Whereby the Common Law of England will be reduced to a Corae or Digest 

 of Books of competent volumes to be studied, and of a nature and content Rec 

 tified in all points. 



Thus much for the time past. 



But to give perfection to this work his Maj y may be pleased to restore the 

 ancient use of Reporters, w ch in former times were persons of great Learning, 

 w cl &amp;gt; did attend the Courts at Westminster, and did carefully and faithfully 

 receive the Rules and Judicial Resolutions given in the King s Courts, and had 

 Stipends of the Crown for the same ; w ch worthy institucion by neglect of time 

 hath been discontinued. 



It is true that this hath been Supplyed somew 1 of later times by the industry 

 of voluntaries as chiefly by the worthy Endeavours of the Lord Dier and the Lo. 

 Coke. But great Judges are unfit persons to be Reporters, for they have either 

 too little leisure or too much authoritie, as may appear well by those two Books, 

 whereof that of my Lo. Dyer is but a kind of note Book, and those of my Lo. 

 Coke s hold too much de proprio. 



The choice of the persons in this work will give much life unto it ; the per 

 sons following may be thought on, as men not overwrought with practice, and 

 yet Learned and conversant in Reportes and Recordes, There are Six Names, 

 whereof three only may suffice according to the three principal courtes of Law, 

 The King s Bench, The Common Plees, and The Exchequer. 



Mr. Whitlock, Mr. Hackwell, 



Mr. Noie, Mr. Courtman, 



Mr. Hedley, Mr. Robert Hill. 



The stipend cannot be less than 100/. per annum, which nevertheless were too 

 little to men of such Qualitie in respect of Some hindrance it may be to their 

 practice, were it not that it will be accompanied with Credit and expectation in 

 due time of preferment. 



The first notice which I find of this tract is in the Letters and Remains by 

 Robert Stephens, 1734. It is not mentioned either by Rawley or by Arch 

 bishop Tennison. 



Observations. This tract was first inserted in any edition of the works of Lord 

 Bacon, in the year 1740, in the folio edition, in four volumes, by Mallet. 

 Printed for Miller. The following is the title : Appendix containing several 

 Pieces of Lord Bacon, not printed in the last edition in four volumes in folio : and 

 now published from the original manuscripts in the library of the Right Honour 

 able the Earl of Oxford. This appendix was published separately in folio in 

 1760, and is in vol. v. page 362, of this edition. I do not find any manu 

 script of this tract in the Harleian collection, but it is in the Lansdowne MSS. 

 ]So. 236, fol. 198. The same as printed in Stephens, pp. 367377. 



2. Proposition touching the compiling and amendment of the Laws of England. 

 This tract is thus noticed in the Baconiana, with a reference to the llesuscitatio, 

 page 271 : &quot; The twelfth is, a Proposition to King James, touching the com 

 piling and amendment of the Laws of England, written by him when he was 

 attourney-general and one of the privy-council.&quot; It will be found in vol. v. of 

 this edition, page 337. The following is a copy of the title : A Proposition to 

 His Majesty. By Sir Francis Bacon, Knt. his Majesties Attvrney -General and 

 one of Jiis Privy-Coimcel ; touching the Compiling and Amendment of the Laws 

 of England. 



3. An Offer to ovr late Soueraigne King lames of a Digest to be made of the 

 Lawes of England. London, printed by John Haviland for Humphrey Robinson, 

 1629. It is thus noticed in the Baconiana by Archbishop Tennison : &quot; The 

 thirteenth is, An Offer to King James, of a Digest to be made of the Laws of 

 England.&quot; * It will be found in vol. v. of this edition, page 353. Another 

 edition in folio was published in 1671, in the third edition of the Resuscitatio. 

 The first edition was published in 1629, in a small 4to. by Dr. Rawley, consist 

 ing of four tracts, of which this is one. 



* lu the Miscellan. Works, p. 137, and 2nd part of llesusc. 



