Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

4to (178 x 131 mm). Woodcut initial. (Without the two added leaves of errata as often). (Title-page strengthened, small corner tear to last few leaves not affecting text, light marginal dampstaining to only a couple of leaves in the first part, some marginal toning.) 20th century morocco gilt, all edges gilt, stamp-signed by G.P. Putnam's; slipcase. Provenance: A few early ownership names on title-page; contemporary marginalia and underlining to the first few leaves in part one; Brentano's, Chicago, List 112, item 2 (catalogue laid in).

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). 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. Gibson 81; Grolier/Horblit 8a; Norman 97; Pforzheimer 36; STC 1164.