Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban PC KCwas an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator, and author. He served both as Attorney General and as Lord Chancellor of England. After his death, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth21 January 1561
cannot discovery greater nature since subtlety suffice
Argumentation cannot suffice for the discovery of new work, since the subtlety of Nature is greater many times than the subtlety of argument.
double single
What is it then to have or have no wife, / But single thraldom, or a double strife?
cannot reads sleeping thoughts
We cannot too often think there is a never sleeping eye, which reads the heart, and registers our thoughts
cannot case enemy friend man son speak whereas wife
A man cannot speak to his son but as a father, to his wife but as a husband, to his enemy but upon terms; whereas a friend may speak as the case requires, and not as it sorteth with the person.
destroy either nature runs therefore water
A man's nature runs either to herbs, or to weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other.
heal keeps man otherwise revenge wounds
A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well
atheism heart life man rather
Atheism is rather in the life than in the heart of man
ancient ask both counsel latter time
Ask a counsel of both times-of the ancient time what is best, and of the latter time what is fittest
doth lay man open question surprise unexpected
A sudden, bold, and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open
business execution fitter invent men projects settled
Young men are fitter to invent than to judge, fitter for execution than for counsel, and fitter for new projects than for settled business.
delivered delivering disjointed distinct doth free knowledge leave man several turn wit
This delivering of knowledge in distinct and disjointed aphorisms doth leave the wit of man more free to turn and toss, and to make use of that which is so delivered to more several purposes and applications
admire excel falls higher possible reservoir rises scarcely water
It is scarcely possible at once to admire and excel an author, as water rises no higher than the reservoir it falls from
base beasts body certainly creature deny destroy god kin man
They that deny a God destroy man's nobility, for certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body; and if he is not of kin to God by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature
friends-or-friendship sincere solitude worst
The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship.