must serve their ruler their public name and their work They cannot act freely or spend their time as they wish Bacon explains that it is strange when people seek power but lose their liberty He says nbsp It is a strange desire to seek power and to lose liberty nbsp Through this he warns that high office takes away personal joy and peace Even though powerful men live in London near the royal court and have grand duties they cannot live like free citizens Their life becomes full of rules meetings and obligations Full of Pain Bacon writes nbsp The rising unto place is laborious and by pains men come to greater pains He clearly shows that the way to success is hard The higher a man goes the more pain he gets Many courtiers at Whitehall Palace in his time worked hard to get the Queen s favor but faced jealousy envy and fear Bacon knew this from his own life As Lord Chancellor he himself rose to the top but later fell in disgrace He says the position of power is always unstable No Retire and Peace Bacon compares great men to old townsmen who still sit at their street door They want to be seen even when they grow old or sick He says they cannot retire when they should Bacon says Retire men cannot when they would neither will they when it were reason He shows that rulers and officers always cling to their positions They cannot live in private peace For example old ministers at the royal court still wish to remain in power Bacon adds that great men often look happy from the outside but not inside They only believe they are happy because others say so Inside they are full of sorrow and anxiety Attraction of Corruption nbsp Bacon says that a position gives a man power to do both good and evil He strongly believes that true greatness lies in doing good for others He says Power to do good is the true and lawful end of aspiring He reminds his readers that good thoughts are not enough They must become actions nbsp He wants rulers to use their power for justice and kindness Bacon himself served in England s court of law He knew how easily authority can become corrupt A Good Ruler Must Be Wise Honest and Humble Bacon gives many pieces of advice for those in high places He warns against four vices Delays corruption roughness and facility A good leader must be punctual reject bribes and speak gently He will not be too soft or easily influenced He says nbsp A place showeth the man nbsp Power reveals what kind of person one truly is He quotes the Roman historian Tacitus about Galba and Vespasian This shows how some rulers grew worse and others better after gaining power He also advises that rulers should remember good examples and avoid the mistakes of the past They should work for virtue not for pride nbsp In Of Great Place Bacon presents the truth that power is both a blessing and a burden It takes away freedom peace and often health It brings duty temptation and danger Through real examples from the English court and his own life Bacon teaches that the greatest glory of power lies not in ruling others but in doing good