viii HISTORY AND PLAN 



to add, objecting where I had anything to object, but always 

 distinguishing as my own whatever was not his. 



To this proposal he agreed, as the best course that could 

 be taken in the circumstances. Early in 1853 I took the 

 work in hand ; and in the three volumes which follow, the 

 reader will find the result. 



The things then for which in this division I am to be held 

 responsible are 



1st. All notes and prefaces marked with my initials, and 

 all words inserted between brackets, or otherwise distinguished 

 as mine. 



2dly. The general distribution of the Philosophical works 

 into three parts, whereby all those writings which were 

 either published or intended for publication by Bacon himself 

 as parts of the Great Instauration are (for the first time, I 

 believe) exhibited separately, and distinguished as well from 

 the independent and collateral pieces which did not form part 

 of the main scheme, as from those which, though originally 

 designed for it, were afterwards superseded or abandoned. 



3dly. The particular arrangement of the several pieces 

 within each part ; which is intended to be according to the 

 order in which they were composed ; a point however 

 which is in most cases very difficult to ascertain. 



For the grounds on which I have proceeded in each case, 

 and for whatever else in my part of the work requires ex- 

 planation, I refer to the places. But there are two or three 

 particulars in which this edition differs from former ones, 

 and which may be more conveniently explained here. 



In the third and last division of the entire works, accord- 

 ing to the scheme already explained, every authentic writing 

 and every intelligibly reported speech of Bacon's (not be- 

 longing to either of the other divisions) which can be found 

 in print or in manuscript will be set forth at full length, 

 each in its due chronological place ; with an explanatory nar- 

 rative running between, in which the reader will be supplied 

 to the best of my skill and knowledge with all the information 



