A small coincidence? (Francis Bacon, New Atlantis, and 1627)

[Luis Quirino]

Hey everyone,

Roughly since 2020, when I started studying Francis Bacon, Shakespeare, and the Rosicrucians, I obviously had to start studying the ciphers I was reading about: namely the Simple cipher (from A=1 to Z=24), the Reverse cipher (from Z=1 to A=24), the Kaye cipher(s), and also the "Reduction" ciphers (basically the reduction of the values of the letters to a single digit). However, I always felt that there were at least two ciphers missing: the "Standard" or "Extended" ciphers, which attribute values to the letters in "decimal scales", similarly to Hebrew Gematria and Greek Isopsephy: first the units (1-9), then the tens (10-90), and then the hundreds (100-900).

I looked into Gustavus Selenus' Cryptographiae et Cryptomenytices, Trithemius' Steganographia & Polygraphia, and many others. In the meantime, I also found Johann Henning's Cabbalologia and I found that a "Standard/Extended" cipher in fact existed for the Elizabethan English alphabet with 24 letters, on page 40 of the same book (source here).

Reversing this cipher by having A=600, B=500, etc, until Z=1, would then give us the "Reverse Standard" cipher for the Elizabethan English alphabet. And it was precisely that cipher that showed me a coincidence that's quite... curious. 🧐

You see... I've read in some places that Francis Bacon's New Atlantis was published in 1627(*), or 1 year after Sir Francis Bacon's death in 1626 — and what would be the odds of finding that "Franciscus", "Baconis" and "Bensalem" all shared the same value in the same cipher, and that the value was precisely 1627 ?!?!

[Image from GEMATRO — my absolute favorite Gematria calculator]

* * *

(*) On some websites it is said that Bacon's New Atlantis was published in 1626, while others mention the year 1627. As I'm unsure as to which year is correct, I thought that this explanation was due. Does anyone have any information about this?

[Luis Quirino]

Using the usual model of the Standard cipher for the Elizabethan English alphabet (from A=1 to Z=600) also yields some curious results, namely:

GEOMETRY = 777
GEOMETRIA = 287 (a Baconian-Rosicrucian Seal number)

BACON = 96
(Remember Bacon's 96 inquisitions in his Abecedarium Naturae ?)

MINERVA = 365
(The number of days in a common year)

Anyway, as it is expected, it's far more difficult to find "significant matches" with these ciphers (which have larger values) than with, say, the Simple or Reverse ciphers. So these "matches" aren't intended to "prove" that these ciphers may be relevant in a Baconian context — only that they seem to deliver some curious synchronicities or correspondences.

What's your opinion about this?

[Allisnum2er]

Hi Luis,

Thank you ! I love the concept of the "Standard/Extended" cipher and your "Reverse Standard" cipher.

And for me, the fact that "Franciscus", " Baconis" and "Bensalem" share the same value is intringuing and very interesting.

If Sylva Sylvarum was entered into the Stationers' Register of July 4th, 1626,  the book was published in 1627 .

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/86557#page/297/mode/1up

Indeed, "it's far more difficult to find "significant matches" with these ciphers (which have larger values)".

But here is another interesting one for you, by using your "Reverse standard" cipher" : "NEVV ATLANTIS" = 1609 😊

[Light-of-Truth]

9 hours ago, Luis Quirino said:

[Image from GEMATRO — my absolute favorite Gematria calculator]

Thank you for the tip! I will use it. 🙂

Plus, as a Bonus, it has a powerful Date calculator.

 

 

[Allisnum2er]

10 hours ago, Light-of-Truth said:

Thank you for the tip! I will use it. 🙂

Plus, as a Bonus, it has a powerful Date calculator.

 

 

Hi Rob ! Great synchronicity here ! Yesterday, I was counting how many days left until the 8/11/2023 ( planning something ! 🙂 ) and I realized that we were off by two, 177 days. So, I think that festivities will begin on Day 155 (157 Days left) 😉 

[Luis Quirino]

17 hours ago, Light-of-Truth said:

Thank you for the tip! I will use it. 🙂

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Have you taken a look at the "Encoding" tool? Check under the "Features" menu -> "Encoding". Most people don't even know what it does... but if you have a database and use it in conjunction with that tool, it makes the encoding process a lot easier. In fact, it was with that tool that I was able to craft my current username. 😁

Also, don't forget to check the "About" menu -> "Databases (Mega)".
Maybe you'll find it useful...

OH! And please read the "Quickstart Guide", under the "About" menu. The calculator has a LOT of features that will pass unnoticed to any passing user of that calculator.

Edited May 18 by Luis Quirino

[Kate]

Hi Luis, I did a tweet about New Atlantis fairly recently and mentioned about the reason it’s unfinished, and that it was written in 1623  - the same year as the FF was published. I have a feeling (but could be wrong), that I learned this from Peter Dawkins. Anyway I felt confident enough with my source to put it in my ebook. The tweet however, led to me and AP having a discussion about whether it really was 1623.

Apparently there’s some ongoing dispute. Here’s what AP wrote:

“It is not known when the NAwas actually written and opinion on the date of its composition varies quite widely. Most orthodox scholars just wrongly repeat Dr Rawley and state that it was written in or around 1626. On the other hand other scholars place its composition as far back as 1612 which is prior to the publication of its coeval the Fama Fraternitatis first published in 1614. It is moreover pointed out by several Bacon editors and biographers (including Spedding and Jardine and Stewart) that FB first mentions ideas and themes later expanded upon in the NA in one of his speeches given at the 1594-5 Christmas Gray's Inn Revels, which raises the possibility that the NA might well have been written even before 1612, in fact at any time from 1594-5, nor would I rule out the possibility that an early version of it was written prior to 1594-5.”

Interesting info, as always, from AP 🙏