Francis Bacon Research Trust

Fortune’s Bridle

(Title-page to the 1642 Latin edition of Francis Bacon’s History of the Reign of Henry VII)

In this title page illustration some deliberate changes have been in some of Fortune’s emblems, which are significant.

If you look carefully you will see that the bridle which the goddess holds above Bacon's head is without a bit. This curious device has a link to the emblem literature originating with Andreas Alciat, which later became closely associated with Francis Bacon and his Rosicrucian and Freemasonic brethren. In the first edition of Alciat’s Emblemata (published in February 1531) there is a hideous figure of Nemesis holding a bridle in which is a huge bit, its stated purpose being to destroy false reputations (‘improba verba’). Just over a hundred years later, in 1638, Baudouin, who had translated Bacon's essays into French, also published a book of emblems. He tells us in the preface that he was induced to undertake this by ‘Alciat’ (printed in small letters) and by ‘Bacon’ (printed in capital letters). In his book Baudouin puts opposite to Bacon's name a fine engraving of Nemesis holding a bridle without a bit, identical to that depicted in the 1642 title page of Bacon’s Henry VII. This would seem to refer to Fortune (or Nemesis) not needing to bridle Bacon (his humility was well known and remarked upon), but to allow him full rein.

The bridle imagery is associated, of course, with the horse. Traditionally a horse is symbolic of our thoughts—a white horse representing pure or good thoughts and the black horse or night mare signifying awful or terrifying thoughts (hence ‘nightmare’). The horse of highest repute is Pegasus, who is a white horse with wings, symbolic of the pure and lofty thoughts which soar to heaven. Pegasus, when he was born from the blood of the slain Medusa, caused the Hippocrene spring to flow with a blow of his hoof as he flew by Mount Helicon. The Hippocrene is the spring of the Muses. Pegasus is ridden by Perseus, the hero-initiate, as also by Athena, the spear-shaking goddess of Wisdom. Pegasus is a symbol of Fame, associated with Philosophy, who leads the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences up to Olympus.