OF THIS EDITION. ix 



necessary to the right understanding of them. In doing 

 this, since the pieces in question are very numerous, and 

 scattered with few and short intervals over the whole of 

 Bacon's life, I shall have to enter very closely into all the 

 particulars of it ; so that this part when finished will in fact 

 contain a complete biography of the man, a biography the 

 most copious, the most minute, and by the very necessity of 

 the case the fairest, that I can produce ; for any material mis- 

 interpretation in the commentary will be at once confronted 

 and corrected by the text. The new matter which I shall be 

 able to produce is neither little nor unimportant ; but more 

 important than the new matter is the new aspect which (if 

 I may judge of other minds by my own) will be imparted 

 to the old matter by this manner of setting it forth. I have 

 generally found that the history of an obscure transaction be- 

 comes clear as soon as the simple facts are set down in the 

 order of their true dates ; and most of the difficulties pre- 

 sented by Bacon's life will be found to disappear when these 

 simple records of it are read in their natural sequence and 

 in their true relation to the business of the time. By this 

 means a great deal of controversy which would disturb and 

 encumber the narrative, and help to keep alive the memory 

 of much ignorant and superficial criticism which had better 

 be forgotten, will I hope be avoided. And until this is done 

 I do not think it desirable to attempt a summary biography 

 in the ordinary form. Such a biography may be easily 

 added, if necessary, in a supplemental volume ; but I am 

 persuaded that the best which could be written now would be 

 condemned afterwards as altogether unsatisfactory. 



It is true however, that a reader, before entering on 

 the study of an author's works, wants to know something 

 about himself and his life. Now there exists a short me- 

 moir of Bacon, which was drawn up by Dr. Rawley in 

 1657 to satisfy this natural desire, and prefixed to the Re- 

 suscitatio, and is still (next to Bacon's own writings) the 

 most important and authentic evidence concerning him that 

 we possess. The origin of Dr. Rawley's connexion with 



