Editing Francis Bacon (section)

===Parliamentarian===
[[File:Statue of Francis Bacon (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=1|Bacon's statue at [[Gray's Inn]] in London's South Square]]
Bacon stated that he had three goals: to uncover truth, to serve his country, and to serve his church. He sought to achieve these goals by seeking a prestigious post. In 1580, through his uncle, [[William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley|Lord Burghley]], he applied for a post at court that might enable him to pursue a life of learning, but his application failed. For two years he worked quietly at [[Gray's Inn]], until he was admitted as an [[outer barrister]] in 1582.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=Robert. P.|title=Francis Bacon: The Double-Edged Life of the Philosopher and Statesman|year=2015|publisher=McFarland|page=28}}</ref>

His parliamentary career began when he was elected [[Member of Parliament (UK)|MP]] for [[Bossiney (UK Parliament constituency)|Bossiney, Cornwall]], in a [[by-election]] in 1581. In 1584 he took his seat in [[Parliament of England|Parliament]] for [[Melcombe Regis (UK Parliament constituency)|Melcombe]] in Dorset, and in 1586 for [[Taunton (UK Parliament constituency)|Taunton]]. At this time, he began to write on the condition of parties in the church, as well as on the topic of philosophical reform in the lost tract ''Temporis Partus Maximus''. Yet he failed to gain a position that he thought would lead him to success.{{sfn|Adamson|Mitchell|1911|p=136}} He showed signs of sympathy to Puritanism, attending the sermons of the Puritan chaplain of Gray's Inn and accompanying his mother to the [[Temple Church]] to hear [[Walter Travers]]. This led to the publication of his earliest surviving tract, which criticized the English church's suppression of the Puritan clergy. In the Parliament of 1586, he openly urged execution for the Catholic [[Mary, Queen of Scots]].<ref>Jardine, L. (1986), ''Francis Bacon: Discovery and the Art of Discourse'', Cambridge University Press.{{ISBN?}}{{page?|date=December 2024}}</ref>

About this time, he again approached his powerful uncle for help; this move was followed by his rapid progress at the bar. He became a [[bencher]] in 1586 and was elected a [[Reader (Inns of Court)|Reader]] in 1587, delivering his first set of lectures in Lent the following year. In 1589, he received the valuable appointment of [[Reversion (law)|reversion]] to the Clerkship of the [[Star Chamber]], although he did not formally take office until 1608; the post was worth £1,600 a year.{{sfn|Adamson|Mitchell|1911|p=136}}{{sfn|Peltonen|2007}}

In 1588 he became MP for [[Liverpool (UK Parliament constituency)|Liverpool]] and then for [[Middlesex (UK Parliament constituency)|Middlesex]] in 1593. He later sat three times for [[Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)|Ipswich]] (1597, 1601, 1604) and once for [[Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)|Cambridge University]] (1614).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/bacon-francis-1561-1626 |title=History of Parliament |access-date=2 October 2011}}
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He became known as a liberal-minded reformer, eager to amend and simplify the law. Though a friend of the crown, he opposed feudal privileges and dictatorial powers. He spoke against religious persecution. He struck at the House of Lords in its usurpation of the Money Bills. He advocated for the union of England and Scotland, which made him a significant influence toward the consolidation of the United Kingdom; and he later would advocate for the integration of Ireland into the Union. Closer constitutional ties, he believed, would bring greater peace and strength to these countries.<ref name="letters">{{cite journal |last=Spedding |first=James |title=The letters and life of Francis Bacon |year=1861 }}</ref><ref name="ecc.015">{{cite web |url=http://publish.ucc.ie/celt/docs/E600001-015 |title=Sir Francis Bacon's Letters, Tracts and Speech relating to Ireland |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807142316/http://publish.ucc.ie/celt/docs/E600001-015 |access-date=24 January 2013 }}</ref>