Francis Bacon, The Essays, or Counsels, Civill and Moral

Alexander Lash (Columbia University)
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With the publication of his

Essays

in 1597, Bacon introduced this title, first used by Montaigne for his

Essais

in 1580, into English. The slender volume included ten brief essays on general topics such as “Discourse”, “Followers and Friends”, “Expense”, and “Negotiating”, as well as a set of Latin religious meditations and a rhetorical aid,

The Colours of Good and Evil

. Bacon went on to expand the collection twice, with the 1612 edition (which also survives in a slightly different manuscript version intended for Henry, Prince of Wales, who died unexpectedly while the volume was in preparation) comprising 38 essays, and the 1625 version growing to 58. The

Essays

proved popular, being translated into Italian, French, and (with direct involvement from Bacon) Latin, and going…

2094 words

Citation: Lash, Alexander. "The Essays, or Counsels, Civill and Moral". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 August 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5295, accessed 19 March 2024.]

5295 The Essays, or Counsels, Civill and Moral 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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