153 Quotes & Sayings By Francis Bacon

Philosophy when superficially studied, excites doubt, when thoroughly explored, it dispels it. Francis Bacon

Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation; all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, though religion were not; but superstition dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute monarchy in the minds of men. Therefore atheism did never perturb states; for it makes men wary of themselves, as looking no further: and we see the times inclined to atheism (as the time of Augustus Cæsar) were civil times. But superstition hath been the confusion of many states, and bringeth in a new primum mobile, that ravisheth all the spheres of government. The master of superstition is the people; and in all superstition wise men follow fools; and arguments are fitted to practice, in a reversed order. . Francis Bacon

Truth is a naked and open daylight, that does not show the masques, and mummeries, and triumphs of the world, half so stately and daintily as candle-lights... A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure Francis Bacon

But it is not only the difficulty and labor which men take in finding out of truth, nor again that when it is found it imposeth upon men's thoughts, that doth bring lies in favor; but a natural though corrupt love of the lie itself. Francis Bacon

God has, in fact, written two books, not just one. Of course, we are all familiar with the first book he wrote, namely Scripture. But he has written a second book called creation. Francis Bacon

We are much beholden to Machiavelli and others, that write what men do, and not what they ought to do . For it is not possible to join serpentine wisdom with the columbine innocency, 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. Nay, an honest man can do no good upon those that are wicked, to reclaim them, without the help of the knowledge of evil. . Francis Bacon

I would address one general admonition to all, that they consider what are the true ends of knowledge, and that they seek it not either for pleasure of the mind, or for contention, or for superiority to others, or for profit, or for fame, or power, or any of these inferior things, but for the benefit and use of life; and that they perfect and govern it in charity. For it was from lust of power that the Angels fell, from lust of knowledge that man fell, but of charity there can be no excess, neither did angel or man come in danger by it. Francis Bacon

The inquiry of truth, which is the love-making, or the wooing of it, the knowledge of truth, which is the presence of it, and the belief of truth, which is the enjoying of it, is the sovereign good of human nature. Francis Bacon

Nay, the same Solomon the king, although he excelled in the glory of treasure and magnificent buildings, of shipping and navigation, of service and attendance, of fame and renown, and the like, yet he maketh no claim to any of those glories, but only to the glory of inquisition of truth; for so he saith expressly, "The glory of God is to conceal a thing, but the glory of the king is to find it out;" as if, according to the innocent play of children, the Divine Majesty took delight to hide His works, to the end to have them found out; and as if kings could not obtain a greater honour than to be God's playfellows in that game . Francis Bacon

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. Francis Bacon

Where a man cannot fitly play his own part; if he have not a friend, he may quit the stage. Francis Bacon

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 Francis Bacon

Reading maketh a full man; and writing an axact man. And, therefore, if a man write little, he need have a present wit; and if he read little, he need have much cunning to seem to know which he doth not. Francis Bacon

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

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

Nature cannot be commanded except by being obeyed. Francis Bacon

Money is a great servant but a bad master. Francis Bacon

We see then how far the monuments of wit and learning are more durable than the monuments of power, or of the hands. For have not some books continued twenty-five hundred years or more, without the loss of a syllable or letter; during which time infinite palaces, temples, castles, and cities have been decayed and demolished? Francis Bacon

We gave ourselves for lost men, and prepared for death. Yet we did lift up our hearts and voices to God above, who "showeth His wonders in the deep". Francis Bacon

We gave ourselves for lost men, and prepared for death. Yet we did lift up our hearts and voices to God above, who "showeth His wonders in the deep"; beseeching Him of His mercy, that as in the beginning He discovered the face of the deep, and brought forth dry land, so He would now discover land to us, that we might not perish. Francis Bacon

To conclude, therefore, let no man upon a weak conceit of sobriety or an ill-applied moderation think or maintain that a man can search too far, or be too well studied in the book of God's word, or the book of God's works, divinity or philosophy; but rather let men endeavor an endless progress or proficience in both; only let men beware that they apply both to charity, and not to swelling; to use, and not to ostentation; and again, that they do not unwisely mingle or confound these learnings together. Francis Bacon

Books must follow sciences, and not sciences b Francis Bacon

A man dies as often as he loses his friends. Francis Bacon

The general root of superstition : namely, that men observe when things hit, and not when they miss; and commit to memory the one, and forget and pass over the other. Francis Bacon

The creative process is a cocktail of instinct, skill, culture and a highly creative feverishness. It is not like a drug; it is a particular state when everything happens very quickly, a mixture of consciousness and unconsciousness, of fear and pleasure, it's a little like making love, the physical act of love. Francis Bacon

