Bacon on the Importance of Travel
Bacon provides convictions regarding the importance of travels. Neither was he concerned about moral development nor about gathering knowledge. He was solely focused on practical development. He always stressed the dispersed situation of knowledge and analyzed how it can benefit people. In this context, he observes that for younger people, it is a part of education, and for elders, it merely couches their expeditions.
Knowing the Language of the Country
Bacon opines that if one wishes to visit a country, he must know the language of that country. Without some knowledge of the language, the tourist cannot communicate with the people there. This will hinder the understanding of the country and may lead to misunderstandings. It would seem that his travels are nothing but a foreign language class.
Prerequisites for Traveling Abroad
Bacon moves on to state the prerequisites for traveling to another country. The traveler must have the guidance of a person who has thorough knowledge of the place. This statement is made for tutors who guide travelers on foreign visits. The tutor should possess knowledge of the language as well as information about the place. This will enable him to advise the traveler on which acquaintances to seek and the exclusive exercises or disciplines associated with the place.
Carrying a Notebook
Bacon suggests that the tourist should carry a notebook. He expresses amazement that people often omit carrying a notebook on land travel, yet they carry a diary on a sea voyage where there is nothing but sea and sky.
Places and Things to Observe
Bacon advises the traveler on the places to see in a country. The things to be observed include: courts of princes, courts of justices, ecclesiastical consistories, churches and monasteries with monuments, city walls and fortifications, havens and harbors, antiquities and ruins, libraries, colleges, disputations and lectures, shipping and navies, armories and gardens of state and pleasure, treasuries of jewels, arenas, magazines, stock exchanges, warehouses (production), exercises of horsemanship, fencing, training of soldiers, treasuries, cabinets and rarities, and anything memorable in the place.
Avoiding Superficial Observations
Men used not to store in their minds “triumphs, masks, feasts, weddings, funerals, capital executions.” Bacon asks people to ignore these things altogether, emphasizing that they are not to be given prime importance.
Avoiding the Company of Countrymen
Bacon suggests travelers stay away from the company of their own countrymen. He asks them to keep moving from one place to another. Travelers should give importance to the place only as much as it deserves. He forbids lodging in a single place for a prolonged period, advising travelers to keep changing lodgings across the town, as it aids acquaintance. He also asks travelers to have their meals in places where the local nation congregates.
Seeking Profitable Acquaintances
Regarding the acquaintances to be sought in travel, Bacon advises travelers to keep company with only those whose company will be most profitable. He specifically mentions secretaries and employed men of ambassadors. Travelers should engage in discourse about local matters, which will aid in grasping classical information about different countries.
Bacon further advises travelers to converse with eminent persons abroad, as this helps them understand the management of personal and popular life. Travelers should sequester themselves from quarrelsome people, as they have a tendency to engage others in unnecessary quarrels.
Applying Lessons After Returning Home
When travelers return home, they should maintain crucial connections through letters with old acquaintances. In this context, they should seek to improve their behavior, adapt to foreign manners, and incorporate the beneficial aspects of foreign conduct. This will help them “pluck the fruits of travel” and build their discourse.