McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XCII · Part 9: Comedy, Milton, Whittier and Shakespeare's taverns

98. Studies (Sir Francis Bacon)

Goal: Your student can explain Bacon's view of what reading, conference and writing each do for a person, and has memorized his famous sentence.

⏱ About 35 minutes · 7 steps

Open it at the Internet Archive ↗

You'll need

  • The book, open to this lesson
  • A notebook and pen
  • A dictionary

What's in the book

Bacon's short essay Of Studies, after a long author note. The heading is in the middle of the page; the essay itself is very short and packed with ideas.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Words and meanings

    Look over the notes and definitions printed at the end of the lesson before you start, so names and hard words don't trip up the reading.

    Bacon's English is old. 'Maketh' means makes; 'conference' means talking things over with others.

    Your student picks three unfamiliar words, guesses each meaning from the sentence, then checks a dictionary.

  2. About the author

    The book says Bacon (1561–1626) was the son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, lord-keeper of the seal, and his mother was one of the most learned women of her time. He studied at Cambridge. His philosophy is in Novum Organum and the Advancement of Learning. He rose to high honors under James I.

  3. Read aloud

    Read the essay twice: once straight through, once a sentence at a time, putting each into plain words.

    Listen for these lines:

    Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man

  4. Talk about it

    SayBacon says studies serve for delight, for ornament and for ability. What do those mean in your life?

    SayWhat does each of reading, conference and writing do for a person?

    SayBacon says some books are only to be tasted. Which books have you only tasted? Which have you chewed?

    SayDo you agree that reading alone, without talking or writing, is not enough?

  5. Narration

    Your student explains three of Bacon's ideas in their own words.

  6. Memorize or copy

    Memorize this sentence:

    Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man

  7. Writing (optional)

    Write a short essay of your own, Of Games or Of Friends, in Bacon's style: short, wise sentences.

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