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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Francis Bacon
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(1561–1626, kt 1603, viscount St Albans 1621) Politican, author and philosopher of science. Trained as a lawyer, he became a member of parliament in 1584, but it was not till the reign of James I that he progressed rapidly; he was made solicitor general in 1609, attorney general in 1613 and lord chancellor in 1618. But his public career came to an abrupt end in 1621; he was convicted of taking bribes when sitting as a judge.
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As an author he is now best known for his Essays (successive collections in 1597, 1612 and 1625). His contribution to scientific thought is contained in The Advancement of Learning (1605) and Novum Organum (1620, Latin for 'The New Instrument'). In these he argues for a new science that will observe particular examples to establish general laws. Bacon is often quoted as having died in the service of this modern empirical method. Struck by the notion that it might be possible to preserve food by freezing it, he got down from his carriage near Highgate to stuff a chicken with snow and died of the resulting chill.
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