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
distribute love proud seek thou
Seek not proud wealth; but such as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and love contentedly
man shall though
If a man look sharply and attentively, he shall see Fortune; for though she is blind, she is not invisible.
according discourse learning speeches thoughts
Men's thoughts are much according to their inclination, 1 their discourse and speeches according to their learning and infused opinions.
cannot reads sleeping thoughts
We cannot too often think there is a never sleeping eye, which reads the heart, and registers our thoughts
leave remain running stagnant stream sweet thou wisdom
If thou would'st have that stream of hard-earn'd knowledge, of Wisdom heaven-born, remain sweet running waters, thou should'st not leave it to become a stagnant pond.
amongst bats fly suspicions thoughts
Suspicions amongst thoughts are like bats amongst birds, they ever fly by twilight.
begins shall thoughts-and-thinking
In thinking, if a person begins with certainties, they shall end in doubts, but if they can begin with doubts, they will end in certainties.
friends-or-friendship sincere solitude worst
The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship.
faculties fortunate fortune giving light men number rather scarce seen smaller
The way of fortune is like the milky way in the sky; which is a number of smaller stars, not seen asunder, but giving light together; so it is a number of little and scarce discerned virtues, or rather faculties and customs, that make men fortunate
man wise
The wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.
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.
adversity comforts fears prosperity
Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.
adversity comforts fears prosperity
Prosperity is not without many fears and distaste; adversity not without many comforts and hopes.
adversity best discover doth prosperity
Prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue.