In our guides to the classics, experts explain key literary works.
It’s 400 years since the publication of the complete edition of British philosopher Francis Bacon’s Essays. Not without pride, Bacon (1561-1626) muses in the preface that his little book’s Latin version might “last, as long as books last.” The Essays have, in fact, never been out of print since 1625.
His compatriate, poet laureate Ben Johnson, claimed Bacon’s writing represented “the mark and acme of our language.” Bacon’s Essays are indeed written with an ornamental grace. They brim with images and analogies more often associated with poetry than prose.
