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Quotations by Francis Bacon 133 Found Born: Saturday, January 21, 1561 A bachelor's life is a fine breakfast, a flat lunch, and a miserable dinner. A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion. A man must make his opportunity, as oft as find it. A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green. A prudent question is one-half of wisdom. A sudden bold and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open. A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Acorns were good until bread was found. 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. Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor. Antiquities are history defaced, or some remnants of history which have casually escaped the shipwreck of time. As the births of living creatures are at first ill-shapen, so are all innovations, which are the births of time. Beauty itself is but the sensible image of the Infinite. But men must know, that in this theatre of man's life it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers on. By indignities men come to dignities. Certainly the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried, or childless men. Children sweeten labours, but they make misfortunes more bitter. Choose the life that is most useful, and habit will make it the most agreeable. Discretion of speech is more than eloquence, and to speak agreeably to him with whom we deal is more than to speak in good words, or in good order. Fame is like a river, that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things weighty and solid. Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse. For my name and memory I leave to men's charitable speeches, and to foreign nations and the next ages. Fortitude is the marshal of thought, the armor of the will, and the fort of reason. Fortune is like the market, where, many times, if you can stay a little, the price will fall. Friends are thieves of time. Friendship increases in visiting friends, but in visiting them seldom. God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures. God hangs the greatest weights upon the smallest wires. God has placed no limits to the exercise of the intellect he has given us, on this side of the grave. God's first creature, which was light. Good fame is like fire; when you have kindled you may easily preserve it; but if you extinguish it, you will not easily kindle it again. 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. He that hath knowledge spareth his words. He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief. He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator. Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper. Houses are built to live in, and not to look on: therefore let use be preferred before uniformity. I do not believe that any man fears to be dead, but only the stroke of death. I had rather believe all the Fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame is without a Mind. I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am. If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world. 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. If a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics. If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us. Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is. In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present. In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior. 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. It is as hard and severe a thing to be a true politician as to be truly moral. It is as natural to die as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as the other.
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