ESSAYS OF Sir FRANCIS BACON, Lord Verulam, Viscount St Alban. Witha TABLE of the Colours OF GOOD & EVIL. Whereunto is added The WISDOM of the ANTIENTS. Enlarged by the Honourable Author himself; and LONDON: Printed by M. Clark, for Samuel Mearne, in Little Bria 762 TO THE Right Honourable my very good Lord, THE Duke of Buckingham his Grace, LORD HIGH-ADMIRAL EN OF ENGLAND Excellent Lord, S JOLOMON (ays, A good name is a precious Oyntment; and, I assure my self, fuch will Your Graces Name be with Posterity; for Your Fortune and Merit, both have been Eminent; and You have planted things that are like to last. I do now publish my Effays; which, of all my other Works, have been most current: For that, as it seems, they come home A 2 home to Mens Business, and Bosoms. I have enlarged them both in Number and Weight; so that they are indeed a New Work. I thought it therefore agreeable to my Affection, and Obligation to Your Grace, to prefix Your Name before them, both in English and Latine: For I do conceive, that the Latine Volume of them, (being in the Univerfal Language) may last as long as Books last. My Instauration I dedicated to the King; my History of Henry the Seventh (which I have now alfo translated into Latine) and my Portions of Natural History to the Prince. And these I Dedicate to Your Grace, being of the best Fruits, that, by the good increase which God gives to my Pen and Labours, I could yield. God lead Your Grace by the hand. Your Graces most obliged and Faithful Servant, Fr. St. ALBAN Elogies on the Illustrious Author. T Speaker Ben. Johnson, in his Discoveries, p. 101. HERE happened in my time, one noble Lord Verulam] who was full of gravity in his speaking. His language(where he could spare or pass by a jest) was nobly censorious. No man ever spake more neatly, more prefly, more weightily, or suffered less emptiness, less idleness in what he uttered. No member of his Speech, but confifted of the own graces. His hearers could not cough or look aside from him without loss. He commanded where he spoke; and had his Judges angry and pleased at his devotion. No man had their affections more in his power. The fear of every.man that heard him, was, left he should make an end. And afterwards, Lord Egerton, the Chancellor, a great and grave Orator, &c. But his learned and able, (though unfortunate) Succeffor, [Lord Bacon] is he, who hath filled up all members, and performed that in our tongue, which may be compar'd or prefer'd, either to infolent Greece or haughty Rome. In short, within his view, and about his times, were all the Wits born, that could honour a language or help study. Now things daily fall; Wits grow downward and Eloquence goes backward: So that he may be nam'd and stand as the mark and axud of our Language. And |