PREFACE. iii 



&quot; But one thing you must pardon me if I make no 

 &quot; haste to believe, that the world should be grown 

 &quot; to such an ecstacy as to reject truth in philosophy, 

 &quot; because the author dissenteth in religion ; no more 

 &quot; than they do by Aristotle or Averroes. My great 

 &quot; work goeth forward ; and after my manner, I alter 

 &quot; ever when I add. So that nothing is finished till 

 &quot; all be finished. This I have written in the midst 

 &quot; of a term and parliament ; thinking no time so 

 &quot; possessed, but that I should talk of these matters 

 &quot; with so good and dear a friend. And so with my 

 &quot; 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, &quot; My Essays 

 &quot; will not only be enlarged in number, but still more 

 &quot; in substance. Along with them goes the little 

 &quot; piece De Sapientia Veterum. &quot; 



Bacon s sentiments with respect to these fables 

 may be found in the &quot; Advancement of Learning,&quot; 

 and in the &quot; De Augmentis,&quot; under the head of 

 Poetry. 



In the &quot; Advancement of Learning&quot; he says, 

 &quot; There remaineth yet another use of poesy parabo- 

 &quot; lical, opposite to that which we last mentioned : 

 &quot; for that tendeth to demonstrate and illustrate that 

 &quot; which is taught or delivered, and this other to retire 

 &quot; and obscure it : that is, when the secrets and mys- 

 &quot; teries of religion, policy, or philosophy, are in- 

 &quot; volved in fables or parables. Of this in divine 

 &quot; poesy we see the use is authorized. In heathen 



