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ferences which appear in his printed copy are corrections or conjectural emendations of his own. the two copies differ therefore and the true reading seems doubtful, I have generally preferred that of the manuscript; but in all cases, whichever I have received into the text, I have given the other in the notes; and therefore every reader can choose for himself.

As the principal pieces which belong to this division of Bacon's works are English, the Latin pieces being few and comparatively short and not connected with one another, I have thought it better to print the translation of each immediately after the original, instead of collecting them into a body at the end; and as this is the first for the translation of which I am myself solely responsible, I shall add here a few words. to explain the principle upon which I have attempted to do them.

My object in all my attempts at translation being, not to help a Latin reader to construe the original, but to put English readers in possession of the sense of it, my plan has been first to take as clear an impression as I could of the meaning and effect of the Latin, and then to reproduce that meaning in the best and clearest and most readable English that I could command: not tying myself to the particular form which the Latin sentence assumes, even where it could be preserved without awkwardness or obscurity, nor even preferring it, but always adopting that form in which I could best express the thing; keeping myself as faithful as possible to the effect of the original, not the literal and logical meaning only, but the effect upon the imagination and the feelings,—

and leaving myself as free as possible with regard to the mode of bringing it out. How far I have suc

ceeded it is for others to say; but my endeavour has been to produce a translation from the perusal of which the reader shall rise with the same feelings with which he would have risen from the perusal of the original had the language of it been familiar to him.

I am of course aware that there are not only many people who would prefer for their own purposes a different kind of translation, but also some real objections to this kind which upon the whole nevertheless I prefer myself. Whether I have judged rightly, is a question which can only be determined by the effect upon readers generally. If my translations give a livelier and juster impression of the original, it will be found that most people like them better.

IN

FELICEM MEMORIAM ELIZABETHÆ

ANGLIE REGINÆ.1

ELIZABETHA et natura et fortuna mirabilis inter fœminas, memorabilis inter principes fuit. Neque hæc res indicium monachi alicujus, aut hujusmodi censoris umbratilis desiderat. Nam isti homines, stylo acres, judicio impares, et partis suæ memores, rerum minus fideles testes sunt. Ad principes viros pertinet hæc cognitio, atque ad eos qui imperiorum gubernacula tractarunt, et rerum civilium ardua et arcana norunt. Rarum in omni memoria est 2 muliebre imperium ; rarior in eo felicitas; rarissima cum felicitate diuturnitas. Illa vero quadragesimum quartum regni sui annum complevit; neque tamen felicitati suæ superstes fuit. De hac felicitate pauca dicere institui; neque in laudes excurrere. Nam laudem 3 homines tribuunt,

felicitatem Deus.

Primum in parte felicitatis pono, quod ad imperatorium fastigium a privata fortuna evecta est. Siquidem hoc in moribus et opinionibus hominum penitus insedit,

1 Harl. MSS. 6797. fo. 79.
3 laudem enim. R.

2 est memoria. R.

4 sit. R.

ut quæ præter spem et expectationem eveniunt majori felicitati deputentur; sed non hoc est quod volo. Illud intueor; principes qui in domo regnatrice et ad spem successionis non dubiam nutriti sunt, ab educationis indulgentia et licentia depravatos, plerumque et minus capaces et minus moderatos evadere. Itaque optimos et excellentissimos reges reperias, quos utraque fortuna erudiit. Talis apud nos fuit Henricus septimus, et apud Gallos Ludovicus duodecimus, qui recenti memoria et eodem fere tempore non tantum a privata, sed etiam ab adversa et exercita fortuna, regnum accepere; atque ille prudentia, hic justitia floruere. Similis fuit et hujusce principis ratio; cujus initia et spes variavit fortuna, ut in principatu ad extremum erga illam constans et æquabilis esset. Nam Elizabetha natalibus suis successioni destinata, dein exhæredata, tum posthabita fuit. Eadem regno fratris fortuna magis propitia et serena, regno sororis magis turbida et ancipiti usa est. Neque tamen ex vinculis subito in regnum assumpta est, ut ab infortunio exacerbata intumesceret; sed libertati restituta, et expectatione aucta, tum demum regnum sine tumultu aut competitore placide et felicissime obtinuit. Atque hæc ideo adducimus, ut appareat Divinam Providentiam, optimam principem meditatam, per istiusmodi disciplinæ gradus eam præparasse et extulisse. Neque sane natalium dignitati calamitas matris obesse debet; cum præsertim satis constet Henricum octavum prius amori novo quam iræ adversus Annam indulsisse; ejusque regis natura et ad amores et ad suspiciones propensissima, et in iisdem usque ad sanguinem præceps, posteritatis notam non effugiat. Adde, quod criminatione, vel personæ ipsius

1 deinde. R.

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