Of all his works, Bacon’s “Essays” are the best introduction to his wide interests and his moral outlook. They consist principally of reflections and generalisations, together with extracts from ancient writers and examples drawn from the author’s own experience, woven into counsels for the successful conduct of life and the management of men. Following Bacon’s own description of the editions of 1597 and 1612 as “recreations of my other studies,” critics for long held that the “Essays” did not form an essential part of his work, but a different view now prevails. The “Essays” were intended to supply many of the deficiencies in the “moral and civil knowledge” of men as individuals and in society, particularly in the fields of business and negotiation. The text of this volume is that of Bacon’s second revised and enlarged edition of 1625. Introduction by Michael J. Hawkins.
