Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon was born on January 22, 1561 in London, England. He was the youngest son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, a prominent lawyer and politician who served as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under Queen Elizabeth I. His mother, Lady Anne Cooke, was a learned woman who had studied Greek and Latin and was a sister-in-law of Lord Burghley, the Queen's chief advisor. Francis had a privileged upbringing and received a classical education at Trinity College, Cambridge and Gray's Inn, one of the four Inns of Court that trained lawyers in London. Bacon began his career as a lawyer and soon entered the service of Queen Elizabeth I as a member of Parliament and a diplomat. He rose to prominence as a skillful orator and a loyal supporter of the Queen's policies. He also cultivated his interest in natural philosophy and wrote several works on topics ranging from law and religion to contemporary politics and ethics. His most famous work, The Advancement of Learning (1605), was a plea for the reform of education and the promotion of scientific inquiry based on observation and experimentation. After the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, Bacon became a close advisor to her successor, King James I. He was knighted in 1603 and appointed Solicitor General in 1607, Attorney General in 1613 and Lord Chancellor in 1618. He also became Baron Verulam in 1618 and Viscount St Alban in 1621. As Lord Chancellor, he was the highest-ranking judge in England and wielded great power and influence. He continued to write prolifically on various subjects, including his magnum opus Novum Organum (1620), which outlined his new method of scientific investigation based on induction rather than deduction. However, Bacon's career came to an abrupt end in 1621 when he was accused of accepting bribes from litigants in his court. He confessed to the charges and was fined, imprisoned and stripped of his titles and offices. He was later pardoned by the King but remained in disgrace for the rest of his life. He retired to his estate at Gorhambury near St Albans and devoted himself to his philosophical studies. He died on April 9, 1626 at Highgate near London after contracting pneumonia while experimenting with the preservation of meat by stuffing a chicken with snow.