Beschreibung:

BACON, Francis (1561-1626). 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. 4 o (182 x 140 mm). With final blank present (without the two added leaves of errata found in a few copies, probably of late issue). (Title and first few leaves with margins slightly frayed, quires Xx and Yy supplied from another shorter copy with some remargining, some minor soiling and dampstaining, mostly marginal, Vv3 and Ddd3 with short internal tears just crossing text). Contemporary limp vellum; cloth chemise and folding case. Provenance : Cortlandt F. Bishop (bookplate), sold American Art Association, New York, 26 March 1938, lot 166 -- Louis H. Silver (bookplate), sold in the sale of Newberry Library duplicates from the Silver accession, Sotheby's, London, 9 November 1965, lot 12. 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). Gibson 81; Grolier/Horblit 8a; Norman 97; Pforzheimer 36; STC 1164.