9. The Sister of the Giants, or Fame. Explained of 10. Acteon and Pentheus, or a Curious Man. Explained 19. Dædalus, or Mechanical Skill. Explained of Arts and Artists in Kingdoms and States. 22. Nemesis, or the Vicissitude of Things. Explained of 23. Achelous, or Battle. Explained of War by Invasion . 24. Dionysus, or Bacchus. Explained of the Passions 26. Prometheus, or the State of Man. Explained of an Overruling Providence, and of Human Nature. 27. Icarus and Scylla and Charybdis, or the Middle Way. 28. Sphinx, or Science. Explained of the Sciences PREFACE. In the early part of the year 1597, Lord Bacon's first publication appeared. It is a small 12mo. volume, entitled "Essayes, Religious Meditations, Places of Perswasion and Disswasion." It is dedicated "To M. Anthony Bacon, his deare Brother. "Louing and beloued Brother, I doe nowe like some that have an Orcharde ill Neighbored, that gather their Fruit before it is ripe, to preuent stealing. These Fragments of my Conceites were going to print, To labour the staie of them had bin troublesome, and subiect to interpretation; to let them passe had beene to aduenture the wrong they mought receiue by vntrue Coppies, or by some Garnishment, which it mought please any that should set them forth to bestow vpon them. Therefore I helde it best as they passed long agoe from my Pen. without any further disgrace, then the weaknesse of the Author. And as I did euer hold, there mought be as great a vanitie in retiring and withdrawing mens conceites (except they bee of some nature) from the World, as in obtruding them: So in these particulars I haue played myself the Inquisitor, and find nothing to my vnderstanding in them contrarie or infectious to the state of Religion, or Manners, but rather (as I suppose) medecinable. Ouly I disliked now to put them out, because they will be like the late new Halfe |