Francis Bacon

Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished.

Cure the disease and kill the patient.

Philosophers make imaginary laws for imaginary commonwealths, and their discourses are as the stars, which give little light because they are so high.

To choose time is to save time.

Wives are young men’s mistresses, companions for middle age, and old men’s nurses.

Nay, number itself in armies importeth not much, where the people is of weak courage; for, as Virgil saith, It never troubles the wolf how many the sheep be.

Many heroes lived before Agamemnon; but all are unknown and unwept, extinguished in everlasting night, because they have no spirited chronicler.

Wisdom is not wisdom when it is derived from books alone.

From a worldly point of view, there is no mistake so great as that of being always right.

Put an Irishman on the spit and you can always get another Irishman to turn him.

The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.

Composition is, for the most part, an effort of slow diligence and steady perseverance, to which the mind is dragged by necessity or resolution, and from which the attention is every moment starting to more delightful amusements.

Our country is that spot to which our heart is bound.

Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous. If men would steadily observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, life … would be like a fairy tale and the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments.

The intellectual man requires a fine bait; the sots are easily amused. But everybody is drugged with his own frenzy, and the pageant marches at all hours, with music and banner and badge.

The mind is refrigerated by interruption; the thoughts are diverted from the principal subject; the reader is weary, he suspects not why; and at last throws away the book, which he has too diligently studied.

The heart is forever inexperienced.

What sort of philosophers are we, who know absolutely nothing about the origin and destiny of cats?

The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.

Better a broken promise than none at all.

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.