Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher and statesman. Bacon wrote extensively on philosophy, advocating inductive reasoning from fact through axiom to law. His thoughts were published in the work Novum Organum in 1620, widely regarded as the catalyst of the scientific revolution. He is also considered by some to have been the author of many plays attributed to Shakespeare. Bacon also served as both Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. He was knighted in 1603, then created Baron Verulam in 1618, and Viscount St Alban in 1621. This engraving by Houbraken comes from Birch's The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britan, published in London in 1747.