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
admit men open receive reserved shut won
It is nothing won to admit men with an open door, yet to receive them with a shut and reserved countenance.
champagne pain sham
Champagne for my sham friends; real pain for my real friends.
childless noblest works
The noblest works and foundations have proceeded from childless men.
admired either great
All things are admired either because they are new or because they are great
innocent pope portrait study
Study After Velasquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X,
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
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.
conceit except great rest riches
Of great riches there is no real use, except in the distribution; the rest is but conceit
affections cometh counsel light man purer understanding
The light that a man receiveth by counsel from another is drier and purer than that which cometh from his own understanding and judgment, which is ever infused and drenched in his affections and customs.
contrive deep discover dissect fabulous imitation indulge intend nature plan rather sought worlds
For those who intend to discover and to understand, not to indulge in conjectures and soothsaying, and rather than contrive imitation and fabulous worlds plan to look deep into the nature of the real world and to dissect it -- for them everything must be sought in things themselves.
according act commonly custom generally learning men speak
Men commonly think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and imbibed opinions, but generally act according to custom
man shall though
If a man look sharply and attentively, he shall see Fortune; for though she is blind, she is not invisible.
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.
crowd faces far gallery men perceive solitude talk
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.