Edwin A. Abbott (1838-1926) has been ranked as one of the leading scholars and theologians of the Victorian era. He received highest honors in mathematics, classics, and theology at St. John's College, Cambridge, and in 1862 began a brilliant career, during which he served as schoolmaster of some of England's outstanding schools. At the same time he distinguished himself as a scholar, and in 1889 he retired to his studies. He is perhaps best known as the author of the mathematical satire and religious allegory Flatland. He also wrote Sphereland, Paradosis, and a number of nonfiction books, including English Lessons for English People, How to Write Clearly, and a biography of Francis Bacon.
