Cryptic Titles
“So I may without superstition be buried in St. Alban's habit or vestment.”
Francis Bacon: Letter to King James I after Creation of the title Viscount St. Alban.
Francis Bacon was given the unique and cryptic titles of Baron Verulam of Verulam and Viscount St Alban.
There are two important things to note here:
- A title normally refers to a place, and the place name is preceded by 'of'.
- A place name is never used twice as a place name, as this would be nonsensical.
Baron Verulam of Verulam
The double use of 'Verulam' in the first title means that the initial 'Verulam' is an adjective describing the Baron (Francis Bacon), whilst the second 'Verulam', preceded by 'of' ', refers to the place.
The place, Verulam, refers to the Roman town of Verulamium, which was built on part of the site of the Belgic capital Verlamion, which it replaced. A large part of Verulamium and Verlamion was covered by Francis Bacon's family estate, Gorhambury, which he inherited. Gorhambury, Verulamium and Verlamion lie adjacent to the town, St Albans, and are separated from each other by the river Ver which flows between them.
As an adjective, 'Verulam' means 'Spear-shaker', in the sense that relates to Pallas Athena as a Spear-shaker. The word 'Verulam' is derived from the Latin adjective 'veru', meaning 'true' or 'javelin', 'spear', and the English verb 'lam', meaning 'strike' or 'thrash'. The description 'Spear-shaker' (or 'Shake-speare') is a synonym for 'truth-striking', referring to one who strikes others with truth.
Pallas Athena is the classical goddess of Truth, the archetype of Knowledge of the Wisdom, Word or Law of the Universe. Her shaking (or vibrating) spear is a metaphor for her inspiration that inspires (or strikes, pierces) the hearts of 'watery' souls, which is another metaphor referring to natural souls incarnate in earthly bodies. This is why a large basin or pool of water was positioned adjacent to the goddess' statue in the Parthenon (the Temple of Athena) on the Acropolis in Athens.
Inspiration is a holy breath that bears the Word of Wisdom. The holy breath is a fiery breath, composed of fire (wisdom) and air (intelligence). When inspired into watery souls, it creates 'splashes' of light, which light illuminates the minds (souls), transforming them into illumined souls, celestial souls, immortal-mortals. Metaphorically, fire and air, inspired into and mixed with water and earth, produces aether, which is light. Fire and air refer to the heavenly immortal realm; water and earth refer to the earthly mortal realm. To unite and marry the two in love is known as the 'mystical marriage' of heaven and earth.
In other words, Francis Bacon is the Spear-shaker (or Shakespeare) of Verulam, who inspires others with truth.
Viscount St Alban
Francis Bacon's second title is that of the saint (Saint Alban), not the place (St Albans). There is no 'of' before the name, and the name has no 's' on the end.
In letters signed by Francis Bacon, as Viscount St Alban, he signed himself "Fr. St. Alban"; and in letters from others to Bacon, they addressed him as "Lord Viscount St Alban" or "Lord St Alban".
In the title page of Bacon's The Essayes or Counsels, Civuill and Morall (1625), he is referred to as "Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount St. Alban". In the frontispiece and title page to Bacon's Sylva Sylvarum or A Natural History (1627), he is titled "The right Honble Francis Lo: Verulam, Viscount St Alban."
However, Latin versions of Bacon's works can cause mistakes in translation to be made, such as the Latin version of Bacon's Advancement of Learning, titled De Dignitate & Augmentis Scientiarum (1623), which has a title page that begins "Opera Franscisci Baronis de Verulamio, Vice-Comitis Sancti Albani," which in English translates as "The Works of Francis Baron of Verulam, Viscount St Alban". If done too hastily, however, the Latin title "Vice-Comitas Sancti Albani" can be mistranslated as "Viscount of St Albans", missing the fact that the whole phrase, "Francisci Baronis de Verulamio, Vice-Comitis Sancti Albani" is in the genitive case. Herein lies the mistake of subsequent authors in referring to Bacon's second title as "Viscount of St Albans". This mistake has had tragic consequences, as it prevents the truth from being known that was meant to be known.
In other words, Francis Bacon was the second St Alban, a 'twin' to the first St Alban.
St Alban is known as the founder and First Grand Master of English Freemasonry – Craft Freemasonry in terms of the first St Alban, and Speculative Freemasonry in the case of the second St Alban. Both saints were martyred – the first physically, the second politically.
