may last as long as Bookes laft. My Inftauration I dedicated to the King: my Hiftorie of Henry the Seventh, (which I haue now also tranflated into Latine) and my Portions of Naturall Hiftory, to the Prince: and thefe I dedicate to your Grace: being of the best Fruits, that by the good encrease which God gives to my pen and labours, I could yeeld. God leade your Grace by Your Graces moft obliged and faithFR. ST. ALBAN.

the Hand. full Seruant,

Of this Edition Lord Bacon fent a copy to the Marquis Fiat, with the following letter: *

Monfieur l'Ambaffadeur mon Filz,-Voyant que voftre Excellence faict et traite Mariages, non feulement entre les Princes d' Angleterre et de France, mais auffi entre les langues (puis que faictes traduire mon Liure de l' Advancement des Sciences en Francois) i'ai bien voulu vous envoyer mon Liure dernierement imprimé que i'avois pourveu pour vous, mais i'eftois en doubte, de le vous envoyer, pour ce qu'il eftoit efcrit en Anglois. Mais a' ceft' heure pour la raison fufdicte ie le vous envoye. C'eft un Recompilement de mes Essays Morales et Civiles; mais tellement enlargiés et enrichiés, tant de nombre que de poix, que c'eft de fait un ouvre nouveau. Ie vous baise les mains, et reste voftre tres affectionée Ami, et tres humble Servi

teur.

* Baconiana, 201.

The fame in English.

My Lord Ambassador, my Son,-Seeing that your Excellency makes and treats of Marriages, not only betwixt the Princes of France and England, but also betwixt their languages (for you have caused my Book of the Advancement of Learning to be tranflated into French), I was much inclined to make you a present of the last Book which I published, and which I had in readiness for you. I was sometimes in doubt whether I ought to have fent it to you, because it was written in the English Tongue. But now, for that very reason, I fend it you. It is a Recompilement of my Essays Moral and Civil; but in fuch manner enlarged and enriched both in number and weight, that it is in effect a new Work. I kifs your hands, and remain your most affectionate Friend and moft humble Servant, &c.

Of the Translation of the Essays into Latin, Bacon speaks in the following Letter:

"To Mr. Tobie Mathew.-It is true my labours are now moft set to have thofe Works which I had formerly published, as that of Advancement of Learning, that of Henry VII., that of the Essays, being retractate and made more perfect, well translated into Latin by the help of fome good pens which forfake me not. For these modern Languages will, at one time or other, play the bankrupt with Books; and fince I have loft much time with this Age, I would be glad, as God shall give me leave, to recover it with Pofterity. For the

Efay of Friendship, while I took your speech of it for a curfory request, I took my Promise for a compliment. But fince you call for it, I fhall per

form it."

In his Letter to Father Fulgentio, giving some account of his Writings, he fays, "The Novum Organum fhould immediately follow; but my Moral and Political Writings step in between as being more finished. These are the History of King Henry VII., and the fmall Book, which in your language you have called Saggi Morali, but I give it a graver title, that of Sermones Fideles, or Interiora Rerum, and these Essays will not only be enlarged in number, but ftill more in fubftance."

The nature of the Latin Edition and of the Esfays in general is thus stated by Archbishop Tenifon:

"The Effays, or Counfels Civil and Moral, though a by-work alfo, do yet make up a Book of greater weight by far than the Apothegms: and coming home to Men's Business and Bofoms, his Lordship entertained this perfuafion concerning them, that the Latin Volume might last as long as books fhould last. His Lordship wrote them in the English Tongue, and enlarged them as occafion ferved, and at last added to them the Colours of Good and Evil, which are likewife found in his book De Augmentis. The Latin Tranflation of them was a Work performed by divers hands; by thofe of Dr. Hacket (late Bishop of Lichfield), Mr. Benjamin Jonfon (the learned and judicious Poet), and some others, whofe names I once heard from Dr. Rawley, but I cannot now recall them. To this Latin Edition he gave the title of Sermones Fideles,

after the manner of the Jews, who called the words Adagies or Obfervations of the Wise, Faithful Sayings; that is, credible Propofitions worthy of firm affent and ready acceptance. And (as I think) he alluded more particularly, in this title, to a paffage in Ecclefiaftes, where the Preacher faith that he fought to find out Verba Delectabilia (as Tremellius rendereth the Hebrew), pleasant words (that is, perhaps, his Book of Canticles ;) and Verba Fidelia (as the fame Tremellius), Faithful Sayings; meaning, it may be, his Collection of Proverbs. In the next Verfe, he calls them Words of the Wife, and so many goads and nails given Ab eodem paftore, from the fame Shepherd [of the flock of Ifrael]."

In the year 1638, Rawley published in folio a Volume containing amongst other works, Sermones Fideles, ab ipfo Honoratiffimo Auctore, præterquam in paucis, Latinitate donati. In his addrefs to the reader he says: Accedunt, quas priùs Delibationes Civiles et Morales infcripferat; Quas etiam in Linguas plurimas Modernas tranflatas esse novit ; fed eas pofteà, & Numero, & Pondere, auxit; In tantum, ut veluti Opus Novum videri possint; Quas mutato Titulo, Sermones Fideles, five Interiora Rerum, infcribi placuit. The Title-page and Dedication are annexed: Sermones Fideles five Interiora Rerum. Per Francifcum Baconum Baronem de Verulamio, Vice-Comitem Sancti Albani. Londini Excufum typis Edwardi Griffin. Proftant ad Infignia Regia in Cometerio D. Pauli, apud Richardum Whitakerum, 1638.

Illuftri & Excellenti Domino Georgio Duci Buckinghamia, Summo Anglia Admirallio.

Honoratiffime Domine, Salomon inquit, Nomen bonum eft inftar Vnguenti fragrantis & pretiofi; Neque dubito, quin tale futurum fit Nomen tuum apud Pofteros. Etenim & Fortuna, & Merita tua, præcelluerunt. Et videris ea plantaffe, quæ fint duratura. In lucem jam edere mihi vifum est Delibationes meas, quæ ex omnibus meis Operibus fuerunt acceptiffimæ : Quia forfitan videntur, præ cæteris, Hominum Negotia ftringere, & in finus fluere. Eas autem auxi, & Numero, & Pondere ; In tantum, ut planè Opus Novum fint. Confentaneum igitur duxi, Affectui, & Obligationi meæ, erga Illuftriffimam Dominationem tuam, ut Nomen tuum illis præfigam, tam in Editione Anglicâ, quam Latinâ. Etenim, in bonâ fpe fum, Volumen earum in Latinam, (Linguam fcilicet universalem,) verfum, poffe durare, quamdiù Libri & Litera durent. Inftaurationem meam Regi dicavi: Hiftoriam Regni Henrici Septimi, (quam etiam in Latinum verti & Portiones meas Naturalis Hiftoria, Principi: Has autem Delibationes Illuftriffimæ Dominationi tuæ dico; Cùm fint, ex Fructibus optimis, quos Gratia divinâ Calami mei laboribus indulgente, exhibere potui. Deus Illuftriffimam Dominationem tuam manu ducat. Illuftriffima Dominationis tuæ Servus Devinctiffimus et Fidelis,

FR. S. ALBAN.

In the year 1618, the Effayes, together with the