Editing Brief Lives (section)

==Writing==
Aubrey initially began collecting biographical material to assist the Oxford scholar [[Anthony Wood (antiquary)|Anthony Wood]], who was working on his own collection of biographies. With time, Aubrey's biographical researches went beyond mere assistance to Wood and became a project in its own right.{{sfn|Levy|1984}}

Aubrey was careful, wherever possible, to seek out and talk with those who had been acquainted with his subjects. His sociable nature and his wide circle of friends helped him in this pursuit. At his death, Aubrey left his biographical writings in a state of chaos. It has been the task of later editors to organise the [[manuscript]]s (held at the [[Bodleian Library]]) into readable form.