Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban, PC QC was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and as Lord Chancellor of England. Powerful collection of profoundly inspirational Francis Bacon quotes will encourage you to think a little deeper than you usually would and broaden your perspective.
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Famous Francis Bacon Quotes
Beauty itself is but the sensible image of the Infinite. Francis Bacon
Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly. Sir Francis Bacon
The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express. Francis Bacon
If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties. Francis Bacon
The joys of parents are secret, and so are their grieves and fears. Francis Bacon
Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper. Francis Bacon
A bachelor’s life is a fine breakfast, a flat lunch, and a miserable dinner. Francis Bacon
A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Francis Bacon
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. Francis Bacon
Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Francis Bacon
Knowledge is power. Francis Bacon
There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion. Francis Bacon
It is impossible to love and to be wise. Francis Bacon
Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is. Francis Bacon
Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.Francis Bacon
Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake. Sir Francis Bacon
The great end of life is not knowledge, but action. Francis Bacon
Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true. Francis Bacon
A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Francis Bacon
Age appears best in four things old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read. Francis Bacon
If a man’s wit be wandering, let him study mathematics. Francis Bacon
Money is a great servant but a bad master. Francis Bacon
Who questions much, shall learn much, and retain much. Francis Bacon
It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself. Francis Bacon
Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. Francis Bacon
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present. Francis Bacon
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. Francis Bacon
Reading maketh a full man; and writing an axact man. And, therefore, if a man write little, he need have a present wit; and if he read little, he need have much cunning to seem to know which he doth not. Francis Bacon
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
It is impossible to love and be wise. Francis Bacon
I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am. Francis Bacon
Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted but to weigh and consider. Francis Bacon
Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience. Francis Bacon
In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior. Francis Bacon
Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. Francis Bacon
There are two ways of spreading light to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. Francis Bacon
Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased by tales, so is the other. Francis Bacon
If we are to achieve things never before accomplished we must employ methods never before attempted. Francis Bacon
Friends are thieves of time. Francis Bacon
The general root of superstition namely, that men observe when things hit, and not when they miss; and commit to memory the one, and forget and pass over the other. Francis Bacon
The remedy is worse than the disease. Francis Bacon
The less people speak of their greatness, the more we think of it. Francis Bacon
The place of justice is a hallowed place. Francis Bacon
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few are to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Francis Bacon
A prudent question is one half of wisdom. Francis Bacon
Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends. Francis Bacon
Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed. Francis Bacon
Philosophy when superficially studied, excites doubt, when thoroughly explored, it dispels it. Francis Bacon
Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority. Francis Bacon
God has, in fact, written two books, not just one. Of course, we are all familiar with the first book he wrote, namely Scripture. But he has written a second book called creation. Sir Francis Bacon
The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery. Francis Bacon
There is no comparison between that which is lost by not succeeding and that which is lost by not trying. Francis Bacon
If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us. Francis Bacon
Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. Francis Bacon
Money is like manure, of very little use except it be spread. Francis Bacon
The root of all superstition is that men observe when a thing hits, but not when it misses. Francis Bacon
A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green. Francis Bacon
Truth is so hard to tell, it sometimes needs fiction to make it plausible. Francis Bacon
Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion. Francis Bacon
They are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they can see nothing but sea. Francis Bacon
Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god. Francis Bacon
Salomon saith, There is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, that all knowledge was but remembrance; so Salomon giveth his sentence, that all novelty is but oblivion. Francis Bacon
For friends do but look upon good Books they are true friends, that will neither flatter nor dissemble. Francis Bacon
Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. Francis Bacon
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present. Francis Bacon
Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend. Francis Bacon
They are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they can see nothing but sea. Francis Bacon
Great boldness is seldom without some absurdity. Francis Bacon
A sudden bold and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open. Francis Bacon
Nature cannot be commanded except by being obeyed. Francis Bacon
Fortitude is the marshal of thought, the armor of the will, and the fort of reason. Francis Bacon
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. Francis Bacon
Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted but to weigh and consider. Francis Bacon
Money is like manure, its only good if you spread it around. Francis Bacon
He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator. Francis Bacon
A little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion. Francis Bacon
Houses are built to live in, and not to look on therefore let use be preferred before uniformity. Francis Bacon
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. Francis Bacon
Fame is like a river, that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things weighty and solid. Francis Bacon
A man that is young in years may be old in hours if he have lost no time. Francis Bacon
Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly. Francis Bacon
He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator. Francis Bacon
Seek ye first the good things of the mind, and the rest will either be supplied or its loss will not be felt. Francis Bacon
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
Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; adversity not without many comforts and hopes. Francis Bacon
The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express. Francis Bacon
Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. Francis Bacon
Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake. Francis Bacon
Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is. Francis Bacon
Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished. Sir Francis Bacon
It is a strange desire to seek power, and to lose liberty, or to seek power over others, and to lose power over a man’s self. Francis Bacon
Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Francis Bacon
If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will content, to begin with, doubts, he shall end in certainties. Francis Bacon
I will never be an old man. To me old age is always 15 years older than I am. Francis Bacon
Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy, but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince’s part to pardon. Francis Bacon
We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake. Sir Francis Bacon
The way of fortune is like the milky way in the sky; which is a number of small 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. Francis Bacon
To conclude, therefore, let no man upon a weak conceit of sobriety or an ill applied moderation think or maintain that a man can search too far, or be too well studied in the book of God’s word, or the book of God’s works, divinity or philosophy; but rather let men endeavor an endless progress or proficience in both; only let men beware that they apply both to charity, and not to swelling; to use, and not to ostentation; and again, that they do not unwisely mingle or confound these learnings together. Francis Bacon
