The Mystery of Francis Bacon

A biographical and investigative study that compiles documentary sources to reconstruct the life, writings, and intellectual pursuits of Francis Bacon. It traces his family background, childhood, Cambridge years, early compositions, continental travels, political career, and controversies; considers whether he concealed manuscripts and what role he may have played in the production of major contemporary works such as the collected plays, the Authorized Version, and the sonnets; analyzes his library, book-marking habits, use of emblems, testimony of contemporaries, and the missing portion of his Great Instauration; and concludes with a discussion of his philosophical aims and the evidence bearing on the alleged mysteries of his career.