Of the Advancement and Proficiencie of Learning was published in 1674. It was written by the famous Francis Bacon, an English lawyer and politician who thought deeply regarding science and its advancement. Bacon was most famous for the method of induction, or repeating experiments over and over again until results are consistent, his way of supporting the growth of empirical science. “Bacon urged people to value science. ‘Knowledge is power,’ he famously said” (A Little History of Science, Bynum 2012).
This work in particular set the example for other contemporary encyclopedias.
This edition was published in London in 1674 and translated by Gilbert Watts.