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
curious harp medicine music office poet poets tune
The poets did well to conjoin music and medicine, because the office of medicine is but to tune the curious harp of man's body.
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
believe call hill people stood
Mahomet made the people believe that he would call a hill to him . . . when the hill stood still, he was never a whit abashed, but said, 'If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill.'
itself pure remains
The sun, which passeth through pollutions and itself remains as pure as before.
believe call hill people stood wit
Mahomet made the people believe that he would call a hill to him ... when the hill stood still, he was never a wit abashed, but said, 'If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill.'
distribute love proud seek thou
Seek not proud wealth; but such as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and love contentedly
inspired labours port sacred
Sacred and inspired divinity, the sabaoth and port of all men's labours and peregrinations.
compensate console given humor humorous imagination man
Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is
doth lay man open question surprise unexpected
A sudden, bold, and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open
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
compensate console given humor imagination man
Imagination was given man to compensate for what he is not, and a sense of humor to console him for what he is.
conference exact full reading ready
Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.
essays
My essays . . . come home, to men's business, and bosoms.
delight far knowledge nature pleasure
The pleasure and delight of knowledge and learning, it far surpasseth all other in nature