ESAJOS DE FRANCIS BACON
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Sur la superstisio

par Francis Bacon

traduida par Andrew Burns

LO es plu bon ce on ave no opina de Dio ca on ave un cual no merita el. Car la prima es mera noncrede, ma la otra es despeta, e superstisio es serta un insulta a la Divin.

It were better to have no opinion of God at all than such an opinion as is unworthy of him; for the one is unbelief, the other is contumely; and certainly superstition is the reproach of the Deity.

Plutarco fa un bon punto sur esta tema. “Serta,” el dise, “me ta prefere multe plu ce on dise ce on no ia ave un Plutarco, ca ce on dise ce on ia ave un Plutarco ci ia come sua propre enfantes a la momento cuando los ia nase,” como la poesistes nara sur Saturno. E esata como la ofende es plu grande cuando dirijeda a Dio, tal la peril es plu grande a umanas.

Plutarch saith well to that purpose: “Surely,” saith he, “I had rather a great deal men should say there was no such man at all as Plutarch, than that they should say that there was one Plutarch, that would eat his children as soon as they were born:” as the poets speak of Saturn: and, as the contumely is greater towards God, so the danger is greater towards men.

Ateisme lasa un person a sua sensas, a filosofia, a relijiosia natural, a leges, e a sua reputa — tota de cual pote gida el a un virtua moral esterna, an sin relijio. Ma superstisio desasembla tota de estas e erije un monarcia asoluta en la mentes umana. Donce, ateisme ia turba nunca statos, car lo fa persones a cauta e focada a se mesma, ultra cual los no xerca; e nos vide ce tempos cual ia tende a ateisme (como la eda de Cesar Augusto) ia es tempos pasosa, ma superstisio ia es la ruina de multe statos, car lo introdui un primum mobile nova, cual turba violente tota la sferas de governa.

Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation: all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, though religion were not; but superstition dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute monarchy in the minds of men: therefore atheism did never perturb states; for it makes men wary of themselves, as looking no further, and we see the times inclined to atheism (as the time of Augustus Cæsar) were civil times: but superstition hath been the confusion of many states, and bringeth in a new “primum mobile,” that ravisheth all the spheres of government.

La mestre de superstisio es la popla, e en tota superstisio, sajas segue foles. Argumentas es torseda per justi praticas, en un ordina reversada. Lo ia es grave diseda par alga de la prelatos a la Consilio de Trento, do la dotrina de la scolasticas ia ave influe grande, ce la scolasticas ia es como astronomistes ci ia inventa consetas como nonsirculos e episicles — aparatos complicada de la sferas sielal — per fa ce sua modeles cabe a lo cual los ia oserva, an si los ia sabe ce tal cosas no ia esiste. En la mesma modo, la scolasticas ia inclui un cuantia de axiomes e teoremes sutil e complicada mera per conserva la praticas esistente de la eglesa.

The master of superstition is the people, and in all superstition wise men follow fools; and arguments are fitted to practice, in a reversed order. It was gravely said, by some of the prelates in the council of Trent, where the doctrine of the schoolmen bare great sway, that the schoolmen were like astronomers, which did feign eccentrics and epicycles, and such engines of orbs to save phenomena, though they knew there were no such things; and, in like manner, that the schoolmen had framed a number of subtle and intricate axioms and theorems, to save the practice of the church.

La causas de superstisio es: rituos plasente e stimulante; un esede de santia esterna e farisein; un respeta tro grande per tradisiones, cual no pote evita carga la eglesa; la scemas de eglesores per sua propre aspira e profita; la favore esedente de bon intendes, cual abri la porton a ideas fantasial e inventadas nova; la atenta comprende materias divin par comparas umana, cual promove nonevitable un misca de fantasias; e, final, tempos barbar, spesial cuando juntada con desastres.

The causes of superstition are, pleasing and sensual rites and ceremonies; excess of outward and pharisaical holiness; over great reverence of traditions, which cannot but load the church; the stratagems of prelates for their own ambition and lucre; the favouring too much of good intentions, which openeth the gate to conceits and novelties; the taking an aim at divine matters by human, which cannot but breed mixture of imaginations; and, lastly, barbarous times, especially joined with calamities and disasters.

Superstisio sin velo es un cosa desformida. Car esata como un simia es tota la plu fea car lo aspeta tan simil a un person, tal superstisio es tota la plu desformida car lo sembla relijio. E esata como carne sana dejenera a larvas, tal bon formas e ordinas dejenera a un xama de rituos peti.

Superstition, without a veil, is a deformed thing: for as it addeth deformity to an ape to be so like a man, so the similitude of superstition to religion makes it the more deformed: and, as wholesome meat corrupteth to little worms, so good forms and orders corrupt into a number of petty observances.

On ave an un superstisio en la evita de superstisio, cual aveni cuando persones pensa ce la modo la plu bon de ata es vade a la estrema la plu distante de la superstisio cual los ia obedi a ante. Donce, on debe es cauta ce (como aveni con un mal purga) la bon no es dejeta con la mal — un resulta comun cuando la popla gida la reformi.

There is a superstition in avoiding superstition, when men think to do best if they go furthest from the superstition formerly received; therefore care would be had that (as it fareth in ill purgings) the good be not taken away with the bad, which commonly is done when the people is the reformer.