, you must let it take flight so it can return with others. People leave their wealth to their kin, but this is like bait to all the surrounding predatory birds, who are just waiting to swoop down on it. The fate of grand donations and foundations is similar; they quickly begin to decay. Therefore, do not measure your donations by their quantity, but divide them wisely. Do not postpone your charitable acts until after your death, for whoever does so is more generous at the expense of others rather than their own.

Francis Bacon "Esszék", Európa Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1987