Primary sourceBook1908
The Essays of Francis Bacon, edited by Mary Augusta Scott
Mary Augusta Scott · 1908
A 1908 scholarly edition of Bacon's moral essays, with an editor's preface explaining its sources.
This edition preserves and explains Bacon's own essays, giving students direct access to his moral writing.
About this source
What it is
This is an edition of Francis Bacon's essays, prepared by editor Mary Augusta Scott and published in 1908. The preface explains that the text follows James Spedding's earlier edition of Bacon's works, with some notes trimmed for simplicity.
Why it matters
Bacon's essays are among his most read writings, covering moral and political topics. This edition shows how later scholars like Spedding and Scott worked to preserve and explain Bacon's original language, including noting where his science (such as ideas about blood) was outdated by discoveries made after his death.
Look closer
- Why might an editor choose to remove some original notes but keep others?
- What does the mention of Harvey's discovery of blood circulation tell you about how science changed after Bacon's time?
- How might reading Bacon through an editor change how we understand his original words?
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.
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