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Francis Bacon. The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the proficience and advancement of Learning, divine and humane. Lond...
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Description
A fine copy in original condition
Francis Bacon. The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the
proficience and advancement of Learning, divine and humane.
London: [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes,
1605.4to (183 x 135 mm). With final blank (Hhh2) present. Contemporary limp vellum, with early ink titling on spine; quarter morocco folding case.
FIRST EDITION OF THE "PREPARATIVE OR KEY FOR THE OPENING OF THE INSTAURATION" (Grolier/Horblit). The Advancement of Learning was the first of two works in which Bacon expounded his philosophy of scientific method. It was expanded and latinized as De augmentis scientiarum in 1623. "In the Twoo bookes, Bacon concerned himself primarily with the classification of philosophy and the sciences and with developing his influential view of the relation between science and theology" (Norman 97). According to Pforzheimer, very few copies have the two Errata leaves, which were likely only added to later copies.
This copy contains all the pagination errors cited by Gibson present in all copies, and has the first four of the eight pagination errors found in some copies he cites. And of his four variant readings, it has two that are "normal" and two that are only found in a few copies. It is believed that three compositors had a hand in setting up the text, and that the leaves were gathered indiscriminately for binding; hence the wide variety of errors in foliation.
Condition: Spine with two pieces of vellum missing partially exposing the original structure of the binding; vellum a little darkened and shrunken along fore-margins. Without the two added leaves of errata, as often; occasional faint dampstaining to upper and lower margins throughout; a few early marginal markings in ink; a few later pencil markings in margins. Overall, an extremely fine and fresh copy, very rare in its original condition.
References: Gibson 81; Grolier/Horblit 8a; Norman 97; Pforzheimer 36; STC 1164.
Provenance: Purchased from John Howell Books, San Francisco, 1976. From the William A. Strutz Library.
View all of [The William A. Strutz Library ]
Auction Info
2024 June 27 Important English and American Literature: The William A. Strutz Library, Part I, Rare Books Signature® Auction #6295 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
June, 2024
27th
Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 1
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