the Prince's death on the 6th of November, it was addressed instead to his brother in law Sir John Constable. A copy of the dedication to Prince Henry exists in the British Museum (Birch MSS. 4259, fol. 155), and is written on a single leaf which appears on examination to have belonged to an imperfect MS. of the Essays, preserved among the Harleian MSS. (no. 5106), which Mr Spedding describes as a volume undoubtedly authentic; for it contains interlineations in Bacon's own hand; and transcribed some time between 1607, when Bacon became Solicitor-general, and 1612, when he brought out a new edition of the Essays with further additions and alterations. It is unluckily not quite perfect; one leaf at least, if not more, having been lost at the beginning; though otherwise in excellent preservation.

"The title page, which remains, bears the following inscription, very handsomely written in the old English character, with flourished capitals: The writings of Sr Francis Bacon Knt. the Kinge's Sollicitor Generall in Moralitie, Policie, and Historie." (Bacon's Works, VI. p. 535).

The Essays in this MS. are thirty-four in number, and include two, " Of Honour and Reputation" and "Of Seditions and Troubles," which are not contained in the edition of 1612, while in the printed edition six new Essays were added, "Of Religion," "Of Cunning," "Of Loue," Of Iudicature," "Of vaine glory," and "Of greatnes of Kingdomes." It is to this MS. I have referred in the notes, when quoting the

66

2 Sir John Constable married Dorothy Barnham the sister of Lady Bacon,

MS. of the edition of 1612. The dedication to Prince Henry was as follows:

“To the most high and excellent Prince Henry, Prince of Wales, D: of Cornwall and Earle of Chester

Yt may please your H.

Having devided my life into the contemplative and active parte, I am desirous to giue his M, and yo" H. of the fruite of both, simple thoughe they be. To write iust Treatises requireth leasure in the Writer, and leasure in the Reader, and therefore are not so fitt, neither in regard of yo" H: princely affaires, nor in regard of my continuall service, we is the cause, that hath made me choose to write certaine breif notes, sett downe rather significantlye, then curiously, wch I have called ESSAIES. The word is late, but the thing is auncient. For Senacaes Epistles to Lucilius, yf one marke them well, are but Essaies, - That is dispersed Meditacons, thoughe conveyed in the forme of Epistles. Theis labors of myne I know cannot be worthie of yo H: for what can be worthie of you. But my hope is, they may be as graynes of salle, that will rather give you an appetite, then offend you with satiety. And although they handle those things wherein both mens Lives and theire pens are most conversant yet (What I have attained, I knowe not) but I have endeavoured to make them not vulgar; but of a nature, whereof a man shall find much in experience, litle in bookes; so as they are neither repeticons nor fansies. But howsoever, I shall most humbly desier yo" H: to accept them in gratious part, and so contrive that if I cannot rest,

but must shewe my dutifull, and devoted affection to yo H: in theis things w proceed from my self, I shalbe much more ready to doe it, in performance of yo princely commaundmente; And so wishing yo H: all princely felicitye I rest.

Yo H: most humble

Servant."

་

The dedication to Sir John Constable is more simple and natural.

"To my loving brother, Sr Iohn Constable Knight.

My last Essaies I dedicated to my deare brother Master Anthony Bacon, who is with God. Looking amongst my papers this vacation, I found others of the same Nature: which if I my selfe shall not suffer to be lost, it seemeth the World will not; by the often printing of the former. Missing my Brother, I found you next; in respect of bond of neare alliance, and of straight friendship and societie, and particularly of communication in studies. Wherein I must acknowledge my selfe beholding to you. For as my businesse found rest in my contemplations; so my contemplations euer found rest in your louing conference and iudgement. So wishing you all good, I remaine

Your louing brother and friend,

FRA. BACON."

The Table of Contents gives a list of forty Essays but the last two were not printed. 1. Of Religion. 2. Of Death. 3. Of Goodnes and goodnes of nature. 4. Of

Cunning. 5. Of Marriage and single life. 6. Of Pa rents and Children. 7. Of Nobilitie. 8. Of Great place. 9. Of Empire. 10. Of Counsell. 11. Of Dispatch. 12. Of Loue. 13. Of Friendshippe. 14. Of Atheisme. 15. Of Superstition. 16. Of Wisdome for a Mans selfe. 17. Of Regiment of Health. 18. Of Expences. 19. Of Discourse. 20. Of Seeming wise. 21. Of Riches. 22. Of Ambition. 23. Of Young men and age. 24. Of Beautie. 25. Of Deformitie. 26. Of nature in Men. 27. Of Custome and Education. 28. Of Fortune. 29. Of Studies. 30. Of Ceremonies and respects. 31. Of Sutors. 32. Of Followers. 33. Of Negociating. 34. Of Faction. 35. Of Praise. 36. Of Iudicature. 37. Of vaine glory. 38. Of greatnes of Kingdomes. 39. Of the publike. 40. Of Warre and peace. The second edition must have been published between the 6th of November, the date of Prince Henry's death, and the 17th of Dec. when Chamberlain wrote the letter which is quoted in the note to Essay 44.

In 1613 Jaggard published a reprint of this edition, also in small 8vo, containing the omitted Essay "Of Honour and Reputation," the Religious Meditations, and the Colours of Good and Evil; and in the same year another reprint was issued by the same publisher with a new title page and the printer's errors of the former corrected. Copies of both these impressions are in the Cambridge University Library, to which they were presented, with a large collection of Bacon's works, by Basil Montagu. The latter is noted in Montagu's Catalogue as having Bacon's autograph, but the fly leaf containing it has been torn out, apparently since it has been in the Library.

In 1614 another edition appeared, printed at Edinburgh for A. Hart.

Malone mentions an edition in 1618, in the dedica tion to which, he says, Bacon ". speaks of several editions having been then printed" (Prior's Life of Malone, p. 424). If the date be correct, which there is reason to doubt, this could only have been a reprint of the edition of 1612. In Reed's Catalogue (no. 1683) a copy is mentioned with the date 1619, and another (no. 1772) a quarto with the date 1622. Mr Singer says, but without giving his authority, "there were, it seems, editions in 1622, 1623, and 1624 in 4to.” I have been unable to find any of these.

In 1624 was published a reprint of Faggard's pirated edition of 1613, by Elizabeth Jaggard, probably his widow. All the above mentioned are in small 8vo.

The third and last author's edition, of which the present volume is a reprint, was published in small to in 1625, the year before Bacon's death. The number of Essays was increased to fifty-eight, of which twenty were new and the rest altered or enlarged. The entry at Stationers' Hall is dated the 13th of March, 1624. "Mr Whiteacre. Hanna Barrett. Entered for their copie under the handes of the lo. B. of London and Mr Lownes Warden. The Essayes & counsell morrall and civill of Francis lo. Verulam Vicount St Albon." A copy in the Cambridge University Library (xvii. 36. 14) was presented by Bacon to Sir John Finch on the 30th of March 1625. It was therefore evidently published some time in the latter part of March 1624—5.

The three editions of 1597, 1612, and 1625 are the only ones which possess any authority, the rest appa