973c Bacon, Francis. (1561-1626) Sylva Sylvarum, Or, A Natural History, In Ten Centuries. Whereunto is newly added, the History Naturall and Experimentall of Life and Death, or of the Prolongation of Life. Both written by the Right Honorable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount of St. Alban. Published after the Authors Death, By William Rawley, Doctor in Divinity, One of His Majesties Chaplaines. Hereunto is now added an Alphabeticall Table of the Principall Things contained in the Ten Centuries.

London: Printed by J.F. for William Lee, and are to be Sold at the Great Turks Head over against Fetter-Lane in Fleet-street, 1651

$2,000

Folio, 10.7 x 7 in. Sixth edition. [π]2, A4, (a)4, B-T6, V-Y4, a-e4, A-B2, C-K4. The engraved title page and portrait of Bacon dated 1626 are both present in this volume. This copy is bound in eighteenth century quarter calf. The leaves are in good condition, with a little minor waterstaining and spotting. The margins have been trimmed. A few words are written in a contemporary hand on the frontispiece.
The third part of the Great Instauration, a compendium of natural science entitled The Phenomena of the World, or Natural and Experimental History for the Foundation of Philosophy or Science, was only partially fulfilled by Sylva Sylvarum, a largely derivative compilation of a thousand statements about science and related subjects. The latter included information about witches, keeping oranges fresh, silencers for guns, the diseases of corn, the possibility of what is now called extra-sensory perception, and the significance of dreams. Bacon also planned to write six ‘histories’ for this third part of the Instauration and completed The History of Winds, The History of Life and Death, and part of The History of Rarety and Density. (Max Patrick)

Wing B-327; Gibson 176.