Francis Bacon Quotes

563 Sourced Quotes

Who then to frail mortality shall trust
But limns the water, or but writes in dust.

Francis Bacon
Riches are a good handmaid, but the worst mistress.

Francis Bacon
He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.

Francis Bacon
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.

Francis Bacon
Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study.

Francis Bacon
Cato said the best way to keep good acts in memory was to refresh them with new.

Francis Bacon
No man in effect doth accompany with others but he learneth, ere he is aware, some gesture, voice, or fashion.

Francis Bacon
A steady hand in military affairs is more requisite than in peace, because an error committed in war may prove irremediable.

Francis Bacon
It is as hard and severe a thing to be a true politician as to be truly moral.

Francis Bacon
This communicating of a man's self to his friend works two contrary effects; for it redoubleth joys, and cutteth griefs in half.

Francis Bacon
The Scripture saith, The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God; it is not said, The fool hath thought in his heart; so as he rather saith it, by rote to himself, as that he would have, than that he can thoroughly believe it, or be persuaded of it. For none deny, there is a God, but those, for whom it maketh that there were no God. It appeareth in nothing more, that atheism is rather in the lip, than in the heart of man, than by this; that atheists will ever be talking of that their opinion, as if they fainted in it, within themselves, and would be glad to be strengthened, by the consent of others.

Francis Bacon
In nature things move violently to their place, and calmly in their place.

Francis Bacon
The desire of knowledge in excess caused man to fall; but in charity there is no excess: neither can angel or man come into danger by it.

Francis Bacon
In regard of our deliverance past, and our danger present and to come, let us look up to God, and every man reform his own ways.

Francis Bacon
Mr. Bettenham said that virtuous men were like some herbs and spices, that give not out their sweet smell till they be broken or crushed.

Francis Bacon
The problem is, whether a man constantly and strongly believing that such a thing shall be, it don't help anything to the effecting of the thing.

Francis Bacon
There is a great difference between the Idols of the human mind and the Ideas of the divine. That is to say, between certain empty dogmas, and the true signatures and marks set upon the works of creation as they are found in nature.

Francis Bacon
He that dies in an earnest pursuit is like one that is wounded in hot blood; who, for the time, scarce feels the hurt; and therefore a mind fixed and bent upon somewhat that is good doth avert the dolors of death; but above all, believe it, the sweetest canticle is, "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace."

Francis Bacon
Salomon saith, There is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, that all knowledge was but remembrance; so Salomon giveth his sentence, that all novelty is but oblivion.

Francis Bacon
It is in life as it is in ways, the shortest way is commonly the foulest, and surely the fairer way is not much about.

Francis Bacon
The most tolerable sort of revenge is for those wrongs which there is no law to remedy. But then let a man take heed that the revenge be such as there is no law to punish; else a man's enemy is still beforehand, and is two for one.

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

Francis Bacon
God grant that we may contend with other churches as the vine with the olive, which of us shall bear the best fruit; but not as the brier with the thistle, which of us shall be most unprofitable.

Francis Bacon
The desire of power in excess caused angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess caused man to fall; but in charity is no excess, neither can man nor angels come into danger by it.

Francis Bacon
That is the best part of beauty which a picture cannot express.

Francis Bacon
The vine produces more grapes when it is young, but better grapes for wine when it is old, because its juices are more perfectly concocted.

Francis Bacon
Believe not much them that seem to despise riches; for they despise them that despair of them; and none are worse when they come to them. Be not penny-wise; riches have wings, and sometimes they fly away of themselves, sometimes they must be set flying to bring in more.

Francis Bacon
Fortitude is the marshal of thought, the armor of the will, and the fort of reason.

Francis Bacon
Seek not proud riches, but such as thou may'st get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and leave contentedly; yet have no abstract nor friarly contempt of them.

Francis Bacon
There is a cunning which we in England call "the turning of the cat in the pan;" which is, when that which a man says to another, he lays it as if another had said it to him.

Francis Bacon