The Essayes or Counsels, Civill and Morall, of Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount of St. Alban
London: Printed by John Haviland for Hanna Barret and Richard Whitaker, 1625.
Hardcover. First issue of the first complete edition of the Essays, and the last edition to appear during Bacon's lifetime. It "contains fifty-eight essays and is the text most commonly reprinted today. For this reason the present edition ranks in importance with the first of 1597" (Pforzheimer). Small quarto, somewhat closely trimmed at upper margin; text block measures 18 x 13 cm. In an unsigned 19th century full red leather binding with purple satin ribbon bookmark bound in, gilt floral borders, spine gilt in six compartments, all edges gilt, gilt inner dentelles, and marbled endpapers, unfortunately marred by some uneven darkening to boards and top edge (see accompanying images). Lacking original front blank, but with added engraved portrait of Bacon by Alexander Bannerman (created c. 1784) as frontispiece. Collation matches Pforzheimer (30) in all other respects. Ownership signature dated 1839 on front blank;small area of damage to leaf A3 (no loss of text); dampstain visible--primarily on the first and last ca. 15 leaves--at gutter near the base of the spine; otherwise clean. Written in a concise, aphoristic style, the Essays take both a pragmatic and a philosophical approach to questions of civic and private life, morality, and the human condition and "can be read as his final comments on the contemporary world of politics" (ONB).
Item #24374
Price: $4,500.00