Bacon's Essays (1625? Edition)
Bonus:
Summary: Truth is good, but lies can be fun (as long as you don't believe them).
Commentary:
This is going to be kind of like Fruits of Solitude, but with one number for the whole set instead of one per maxim. I think.
This is the oldest (actual prose) I've read so far (dating back to the 1500s, ) in the reading. Some of the Greek stuff is older, but it's translated into (oldish) modern English instead of EME. I'll manage, but it will slow me down a bit.. Also, gratuitous Latin.
One of the fathers, in great severity, called poesy vinum daemonum, because it fireth the imagination; and yet, it is but with the shadow of a lie.
POETRY IS DEMON WINE!
I like Bacon's distinction here between poetry, fantasy, etc. A lot of the "truthiness" writers wind up ranting about how plays are evil or something, but we can all be adults and realize Jack Nicholson isn't actually a murderous hotel custodian, asylum patient, colonel, etc.
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