generations of English-speaking readers will remain deeply indebted to Mr. Spedding.1 In the Second Part of the book, which deals with Bacon's works, rather more than usual prominence has been given to the less-known writings, some of which contain the germs of the Novum Organum, while others give the outline of the whole, or attempt to construct parts, of the Magna Instauratio. Several of these short treatises-for example, the Redargutio Philosophiarum, for which see pp. 367-70-are full of rhetorical beauty; others throw great light on Bacon's system by exhibiting its main principles in brief; and all are useful as showing the versatility with which he proposed to commend his philosophy to the world, and the changed mind with which at different times he regarded different parts of his system. For the purpose of a summary, the Advancement of Learning has been preferred to the amplified Latin Translation called the De Augmentis, mainly because the former admits of quotations from Bacon's own inimitable English. Besides, the Advancement will be always more popular than the Translation; and the De Augmentis, although much enlarged in detail, adds little in outline. But in the summary of the Advancement, attention has been called to most of the important differences of statement or argument between the English and the Latin Translations. It is through Bacon's Essays, however, that he is most widely known, and of these Bacon himself tells us (in the cancelled dedication of the second edition to Prince Henry) that they are "of a nature whereof a man shall find much in experience, little in books." Accordingly, it has been one of the Author's main objects throughout these pages, and more especially in the biographical portion, to call attention to such passages of the Essays as are capable of being illustrated by Bacon's life, letters, and speeches, so as to make this volume in some sense a commentary upon Bacon's most popular, and perhaps most enduring work.1 1 ،، "Spedding," in all following foot-notes, indicates Mr. Spedding's Letters and Life of Lord Bacon; references to the Works will be indicated by "Spedding, Works." In the Alphabetical Index at the end of the book, the italicised portion contains references to Bacon's own words; under which head I have occasionally inserted passages from the Essays and the Advancement, but much more often from the less-read letters, speeches, and minor works the object being, not only to facilitate reference to the incidents of Bacon's life and to the accounts of his several treatises, but also, as far as possible, to place at the reader's disposal a collection of some of the brightest, and quaintest, but almost unknown, sayings of one of the most varied and suggestive writers of English prose. 1 The references to the Essays include the line, as well as the number of the essay. They refer to my edition (Longmans, 1876). |