It is certain that, although much is known about Francis Bacon in some parts or phases of his chequered life, yet there is a great deal more which is obscure, or very inadequately treated by his biographers. For instance, what was he doing or where was he travelling during certain unchronicled years? Why do we hear so little in modern books of that beloved brother Anthony, who was his ‘comfort,’ and his ‘second self’? And where was Anthony when he died? Where was he buried? And why are no particulars of his eventful life, his last illness, death, or burial recorded in ordinary books?” Francis Bacon (1561–1626): philosopher, playwright, poet, and conceiver of the scientific method for empirical inquiry. The staggering amount of publications in which he was involved and his demand for a worldwide reformation of learning, science, and religion have made him one of the most important minds of the Elizabethan era. As much as Bacon’s public life influenced the world of science, there is an equal part of his life obscured by his secrecy. This book sets out to delve into these secrets in order to uncover the full extent of Bacon’s work. His self-devised secret cipher, his apparent connections to the Rosicrucians and Freemasons, and the frequent gaps in his biography are thoroughly examined, making this a valuable addition to any Baconian collection.

• Philosopher

• Poet

• Scientific

• Discourse

• cipher