PREFACE. ALL the editions of Bacon's works contain a small collection of Latin sentences selected from the Mimi of Publius Syrus, under the title of Ornamenta Rationalia; followed by a larger collection of English sentences selected from Bacon's own writings. These are printed as two separate pieces, with titles which seem to imply that the selection was made by Bacon himself. But this is wrong. The history of them is shortly this. Dr. Tenison found in three several lists of Bacon's unpublished papers the title Ornamenta Rationalia. He remembered also to have seen in the possession of Dr. Rawley's son a collection made by Bacon under that title. But no part of it was to be found among the manuscripts transmitted to him, and he retained only a general remembrance of its quality, namely that "it consisted of divers short sayings, aptly and smartly expressed, and containing in them much of good sense in a little room;" and that gathered partly out of his own store and partly from the ancients."1 Considering himself to blame however for not having preserved it," he held himself obliged, in some sort, and as he was able, to supply the defect;" and accordingly made a collection "it was 1 Baconiana, pp. 89. 94. |