From Francis Bacon's essay *Of Revenge* (1625). Select the word that fits the blank. "That which is past is gone, and ______; and wise men have enough to do, with things present and to come; therefore they do but trifle with themselves, that labor in past matters."

Bacon's argument: the past is *gone* — and the blank must reinforce *gone* with a word meaning *cannot be reversed*. The next clause confirms: *wise men have enough to do, with things present and to come*. They give up on the past because it can't be unmade. "Irrevocable" — that cannot be revoked or recalled — fits exactly. - "Recoverable" reverses the meaning. - "Profitable" and "honourable" don't fit the *gone* pairing.