The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral
by Francis Bacon (1561–1626)
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- 2 chapters
- Reading level: 10th to 12th grade
"The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral" by Francis Bacon is a collection of essays first published in 1597. Beginning with just 10 essays, the work expanded through multiple editions to 58 essays by 1625, covering topics from public affairs to private life. Bacon examines subjects like truth, death, friendship, and ambition through systematic arguments that weigh different perspectives. Written in styles ranging from plain to epigrammatic, these influential essays established many famous phrases still quoted today, including "hostages to fortune."
- English essays · Early modern, 1500-1700
Read the opening
The Essays
OF FRANCIS Ld. VERULAM VISCOUNT ST. ALBANS
By Francis Bacon
Of Truth
Of Death
Of Unity in Religion
Of Revenge
Of Adversity
Of Simulation and Dissimulation
Of Parents and Children
Of Marriage and Single Life
Of Envy
Of Love
Of Great Place
Of Boldness
Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature
Of Nobility
Of Seditions and Troubles
Of Atheism
Of Superstition
Of Travel
Of Empire
Of Counsel
Of Delays
Of Cunning
Of Wisdom for a Man's Self
Of Innovations
Of Dispatch
Of Seeming Wise
Of Friendship
Of Expense
Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates
Of Regiment of Health
Of Suspicion
Of Discourse
Of Plantations
Of Riches
Of Prophecies
Of Ambition
Of Masques and Triumphs
Of Nature in Men
Of Custom and Education
Of Fortune
Of Usury
Of Youth and Age
Of Beauty
Of Deformity
Of Building
Of Gardens
Of Negotiating
Of Followers and Friends
Of Suitors
Of Studies
Of Faction
Of Ceremonies and Respects
Of Praise
Of Vain-glory
Of Honor and Reputation
Of Judicature
Of Anger
Of Vicissitude of Things
Of Fame
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About this edition
This free edition of The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral by Francis Bacon comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #575, released 1996-06-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Essays, Letters & Speeches, British Literature, Philosophy & Ethics.
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