From Francis Bacon's essay *Of Revenge* (1625). Select the word that fits the blank. "Cosmus, duke of Florence, had a desperate saying against ______ or neglecting friends, as if those wrongs were unpardonable."
Acheerful
Bloyal
Cattentive
Dperfidious
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. perfidious
The blank is paired with *neglecting* (via *or*) and describes the kind of friends Cosmus condemned. Both must name **kinds of unfaithful friendship**.
"Perfidious" — treacherous, breaking faith — captures unfaithfulness in friendship.
- "Loyal", "attentive", "cheerful" all describe **good** friends; Bacon needs the bad kind.
GRE word: *perfidy* = breach of faith; *perfidious* = treacherous. Bacon's pairing with *neglecting* tells you the answer.
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