Skip to main content

Primary sourceBookwritten c. 1597, published 1630

The Elements of the Common Lawes of England

Francis Bacon · written c. 1597, published 1630

Bacon's collection of legal maxims, written around 1597 and published in 1630, showing his work as a lawyer and law reformer.

Written by Bacon, this collection shows his role as a legal reformer seeking to simplify English law.

Ask Francis Bacon about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
A nearly solid dark reddish-brown surface with faint blotches and specks, with no visible text, title page, or printed content. It appears to be a cover or blank board of a book, possibly a scan of the binding.
Francis Bacon, The Elements of the Common Lawes of England, published 1630. Binding shown, not a text page.

About this source

What it is

A collection of principal rules and maxims of English common law written by Francis Bacon around 1597 and published in 1630.

The cover image shown is a plain, worn binding with no visible text, not a page of the maxims themselves.

Why it matters

This work reveals Bacon's career as a lawyer who wanted to simplify and organise the confusing body of English law into clear principles. It connects his philosophical interest in method to his everyday legal practice.

Look closer

  • Why might organising law into simple maxims be useful to lawyers and judges?
  • What does this work tell us about Bacon's career beyond philosophy?
  • What can't we learn about the book's contents from this plain cover image?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Francis Bacon on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Francis Bacon sources

Meet the AI Francis Bacon →
Engraved title page of Novum Organum Scientiarum by Francis Bacon, Leiden 1645, showing two classical columns, ships on the sea, and the Latin motto Multi pertransibunt & augebitur scientia.Book

Primary source

Novum Organum

Francis Bacon · 1620

Black and white engraving of a bearded man in 17th-century dress: a tall black hat, a large white lace ruff, and a dark cloak with patterned trim. He stands before a draped curtain with his right hand resting on a draped table.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait Engraving of Francis Bacon, Proof Impression

Title page of a 1696 London edition of Sir Francis Bacon's Essays, Or Councils, Civil and Moral, with a table of the colours of good and evil and a discourse on the wisdom of the ancients. Printed for H. Herringman, R. Scot, R. Chiswell, A. Swalle, and R. Bentley.Book

Primary source

Essays

Francis Bacon · 1597

Black and white engraved portrait of a bearded man with curly hair, wearing a wide-brimmed dark hat, a large white lace collar, and a dark embroidered doublet, against a shaded background. The caption below reads 'LORD BACON'.Painting

Secondary source

Francis Bacon, Engraving by C. Cook after Houbraken

C. Cook after Jacobus Houbraken · 1738

Title page of New Atlantis, printed in old-style typeface: 'NEVV ATLANTIS. A Vvorke vnfinished. Vvritten by the Right Honourable, Francis Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban.' Below the text is a small ornate woodcut frame with a figure and a winged creature.Book

Primary source

New Atlantis

Francis Bacon · 1627

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Francis Bacon now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions