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LORD BACON'S WORKS, VOLUME THE THIRD. CONTAINING THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. THE FELICITIES OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, -PREFACE. I. The Wisdom of the Ancients. II. Civil History. III. Biography. VOL. 3. 1. History of Henry VII. 2. History of Henry VIII. 3. History of Great Britain. 4. The State of Europe. 1. Queen Elizabeth. 2. Julius Caesar. 3. Augustus Caesar. 4. Henry, Prince of Wales. li PREFACE. THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. The first edition of this work was published in Latin in the year 1609. It is entitled FRANCISCI BACONI EQVITIS AVRATI, PROCVRATORIS SE- CVNDI, JACOBI REGIS MAGN.E BRITANNIA DE SAPIENTIA VETERVM LIBER, AD INCLYTAM ACADEMIAM CANTABRIGIENSEM. LONDINI EXCUDEBAT ROBERTUS BAR- KERUS SERENISSIME REGIME MAIESTATIS TYPOGRAPHUS ANNO 1609. In February 27, 1610, Lord Bacon wrote quot To MR.MATTHEW, upon sending his book De Sapien- tia Veterum. quot quot Mr. Matthew, I do very heartily thank you for your letter of u the 24th of August from Salamanca and in quot quot mine quot recompence thereof I send you a little work of that hath begun to pass the world. They tell me my Latin is turned into silver, and become quot current had you been here, you should have been quot my inquisitor before it came forth but, I think, quot the greatest inquisitor in Spain will allow it.one thing you must pardon me if I make no haste to believe, that the world should be grown to such an ecstacy as to reject truth in philosophy, because the author dissenteth in religion no more than they do by Aristotle or Averroes. My great work goeth forward and after my manner, I alter ever when I add. So that nothing is finished till all be finished. This I have written in the midst of a term and parliament thinking no time so possessed, but that I should talk of these matters with so good and dear a friend. And so with my wonted wishes I leave you to God s goodness. quot From Gray s-Inn, Feb. 27, 1610.quot And in his letter to Father Fulgentio, giving some account of his writings, he says, My Essays will not only be enlarged in number, but still more quot quot in substance. Along with them goes the little quot piece De Sapientia Veterum. Bacon s sentiments with respect to these fables quot may be found in the Advancement of Learning, quot quot and in the De Augmentis, quot under the head of Poetry. In the quot There Advancement of Learningquot he says, remaineth yet another use of poesy parabo- lical, opposite to that which we last mentioned for that tendeth to demonstrate and illustrate that which is taught or delivered, and this other to retire quot and obscure it that is, when the secrets and mys- quot quot quot teries of religion, policy, or philosophy, are in- volved in fables or parables. Of this in divine poesy we see the use is authorized. In heathen poesy we see the exposition of fables doth fall out quot sometimes with great felicity as in the fable that quot quot the giants being overthrown in their war against the gods, the Earth their mother in revenge quot thereof brought forth Fame quot quot quot quot doth quot quot quot quot quot quot Illam quot quot Terra parens, ira irritata deoruna, Extremarn, ut perhibent, Coeo Enceladoque sororem Progenuit, quot expounded, that when princes and monarchs have suppressed actual and open rebels, then the malig- nity of the people, which is the mother of rebellion, bring forth libels and slanders, and taxations of the state, which is of the same kind with rebel- lion, but more feminine.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Originally published: 5th ed. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1956.