The second part of the Resuscitatio, collected works of Bacon

What it is

This is the second part of the Resuscitatio collection, a folio of Francis Bacon's works with imprints dated 1670 and printed for William Lee and Humphrey Robinson. Each piece by Bacon has its own title page. The contents listed include 'The life of the Right Honourable Francis Bacon' by William Rawley, 'A preparatory to the history natural & experimental', 'The charge ... touching duells' and 'The history of the reign of King Henry the Eighth'. The image shows only the brown leather front cover.

Why it matters

This volume gathers Bacon's writings on science, law, history and public affairs in one place, many years after his death in 1626. Its opening biography was written by William Rawley, a man who knew Bacon's work and later edited it. The collection shows how Bacon's reputation was preserved by others.

Look closer

• Why might the editors have placed a biography by William Rawley at the front of the volume?
• What does the variety of titles, from science to duels to history, reveal about Bacon's range?
• What might a collection like this leave out, and who chose what to include?