Bacon, Sir Francis

Folio (11 1/2 x 7 3/4 in.; 292 x 197 mm). Engraved frontispiece portrait of Henry VII by John Payne, title within architectural woodcut border (McKerrow & Ferguson 224), woodcut initials and headpieces, text within rules with blank marginal columns for side-notes (one printed side-note on X1v), errata on 2I4r (uncorrected in this copy), contemporary underscoring in quires B–R; light marginal browning in quires T–2E. Eighteenth-century calf paneled gilt, gilt fleuron cornerpieces, smooth gilt-ruled spine, morocco lettering-piece, plain endpapers, edges gilt; joints and spine ends rubbed, repair to head of spine.

Francis Bacon (presentation inscription on front free endpaper to) — Tobias Matthew, Archbishop of York (1577–1655) — Brother Vincent (signed "Fra Vincent" on recto of engraved portrait and on title-page) — Bryant Edwards, Greenwich Park, Jamaica (armorial bookplate on front pastedown) — James Bindley (1737–1818; sale, Evans of Pall Mall, Part I, December 1818 with penciled acquisition note in in upper corner of front free endpaper dated thus) — William Thomas Beckford (extensive pencil notes on front free endpaper; Hamilton Palace sale, Sotheby's, Wilkinson, & Hodge, 30 June 1882, lot 515) — Collection of Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever (1918–1984). acquisition: Marlborough Rare Books, 1984

STC 1159; ESTC S1406; Gibson 116a, see also 33 regarding the Italian translation; Pforzheimer 32

Folio (11 1/2 x 7 3/4 in.; 292 x 197 mm). Engraved frontispiece portrait of Henry VII by John Payne, title within architectural woodcut border (McKerrow & Ferguson 224), woodcut initials and headpieces, text within rules with blank marginal columns for side-notes (one printed side-note on X1v), errata on 2I4r (uncorrected in this copy), contemporary underscoring in quires B–R; light marginal browning in quires T–2E. Eighteenth-century calf paneled gilt, gilt fleuron cornerpieces, smooth gilt-ruled spine, morocco lettering piece, plain endpapers, edges gilt; joints and spine ends rubbed, repair to head of spine.
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First edition, large-paper copy, inscribed in Latin by Sir Francis to Tobias Matthew, Archbishop of York and signed "F. St Alban." A bright, crisp copy with a long and distinguished provenance. In 1604, Matthew travelled to France and Italy, where he eventually converted to Catholicism. Upon his return to England, he was imprisoned  for six months during which time attempts were made to force him to recant his conversion. Once freed, he returned to Europe where he was ordained a priest. In 1617, the king permitted Matthew to return to England and he stayed for some time with Sir Francis. During this period, it is purported that he translated Bacon's Essays into Italian (see lot 31).