Bacon as a Freemason

It was common practice for the Guild and Operative Mason of ancient times to place his special mark, indented, into his finished work so that each stone he processed could be easily identified. In Bacon's time, there were very few of the Operative Masons who could read or write; they used their Masonic mark as signatures. The portion of the mark extending above the letters "IM" might easily be identified as an Operative Mason's mark, and that portion extending below the letters might be considered the square and compass which is a Freemason's emblem.

If the records of the Guild or Operative Mason's of Bacon's time could be found, they might reveal that the particular mark under the "IM" was assigned to Francis Bacon.

In the larger oval space of this emblematic picture, there is a Fleur-de-lis and a Coronet immediately above it. The Fleur-de-lis has a light and a dark side which simulate the light and dark side of the "A", one of the secret signatures of the Knights of the Helmet. It was part of the Royal Arms of England from 1340 to 1801, and was used as an emblem on the coronet worn by the Prince of Wales; it was used on the coronet worn by the younger son and brother of the blood royal.
From this, one finds that Bacon is saying, in the emblem, that he is or I am of royal blood, I am a Prince.        -George V. Tudhope:  Bacon-Masonry, 1954, Berkeley, CA, pp. 70-4.    (The above design shows the title page of Bacon's Advancement of Learning, Paris, Latin edition, 1624)
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https://books.google.com/books?id=glg8j0nVOwkC&pg=PP7&lpg=PP7&dq=discovery+of+Francis+Bacon's+Cipher+Signatures&source=bl&ots=JoQ2YJGNAn&sig=blISTTwhngu8HTkILuBNzMaacqw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwioocSmmOTJAhUI42MKHUKfA6UQ6AEILzAH#v=onepage&q=discovery%20of%20Francis%20Bacon's%20Cipher%20Signatures&f=false
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-Leonardo da Vinci:  Mona Lisa (detail)