Reasoning draws a conclusion, but does not make the conclusion certain, unless the mind discovers it by the path of experience. Francis Bacon

Man's sense is falsely asserted to be the standard of things; on the contrary, all the perceptions both of the senses and the mind bear reference to man and not to the Universe, and the human mind resembles these uneven mirrors which impart their own properties to different objects, from which rays are emitted and distort and disfigure them. Francis Bacon

Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom. Francis Bacon

All rising to a great place is by a winding stair. Francis Bacon

God never wrought miracle to convince atheism, because his ordinary works convince it. It is true, that a little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion. Francis Bacon

Despise no new accident in your body, but ask opinion of it… There is a wisdom in this beyond the rules of physic. A man’s observation, what he finds good and of what he finds hurt of, is the best physic to preserve health. Francis Bacon

The monuments of wit survive the monuments of power. Francis Bacon

They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea. Francis Bacon

By indignities men come to dignities Francis Bacon

The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery. Francis Bacon

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

For all knowledge and wonder (which is the seed of knowledge) is an impression of pleasure in itself. Francis Bacon

It is a poore Center of a Mans Actions, Himselfe. Francis Bacon

It was a good answer that was made by one who when they showed him hanging in a temple a picture of those who had paid their vows as having escaped shipwreck, and would have him say whether he did not now acknowledge the power of the gods, – ‘Aye, ’ asked he again, ‘but where are they painted that were drowned after their vows?’ And such is the way of all superstition, whether in astrology, dreams, omens, divine judgments, or the like; wherein men, having a delight in such vanities, mark the events where they are fulfilled, but where they fail, though this happens much oftener, neglect and pass them by. Francis Bacon

Look upon good books; they are true friends, that will neither flatter nor dissemble: be you but true to yourself...and you shall need no other comfort nor counsel. Francis Bacon

The poets did well to conjoin music and medicine, in Apollo, because the office of medicine is but to tune the curious harp of man's body and reduce it to harmony. Francis Bacon

They are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they can see nothing but sea. Francis Bacon

The surest way to prevent seditions...is to take away the matter of them. Francis Bacon

I wonder why it is that the countries with the most nobles also have the most misery? Francis Bacon

Nature to be commanded must be obeyed. Francis Bacon

The virtue of prosperity is temperance the virtue of adversity is fortitude which in morals is the heroical virtue. Francis Bacon

Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes and adversity is not without comforts and hopes. Francis Bacon

The virtue of prosperity is temperance the virtue of adversity is fortitude. Francis Bacon

There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. Francis Bacon

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

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

Things alter for the worse spontaneously if they be not altered for the better designedly. Francis Bacon

He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils. Francis Bacon

The lame man who keeps the right road outstrips the runner who takes a wrong one ... the more active and swift the latter is the further he will go astray. Francis Bacon

They are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they see nothing but sea. Francis Bacon

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. Francis Bacon

Nothing is terrible except fear itself. Francis Bacon

The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship. Francis Bacon

Those that lack friends to open themselves unto are cannibals of their own hearts. Francis Bacon

There is no man that imparteth his joys to his friends but he joyeth the more and no man that imparteth his griefs to his friends but he grieveth the less. Francis Bacon

The best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend. Francis Bacon

All rising to great places is by a winding stair. Francis Bacon

It is left only to God and to the angels to be lookers on. Francis Bacon

They are happy men whose natures sort with their vocations. Francis Bacon

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

A sudden bold and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open. Francis Bacon

Knowledge is power. Francis Bacon

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

Little do men perceive what solitude is and how far it extendeth. For a crowd is not company and faces are but a gallery of pictures and talk but a tinkling cymbal where there is no love. Francis Bacon

Riches are for spending. Francis Bacon

Money is like muck - not good unless it be spread. Francis Bacon

Generally music feedeth that disposition of the spirits which it findeth. Francis Bacon

We cannot command Nature except by obeying her. Francis Bacon

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

Fortune is like the market where many times if you can stay a little the price will fall. Francis Bacon

Time is the greatest innovator. Francis Bacon

Time is the author of authors. Francis Bacon

If a man looks sharply and attentively he shall see fortune for though she be blind yet she is not invisible. Francis Bacon

Many a man's strength is in opposition and when he faileth he groweth out of use. Francis Bacon

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

Atheism is rather in the lip than in the heart of Man. Francis Bacon

I would live to study not study to live. Francis Bacon

Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion. Francis Bacon