A man's nature runs either to herbs, or to weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other.

This line comes from Francis Bacon’s essay “Of Nature in Men,” first published in the expanded 1625 edition of his Essays (Essayes or Counsels, Civill and Morall). In these essays Bacon—statesman, philosopher, and advocate of empirical inquiry—offers practical moral psychology for public and private life. “Of Nature in Men” addresses the tension between innate disposition (“nature”) and deliberate cultivation through habit, education, and discipline. Bacon uses a horticultural metaphor typical of Renaissance moral writing: character is like a garden that will naturally produce both useful plants and invasive growth unless tended. The counsel is aimed at self-governance and the management of others, especially in political and household contexts.

Bacon suggests that human temperament tends toward either virtues (“herbs”) or vices (“weeds”), but in either case it requires active management. The metaphor implies that moral qualities are not merely chosen in isolated moments; they grow over time, strengthened by repeated attention. “Seasonably water” stresses timing: early, consistent reinforcement of good inclinations makes them flourish, while neglect allows harmful habits to take root. “Destroy the other” underscores that vice is not passively outgrown; it must be confronted and uprooted. The quote encapsulates Bacon’s pragmatic ethics: nature sets tendencies, but character is shaped by deliberate cultivation and corrective discipline.