"For my name and memory I leave to men's charitable speeches, and to foreign nations and the next ages"

This quote by Francis Bacon talks to the idea of legacy and how it is shaped by the viewpoints of others. Bacon is recommending that his name and memory will be figured out by the charitable speeches of guys, foreign nations, and future generations. He is acknowledging that his legacy is not in his own hands, but rather in the hands of those who will follow him. He is also recommending that his tradition will be formed by the opinions of those who are not even alive yet. This quote speaks to the concept that legacy is not something that can be managed, but rather something that is shaped by the collective opinion of others. Bacon is recommending that his tradition will be determined by the charitable speeches of men, foreign countries, and future generations, and that he has no control over it. This quote is a reminder that tradition is something that is identified by the cumulative viewpoint of others, and that it is not something that can be managed.