Opera Omnia, Quatuor Voluminibus

Hardback. Very Good. R Gosling and others, Fleet Street, London, 1730, first thus; four volumes, folio, engraved frontispiece to each volume, pp [iii], [ii], [iv], [3] to 224, [viii, being the index to Book I], 394, [xxxviii, being the index to Book II]; [iv], 564, [iv, being folding tables of creditors], [xxviii, being the volume index]; [vi], 586, [xlvi, being the volume index]; [i], 707, [xxviii, being the volume index], [i, bookseller's catalogue]. Full contemporary calf gilt, labels gilt; some wear to the bindings, generally light, but including cracking of some hinges (cosmetic only, not affecting the binding overall which remains firm and tight); lacks the spine label to vol III and with that to v ol I slightly defaced; very light occasional browning but otherwise an exceptionally crisp and clean copy, firmly bound. Each volume has the armorial bookplates of Charles Bathurst of Lydney Park (MP and government minister in various roles from 1790 to 1823). Francis Bacon, Viscount St Alban, 1561-1626, served as both Lord Chancellor and Attorney General under James VI/I between 1613 and 1621. His range of interests and writings was extremely wide and his analytical and sceptical approach and his insistence on careful observation led to his being called by Voltaire the father of the scientific method. His prodigious literary output divides broadly into three categories - scientific, religious and philosophical, and juridical. NOTE: these four volumes together weigh a little over 10kg and so may require additional charges for carriage, subject to ultimate destination and mode of transport.