PREFACE. THIS Volume contains 1. The Essays. 2. Meditationes Sacræ. 3. The Colours of Good and Evil. 4. Miscellaneous Tracts upon Human Philosophy. 1. In Praise of Knowledge. 2. Valerius Terminus, or the Interpretation of Nature. 3. Filum Labyrinthi. 4. Sequela Chartarum. 5. Miscellaneous Tracts. 1. Apophthegmes. 2. Ornamenta Rationalia. 3. Sentences. 4. Notes for Conversation. 5. An Essay on Death. VOL. III. b § 1. THE ESSAYS. The first edition of the Essays was published in the year 1597. It is entitled* 66 "Printed for Humfrey Hooper, and are "to be sold at the blacke Beare THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE. "To M. Anthony Bacon his deare Brother. "Louing and beloued brother I do now like some that haue an Orcharde il neighbored, that gather their fruit before it is ripe, to preuent stealing. These fragments of my conceits were going to print: To labour the stay of them had "bene troublesome, and subiect to interpretation : "to let them passe had bin to aduentur the wrong "they mought receiue by vntrue Coppies, or by some 66 garnishment which it mought please any one that "shold set them forth to bestow upon them. There"fore I helde it best discretion to publish them my "selfe as they passed long agoe from my pen with"out any further disgrace, then the weakenes of the * There is a copy of this edition at Cambridge, and in the Bodleian. "author. And as I did euer hold there mought be as "great a vanitie in retyring and withdrawing mens "conceits (except they be of some nature) from the world, as in obtruding them: So in these particu"lars I haue played my selfe the inquisitor, and find nothing to my vnderstanding in them contrary, or "infectious to the state of Religion, or manners, but 66 rather (as I suppose) medicinable. Onely I dis"liked now to put them out, because they will be "like the late newe halfepence, which though the "siluer were good, yet the pieces were small. But "since they would not stay with their master, "but wold needs trauel abroad, I haue preferred "them to you, that are next myself, dedicating them, "such as they are, to our loue, in the depth whereof (I assure you) I somtimes wish your infirmities "transslated upon my selfe, that her maiesty mought "haue the seruice of so active and able a mind, and "I mought bee with excuse confined to these contemplations and studies for which I am fittest, so com"mende I you to the preseruation of the diuine Maiestie. From my Chamber at Grayes Inne, "this 30. of Ianuary. 1597. 66 "Your entire louing brother "Fran. Bacon." It consists of ten Essays. 1. Of Studie. 2. Of Discourse. 3. Of Ceremonies and Respects. 4. Of Followers and Friends. 5. Of Sutors. |