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Francis Bacon

74 quotes

Francis Bacon (1561–1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, and essayist who is widely regarded as the father of the scientific method. His *Essays*, covering topics from truth and death to gardens and studies, are masterpieces of concise, penetrating English prose that have been quoted continuously for over four centuries.

“There is a difference between happiness and wisdom: he that thinks himself the happiest man is really so but he that thinks himself the wisest is generally the greatest fool.”

— Francis Bacon

Happiness

All Quotes by Francis Bacon

“Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.”

— Francis Bacon

God

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

— Francis Bacon

Imagination

“The root of all superstition is that men observe when a thing hits, but not when it misses.”

— Francis Bacon

Men

“God has placed no limits to the exercise of the intellect he has given us, on this side of the grave.”

— Francis Bacon

God

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

— Francis Bacon

Death

“The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.”

— Francis Bacon

Beauty

“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

Nature

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

— Francis Bacon

Best

“Acorns were good until bread was found.”

— Francis Bacon

Good

“Money is like manure, of very little use except it be spread.”

— Francis Bacon

Money

“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.”

— Francis Bacon

Wisdom

“He that gives good advice, builds with one hand he that gives good counsel and example, builds with both but he that gives good admonition and bad example, builds with one hand and pulls down with the other.”

— Francis Bacon

Good

“We cannot command Nature except by obeying her.”

— Francis Bacon

Nature

“Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.”

— Francis Bacon

Truth

“The momentous thing in human life is the art of winning the soul to good or evil.”

— Francis Bacon

Art

“Many a man's strength is in opposition, and when he faileth, he grows out of use.”

— Francis Bacon

Strength

“Beauty itself is but the sensible image of the Infinite.”

— Francis Bacon

Beauty

“The desire of excessive power caused the angels to fall the desire of knowledge caused men to fall.”

— Francis Bacon

Knowledge

“There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.”

— Francis Bacon

Beauty

“The great end of life is not knowledge but action.”

— Francis Bacon

Great