This book provides an approachable exposition of the rationale of textual editing with special reference to texts from between 1550-1800. The volume explains how manuscript and printed texts were produced, indicating the implications of this for their editorial treatment and giving practical advice on how texts should be prepared and presented.

Introduction Manuscripts The Role of Print Types of Edition Works Correspondence and Papers Archives Presenting Texts (1) Printed Presenting Texts (2) Manuscripts Modernized Texts The Apparatus Front Matter End Matter/Appendices Annotation Translations Indexing/Searching Appendices Alternative Methods of Transcribing a Seventeenth-century Manuscript A Confusion of Brackets Separate and Combined Versions of a Revised Text: the 1597, 1612 and 1625 Versions of Francis Bacon's Essay 'Of Regiment of Health' Unmodernized and Modernized Versions of the last section of Chapter 47 of Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan Peter Nidditch's Explanation of the Evolution of his Editorial Method Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

'Michael Hunter's impressive and welcome book is not only conciliatory but shrewd, intellectual and tightly focused. Most of all, it is generous, both to trained and to untrained editors, allowing them to learn not only how to resolve their differences with each other but with the principles of the editions they produce. Editing Early Modern Texts would make a marvellous textbook for any course in editing or the history of the book. Hunter reminds us how much fun textual scholarship and editing can be, which is a wonderful accomplishment in itself.' - Grace Ioppolo, Journal of British Studies 'This volume is an accessible, thoughtful, clear and concise guide to editorial principles and practice. Hunter is particularly strong on both the possibilities and limitations of electronic editions. His book is as good a guide to editing early modern texts as exists and should find its way into university libraries, not only as a resource for would-be editors but also for students setting out on research. Hunter is an excellent guide and it will be no surprise if future editors of early modern texts refer their readers to the editorial principles which he sets out.' - Andrew Cambers, History 'Editing Early Modern Texts, itself always thoughtful and well informed, opens out the attractions of the appropriate and feasible in a way that will make it a wonderful starting point for beginning or would-be editors, and a useful resource for those already workingin the field.' - Tom Lockwood, The Library