All rising to great place is by a winding stair.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

Yeah. The good thing is that descent from this great place can be done much more quickly and efficiently...

Context from: Essays, Civil and Moral.
XI

Of Great Place


"For honor is, or should be, the place of virtue and as in nature, things move violently to their place, and calmly in their place, so virtue in ambition is violent, in authority settled and calm. All rising to great place is by a winding stair; and if there be factions, it is good to side a man's self, whilst he is in the rising, and to balance when he is placed. Use the memory of thy predecessor fairly and tenderly; for if thou dost not, it is a debt will sure be paid when thou art gone. If thou have colleagues, respect them, and rather call them when they look not for it, than exclude them when they have reason to look to be called. Be not too sensible or too remembering of thy place in conversation and private answers to suitors; but let it rather be said, When he sits in place he is another man."


Read more : http://www.bartleby.com/3/1/11.html

And this is the man who (according to the conspiracy theorists) wrote Shakespeare's plays and sonnets?