Favourite Essays is a collection of some of the best-known essays in the English language. Part of an essay’s charm is that it can be about almost anything, and this selection spans a wide variety of subjects both serious and light-hearted, ranging from Swift’s scorching satire on poverty in Ireland to G.K. Chesterton’s witty defence of lying in bed. Including pieces by the great exponents of the genre, these essays deserve a place in the library of every lover of literature.