"Of Studies," by Francis Bacon
(1625)
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
Francis Bacon (1561-1626), the first major English essayist, comments forcefully on the value of reading and learning. Notice Bacon's reliance on parallel structures throughout this concise, one-paragraph essay.
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