handsome contemporary sprinkled calf

A beautifully bound set of the collected works of the English polymath and statesman, Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban, who served as Lord Chancellor of England under James VI and I.

This edition groups Bacon's works into five parts, dealing with his philosophical writings, moral and political works, the law, theology, and letters, and prefaced with the poet David Mallet's (d.1765) Life of Bacon, which was admired by Henry Fielding for its 'nervous manly style', and Gibbon who praised Mallet's 'vigorous sense' as a historian.

5 vols; 4to (29.5 x 24 cm); engraved frontispieces to vols I-IV (not called for in vol. V), engraved vignette titles printed in red and black, folding letterpress tables, woodcut head and tailpieces, text in English and Latin, old library ticket to front pastedowns, titles and endpapers a little toned, occasional light spotting; contemporary sprinkled calf, spines in 6 gilt-banded compartments, contrasting red and brown morocco lettering-pieces, edges sprinkled red, a little rubbed with minor loss, very good; [12], xlii, [2],575, [1]; [6], 658; [12], 681, [75]; xx, [2], 529, [1]; vii, [1], 604pp.

ESTC T88309.