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
doth higher shows
He doth like the ape, that the higher he clymbes the more he shows his ars
desires doth mind raise
Poesy was ever thought to have some participation of divineness, because it doth raise and erect the mind by submitting the shews of things to the desires of the mind.
adversity best discover doth prosperity
Prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue.
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
doth lay man open question surprise unexpected
A sudden, bold, and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open
add doth lie mixture pleasure
A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure.
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.
divinity humanity poor within
Our humanity were a poor thing were it not for the divinity which stirs within us
books-and-reading fragments passages private records recover save somewhat time
Out of monuments, names, words, proverbs, traditions, private records and evidences, fragments of stories, passages of books, and the like, we do save and recover somewhat from the deluge of time
strength
Many a man's strength is in opposition, and when he faileth, he groweth out of use
man true
Man prefers to think what he prefers to be true
study
I would live to study, and not study to live.
adventure age business consult content drive home mediocrity object people repent seldom soon themselves
People of age object too much, consult too long, adventure too little, repent too soon and seldom drive business home to it's conclusion, but content themselves with a mediocrity of success.
amongst bats fly suspicions thoughts
Suspicions amongst thoughts are like bats amongst birds, they ever fly by twilight.