Ancients, under the following title, "Saggi Morali del Signore Francesco Bacono, Cavagliero Inglese, Gran Cancelliero D'Inghilterra. Con un altro fuo Trattato Della Sapienza degli Antichi. Tradotti in Italiano. In Londra Appreffo di Giovanni Billio, 1618." The book is a small Duodecimo, All who have hitherto noticed this tranflation have attributed it to Sir Toby Mathew, by whom it was certainly given to the prefs, and dedicated to Cofmo de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany; in which Mathew tells us that he found the tranflations in the hands of his friend Sir William Cavendish, who lent them to him. His words are, " Mi fono á quefti giorni venute alle mani le due opere qui ftampate. L'una De' Saggi Morali scritta in Inglese, l'altra Della Sapienza degli Antichi in Latino, e le ho trovate tutte due tradotte in poter del Signore Guglielmo Candiscio, Cavagliero Inglese nobiliffimo, di belliffime parti e molto mio Padrone, chi con il beneplacito dell'Autore me le preftó." This dedication contains a highly flattering account of Bacon and his literary labours, which thus concludes: "E poffo dir con verità (per haver io havuto l'honore di pratticarlo molti anni, & quando era in minoribus, & hora quando sta in colmo & fiore della fua grandezza) di non haver mai scoperto in lui animo di vendetta, per qualfivoglia aggravio che se gli fosse fatto; né manco sentito uscirgli di bocca parola d'ingiuria contra veruno, che mi pareffe venire da paffione contra la tal perfona; ma folo (& quefto ancora molta scarsamente) per giudicio fattone in fangue freddo. Non é giá la fua

grandezza quel che io ammiro, ma la sua virtú; non fono li favori fattimi da lui (per infiniti che fiano) che mi hanno pofto il cuore in questi ceppi & catene in che mi ritrovo; ma fi bene il fuo procedere in commune; che se egli foffe di conditione inferiore non potrei manco honorarlo, e fi mi foffe nemico io dovrei con tutto ció amar & procurar de fervirlo."

That this publication was made with Bacon's fanction I think is apparent, from two circumftances. In the dedication we have a tranflation of a great part of the letter to Prince Henry, intended to have been prefixed to the Effays in 1612, beginning, "Lo fcrivere volumi giusti, cerca otio grande in chi li scrive, & ancora in chi li ha da leggere," &c. From whence was this derived? as it had not then been published. Again, The Essays on Religion and Superftition are not tranflated; but to make up the number to thirty-eight, we have two here tranflated, which first appeared in the fubfequently enlarged edition in 1625, " Of Honor and Reputation," and "Of Seditions and Troubles."

We have no pofitive clue to the name of the tranflator, yet from an expreffion in Bacon's letter to Father Fulgentio, I think it may have been his performance. But, what is fingular, and has hitherto escaped notice, is, that there are two editions refembling each other in appearance, and of the same date, fome changes in the titles of the Essays having been apparently deemed neceffary. In one of the copies now before me the Effays contain 102 pages, the

Wisdom of the Ancients 150 pages, and a lift of Errata is appended to each. In the other copy the Effays comprise 112 pages, the last of which is blank; the Wisdom of the Ancients 126 pages only, and there is no lift of errata.

Befide the changes in the titles of the Effays, there are also fome in the titles of the chapters in the Wisdom of the Ancients; and it is probable that the text of the verfion is also revised, but I have not collated it.

There was also a French tranflation, printed in 1619, according to Malone; this is faid to be by Sir Arthur Gorges. I have not seen the book, yet I should rather fufpect, as in the cafe of the Italian verfion, that the Editor has been mistaken for the tranflator.

In his retirement, after his fall, among his other literary occupations, the revifion and augmentation of the Effays was one of Lord Bacon's latest works; and, in 1625, he published the augmented edition, which bears the following title:

"The Effayes or Counsels Civill and Morall of Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount St. Alban. Newly written. London Printed by John Haviland for Hanna Barret. 1625." It is a small quarto of 340 pages, and the following Dedication is prefixed.

"Excellent Lo:-Salomon faies A good name is as a precious ointment; And I affure my selfe fuch wil your Grace's Name bee with Pofteritie. For your Fortune and Merit both haue beene emiAnd you haue planted Things that are like

nent.

to laft. I doe now publish my Essayes, which, of all my other workes haue beene moft Currant : For that, as it feemes, they come home to Mens Bufineffe and Bofomes. I haue enlarged them both in Number and Weight; So that they are indeed a New Worke. I thought it therefore agreeable to my Affection and Obligation to your Grace, to prefix your Name before them, both in English and in Latine. For I doe conceiue that the Latine Volume of them (being in the Vniuerfall Language) may laft as long as Bookes laft. My Inftauration I dedicated to the King: My Hiftory of Henry the Seventh, (which I have now alfo tranflated into Latine) and my Portions of Naturall Hiftory to the Prince: And these 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 the Hand.

Your Grace's moft Obliged and

faithful Seruant,

FR. ST. ALBAN."

He fent a copy of this enlarged edition of the Effays to the Marquis d'Effiat, accompanied by the following letter, which is curious, as a fpecimen of his French:

"Monfieur l'Ambaffadeur mon Fils,

Voyant que votre Excellence faict et traite Marriages, 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 François) j'ai bien voulu vous envoyer mon Livre dernierement imprimé, que j'avois pourveu pour vous, mais j'etois en doubte de le vous envoyer, pour ce qu'il eftoit escrit en Anglois. Mais a'ceft heure pour la raison fufdicte je le vous envoye. C'est un Recompilement de mes Effayes Morales et Civiles; mais tellement enlargies et enrichies tant de nombre que de Poid, que c'eft de fait un Œuvre nouveau. Je vous baife les Mains, et refte

Voftre tres Affectionée Ami,

et tres humble Serviteur."

He was not mistaken in his own estimation of the Effays. He faw clearly that, from their nature, as "coming home to the bufinefs and bofoms of men," they would confequently be the most popular, though not the most important of his writings; and in a letter to Dr. Andrews, Bishop of Winchester, he says:

"As for my Effays, and fome other particulars of that nature, I count them but as the recreation of my other studies, and in that fort purpose to continue them; though I am not ignorant that those kind of writings would perhaps yield more luftre and reputation unto my name than those other which I have in hand. But, I account the use that a man should feek of the publishing of his own writings before his death to be but an untimely anticipation of that which is proper to follow a man, and not go along with him."