Francis Bacon Quotes
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Men on their side must force themselves for a while to lay their notions by and begin to familiarize themselves with facts.
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In nature things move violently to their place, and calmly in their place.
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For it is not possible to join serpentine wisdom with columbine innocence, except men know exactly all the conditions of the serpent: his baseness and going upon his belly, his volubility and lubricity, his envy and sting, and the rest; that is, all forms and natures of evil: for without this, virtue lieth open and unfenced.
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The mystery lies in the irrationality by which you make appearance - if it is not irrational, you make illustration.
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Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.
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Great art is always a way of concentrating, reinventing what is called fact, what we know of our existence- a reconcentration… tearing away the veils, the attitudes people acquire of their time and earlier time. Really good artists tear down those veils.
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Let great authors have their due, as time, which is the author of authors, be not deprived of his due, which is, further and further to discover truth.
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The desire of power in excess caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess caused man to fall: but in charity there is no excess; neither can angel nor man come in danger by it.
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There are two books laid before us to study, to prevent our falling into error; first, the volume of the Scriptures, which reveal the will of God; then the volume of the Creatures, which express His power.
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The pencil of the Holy Ghost hath labored more in describing the afflictions of Job than the felicities of Solomon.
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Half of science is putting forth the right questions.
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Many a man's strength is in opposition, and when he faileth, he grows out of use.
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The less people speak of their greatness, the more we think of it.
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By far the best proof is experience.
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There was never miracle wrought by God to convert an atheist, because the light of nature might have led him to confess a God.
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When Christ came into the world, peace was sung; and when He went out of the world, peace was bequeathed.
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The eye of understanding is like the eye of the sense; for as you may see great objects through small crannies or levels, so you may see great axioms of nature through small and contemptible instances.
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Images also help me find and realise ideas. I look at hundreds of very different, contrasting images and I pinch details from them, rather like people who eat from other people`s plates.
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The noblest works and foundations have proceeded from childless men, which have sought to express the images of their minds where those of their bodies have failed.
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We read that we ought to forgive our enemies; but we do not read that we ought to forgive our friends.
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Man seeketh in society comfort, use and protection.
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There is nothing makes a man suspect much, more than to know little.
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Children sweeten labours. But they make misfortune more bitter. They increase the care of life. But they mitigate the remembrance of death. The perpetuity of generation is common to beasts. But memory, merit and noble works are proper to men. And surely a man shall see the noblest works and foundations have proceeded from childless men which have sought to express the images of their minds where those of their bodies have failed.
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If money be not thy servant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot so properly be said to possess wealth, as that may be said to possess him.