C. Purdon-Clarke positive confirmation of the statement that

Francis Bacon (so-called) founded modern Speculative Masonry.
For the future then, the withholding from non-masonic students Information, MSS., Books, Collections — the Garbled Catalogues and Indexes, " Errors," and Omissions, the false Pagination, and countless queer and symbolic marks in Paper, Type, and Binding — though they may delay advance, will not puzzle us ; they are Masonic — parts of " Bacon's " wonderfully contrived method for carrying on his work in dark and dangerous times. It appears clear that he did not intend these Secrets of the Higher Masons to be kept for up- wards of 300 years ; but his traditional sons seem to have been incompetent to carry out his intentions to the full, and to make him " pace forth." May the present generation steer the Ship of Knowledge with as much care and more insight and " speculation " as to the " Beacon " which should guide to the wished for Haven.
A few years more, and surely the Name of "Francis St. Alban " must be allowed to pace forth as he desired. Then (so far as he and his works are concerned), all artifices, evasions, simulation, tricks, allusions, will be understood, accounted for, and used in the identification of his Works.
PEEFACE. 3
The many Masks, Vizors, Veils, Disguises, Pen-Names, "Tricksy Words," Jargon, Ciphers, Marks, Dots and Spots, Punching and Tearing of pages, &c, &c, will be recognised as ingenious devices by means of which the "Shrewd Con- triver " managed that his " dear concerning^ " should be veiled from all but his initiated helpers. This on reflection we see, could never have been achieved had all members of the vast and mixed Brotherhood been equally well-informed. The contrary is the case. Very few Modern, or " Specula- tive " Masons know anything about their own origin, or the true methods and aims of their Society — but of this bye and bye. Affirmations, hints and useful suggestions received, have encouraged the present writer to accede to repeated re- quests that this book shall be republished; it is, therefore, necessary to correct some particulars, which until lately have been assumed and printed as facts, whereas we now find them to be mere traditions buzzed about into " the listening air " for purposes never dreamt of excepting by those who devised them.
Traditions thus carefully and cleverly spread abroad, entered naturally into " the Air of the Times" an air, accord- ing to a?i£i-Baconian readers, so potent, so liberal, as to furnish Shakespeare and " the rest " with all the knowledge and graces needful (in an age of gross ignorance and illiteracy) for the greatest Poet whom the world has ever seen. " Baconians " cannot believe this ; being Students as well of " Shakespeare " as of "Bacon" they know that " Shahespereans" cannot prove it.
Within the last ten years we have made great advance, and begin to feel that we are mounting the Hill and daily gaining view of a wide and splendid panorama of the Coast and Provinces which " Bacon " overran.
4 PREFACE.
In the following pages it will be seen that Francis Bacon is spoken of as the Son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, and his second wife, Anne Cook.* This, we are now convinced, is a fundamental error. Francis was Son of Queen Elizabeth and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.! A younger son was Robert Dudley afterwards Earl of Essex. He was brother of Francis.
Francis was born at Whitehall Place, or Palace. The Queen would have " put him away," but Lady Anne who was in attendance at the birth, and who had recently lost an infant of her own, begged to be allowed to act as foster- mother, and it seems as though the outside world knew neither of the birth at the Palace, nor that Francis was not the son of Sir Nicholas and Lady Anne Bacon. There were, in those days, no newspapers.
It needs but little thought and intelligence to make us realise the importance of such information. Many perplexing questions regarding Elizabeth's strange behaviour towards Francis and Robert Dudley — the striking family likenesses noted between these three — and other interesting problems beyond our present reach, seem to fade as phantoms, and to reappear as facts when subjected to close research and examination.
Since Mrs. Wells Gallup first deciphered from "Bacon's" own Biliteral Cipher, this astounding piece of history, research has been wide-spread, and no evidence has been brought forward to shake — but many facts to fortify — the information advanced.
Another error, assumed to rest upon the Poles of Truth,
* Usually spoken of as Lady Anne Bacon.
fWe are indebted for the positive affirmation of these facts to the labours of Mrs. Wells Gallup, and her deciphering of Bacon's own Biliteral Cipher.
PREFACE. 5
concerns the death of Francis St. Alban. Current History fixes the date at the year 1626 ; but each one of four different writers • (contemporaries and moving in the same learned circle) when reporting "Lord Bacon's" death, assigns a different place for the event. One says that he died at the house of Lord Arundel at llighgate. Another that he died at the house of his friend, Dr. Parry, in London. A third that he died at the house of his cousin, Sir Julius Caesar, at Muswell Hill ; and a fourth, that he died at the house of his Physician, Dr. Witherbourne. Not one of these "authorities" either confutes, or confirms another.
Long research, collation of books and records, and finally corroborative and emphatic assurance from two authorities as important and indisputable as any, have independently testified to the truth of conclusions arrived at by the present writer as to the death of Francis St. Alban — that he did not really die in 1626. The witnesses agree not together ; yet neither do they check or correct each other. We say, then, they are in league ; they are of that Fraternity which is bound " to Conceal as well as Reveal " the Secrets of their Great Master. In 1626 he died to the world — retired, and by the help of many friends, under many Names and Disguises, passed to many Places. As Recluse, he lived a life of study; revising a mass of works published under his " Pen-names " — enlarging and adding to their number. They form the Standard Literature of the 17th Century.
Collation of many Works and many Editions led and gradually forced the present writer into the belief that Our
* Dr. Fuller, the Historian ; Dr. Sprat, the First President of the Royal Society ; Dr. Wallis, the Second President ; and Dr. William Rawley, Bacon's Chaplain and Secretary.
6 PREFACE.
Francis lived to a very great age ; that he was certainly alive and working in 1640, and that evidence spoke in favour of his being still influencing his Society in 1662. Some years after these conclusions had been reached and communicated to some very learned German correspondents, one wrote re- calling this correspondence, and making this clear and positive statement. Francis St. Alban the " Magus," the " Miracle of Men," "died at the age of 106-7, in the year 1668" A portrait was also sent representing him in Geneva Gown and shortened hair, as he appeared when he retired from the world, taking the name of Father X. His portrait in extreme old age figures as the counterfeit presentment of the Eosicrucian Father, " Johann Valentin Andreas" * at the beginning of a work passing under this pseudonym.
The facts as to the " All-one-ever-the-same " Authorship of the great works of the 16th and 17th Centuries was arrived at by Collation of many works and editions. At first we tried to suppress surprising theories, but the evidence from analogies was too strong.
We have, as yet, no reliable information as to the death of Francis St. Alban, or Father, or Pater X. We have no record of any person who witnessed his death, or who attended the funeral. We are ignorant as to where he was buried. Was St. Paul's his monument ? Was he embalmed ?
These questions should receive close attention ; they are deserving of the most painstaking inquiry. No attempt is here made to debate these weighty questions, we do but state the result of long and anxious efforts by hook and crook to get
* This is reproduced in Bibliotheca Rosicruciana by Mr. Leigh Gardner, with Introduction by Dr. W. Wynn Westcott, M.W., Supreme Magus. Soc. Ros. in Anglia." Q.V.
PREFACE. 7
at the Truth. Should errors be detected, let them be simply and truthfully corrected. Truth and nothing but the Truth is the one aim and object of our pursuit. Again, this Book and its Author appeal to Bacon's " Sons of Science " to help in advancing his cause, and in making him and his noble work fully known. May ho obligations be undertaken, no vows made which may clog the student's own advance, letting " mysteries " (as Timon says) " decline to their confounding contraries, and yet Confusion live."
FRANCIS BACON
AND
HIS SECRET SOCIETY.