Francis Bacon Quotes
-
Of all virtues and dignities of the mind, goodness is the greatest.
-
I could not be true and constant to the argument I handle, if I were not willing to go beyond others; but yet not more willing than to have others go beyond me again: which may the better appear by this, that I have propounded my opinions naked and unarmed, not seeking to preoccupate the liberty of men's judgments by confutations.
-
Be true to thyself, as thou be not false to others.
-
The great atheists, indeed are hypocrites; which are ever handling holy things, but without feeling; so as they must needs be cauterized in the end.
-
If a man's wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores, splitters of hairs.
-
Beware of sudden change, in any great point of diet, and, if necessity inforce it, fit the rest to it. For it is a secret both in nature and state, that it is safer to change many things, than one.
-
Judges ought to remember, that their office is jus dicere, and not jus dare; to interpret law, and not to make law, or give law.
-
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
-
Anger is certainly a kind of baseness; as it appears well in the weakness of those subjects in whom it reigns; children, women, old folks, sick folks. Only men must beware, that they carry their anger rather with scorn, than with fear; so that they may seem rather to be above the injury, than below it; which is a thing easily done, if a man will give law to himself in it.
-
The first question concerning the Celestial Bodies is whether there be a system, that is whether the world or universe compose together one globe, with a center, or whether the particular globes of earth and stars be scattered dispersedly, each on its own roots, without any system or common center.
-
No pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage-ground of truth.
-
Philosophy when superficially studied, excites doubt, when thoroughly explored, it dispels it.
-
No artist knows in his own lifetime whether what he does will be the slightest good, because it takes at least seventy-five to a hundred years before the thing begins to sort itself out.
-
Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
-
When I paint I am ageless, I just have the pleasure or the difficulty of painting.
-
Praise is the reflection of virtue.
-
The errors of young men are the ruin of business, but the errors of aged men amount to this, that more might have been done, or sooner.
-
Look to make your course regular, that men may know beforehand what they may expect.
-
Chiefly the mold of a man's fortune is in his own hands.
-
In charity there is no excess.
-
He that cometh to seek after knowledge, with a mind to scorn, shall be sure to find matter for his humour, but no matter for his instruction.
-
If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.
-
Revenge is a kind of wild justice.
-
You shall have atheists strive to get disciples, as it fareth with other sects. And, which is most of all, you shall have of them, that will suffer for atheism, and not recant; whereas if they did truly think, that there were no such thing as God, why should they trouble themselves?