Money—what a fascinating subject! There is money in the physical sense; coins, paper money, cheques and plastic credit cards. Then theres the whole interesting history of the monetary system. If youre something of a philosopher, however, you may be more interested in peoples attitude to money. Consider the difference between those who always manage to live within their income , and those who—no matter how much they earn—always need to spend more. The philosophies people have about money are reflected in the way they spend it. Two families earning the same salary may use their money in different ways. One familys consumer goods may be anothers ticket to a foreign country. In the radio series The Cost of Living, English people are heard discussing many different aspects of money. The programmers make me think of a particular Englishman—one who is not featured in the series. Francis Bacon was born in 1560, a few years before Shakespeare, and died in 1626. As a boy he displayed a remarkable intelligence, and by the age of thirteen was a student at Cambridge University. He studied law, then had a highly successful career. By 1617 he was Prime Minister of England. He had also published some important philosophical and literary works which are still read today. Why should a series of programmes about money make me think of Lord Bacon? Briefly, because it was his attitude to money which controlled, and ultimately ruined, his life. He was a man who spent much more than he could earn. To support his luxurious life-style. he borrowed money from anyone who was foolish enough to lend it to him, then carefully avoided his creditors. Far worse, he abused his position of authority, accepting bribes in return for favors. For that he was eventually sent to prison. He spent the last years of his life in disgrace. This selection is probably taken from______.