Famous Quotes by Sir Francis Bacon
Below are famous quotes by Sir Francis Bacon - English author, courtier, & philosopher (1561 - 1626).
A prudent question is one half of wisdom.
A sudden bold and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open.
A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.
Books must follow sciences, and not sciences books.
By far the best proof is experience.
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.
Choose the life that is most useful, and habit will make it the most agreeable.
Death is a friend of ours; and he that is not ready to entertain him is not at home.
Discretion in speech is more than eloquence.
God has placed no limits to the exercise of the intellect he has given us, on this side of the grave.
He of whom many are afraid ought to fear many.
He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.
Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.
I have taken all knowledge to by my province.
If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.
Money is like muck, not good except it be spread.
Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study.
Praise from the common people is generally false, and rather follows the vain that the virtuous.
Read not to contradict and confute, not to believe and take for granted, not to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider.
Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.
Seek ye first the good things of the mind, and the rest will either be supplied or its loss will not be felt.
Silence is the virtue of fools.
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.
The job of the artist is to deepen the mystery.
The subtlety of nature is greater many times over than the subtlety of the senses and understanding.
The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship.
There is a difference between happiness and wisdom: he that thinks himself the happiest man is really so; but he that thinks himself the wisest is generally the greatest fool.
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.
There is no great concurrence between learning and wisdom
They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.
Whoever is out of patience is out of possession of his soul. Men must not turn into bees, and kill themselves in stinging others.
Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.
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