Francis Bacon

Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished.
Francis Bacon

Of all virtues and dignities of the mind, goodness is the greatest, being the character of the Deity; and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing.
Francis Bacon

Studies serve for delight, for ornaments, and for ability.
Francis Bacon

Fame is like a river, that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things weighty and solid.
Francis Bacon

The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.
Francis Bacon

But men must know, that in this theatre of man’s life it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers on.
Francis Bacon

Opportunity makes a thief.
Francis Bacon

People have discovered that they can fool the devil; but they can’t fool the neighbors.
Francis Bacon

Houses are built to live in, and not to look on: therefore let use be preferred before uniformity.
Francis Bacon

I do not believe that any man fears to be dead, but only the stroke of death.
Francis Bacon

People usually think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and ingrained opinions, but generally act according to custom.
Francis Bacon

Rebellions of the belly are the worst.
Francis Bacon

Knowledge is power.
Francis Bacon

Lies are sufficient to breed opinion, and opinion brings on substance.
Francis Bacon

Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more a man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.
Francis Bacon

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
Francis Bacon

Judges ought to be more leaned than witty, more reverent than plausible, and more advised than confident. Above all things, integrity is their portion and proper virtue.
Francis Bacon

Knowledge and human power are synonymous.
Francis Bacon

Life, an age to the miserable, and a moment to the happy.
Francis Bacon

Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased by tales, so is the other.
Francis Bacon

Studies perfect nature and are perfected still by experience.
Francis Bacon

By indignities men come to dignities.
Francis Bacon

Certainly the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried, or childless men.
Francis Bacon

God hangs the greatest weights upon the smallest wires.
Francis Bacon

Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.
Francis Bacon

I had rather believe all the Fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame is without a Mind.
Francis Bacon

Judges must beware of hard constructions and strained inferences, for there is no worse torture than that of laws.
Francis Bacon

We cannot command Nature except by obeying her.
Francis Bacon

Young people are fitter to invent than to judge; fitter for execution than for counsel; and more fit for new projects than for settled business.
Francis Bacon

Antiquities are history defaced, or some remnants of history which have casually escaped the shipwreck of time.
Francis Bacon

Children sweeten labours, but they make misfortunes more bitter.
Francis Bacon

Discretion of speech is more than eloquence, and to speak agreeably to him with whom we deal is more than to speak in good words, or in good order.
Francis Bacon

Friendship increases in visiting friends, but in visiting them seldom.
Francis Bacon

God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.
Francis Bacon

Money is like manure, of very little use except it be spread.
Francis Bacon

Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.
Francis Bacon

The correlative to loving our neighbors as ourselves is hating ourselves as we hate our neighbors.
Francis Bacon

Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set.
Francis Bacon

We are much beholden to Machiavel and others, that write what men do, and not what they ought to do.
Francis Bacon

As the births of living creatures are at first ill-shapen, so are all innovations, which are the births of time.
Francis Bacon

Beauty itself is but the sensible image of the Infinite.
Francis Bacon