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 SERENISSIM^E 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; Mr. Matthew, 



&quot; I do very heartily thank you for your letter of 

 u the 24th of August from Salamanca ; and in 

 &quot; recompence thereof I send you a little work of 

 &quot; mine that hath begun to pass the world. They 

 &quot; 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. 



