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.

Of all virtues and dignities of the mind, goodness is the greatest, being the character of the Deity; and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing.

Look to make your course regular, that men may know beforehand what they may expect.

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.

Atheism is rather in the lip than in the heart of man.

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.

The Jews generally give value. They make you pay; but they deliver the goods. In my experience the men who want something for nothing are invariably Christians.

Friendships begin with liking or gratitude roots that can be pulled up.

A loving heart is the truest wisdom.

Nuptial love makes mankind; friendly love perfects it; but wanton love corrupts and debases it.

There is a certain satisfaction in coming down to the lowest ground of politics, for we get rid of cant and hypocrisy.

If there is something to gain and nothing to lose by asking, by all means ask!

In war as in life, it is often necessary when some cherished scheme has failed, to take up the best alternative open, and if so, it is folly not to work for it with all your might.

Patience and diligence, like faith, remove mountains.

Haste makes Work which Caution prevents.

The amount of people in this world who are here to do something great far outweighs the rest.

When a man wants to murder a tiger he calls it sport; when a tiger wants to murder him he calls it ferocity.

To find yourself, think for yourself.

We feel at first as if some opportunities of kindness and sympathy were lost, but learn afterward that any pure grief is ample recompense for all. That is, if we are faithful; for a spent grief is but sympathy with the soul that disposes events, and is as natural as the resin of Arabian trees. Only nature has a right to grieve perpetually, for she only is innocent. Soon the ice will melt, and the blackbirds sing along the river which he frequented, as pleasantly as ever. The same everlasting serenity will appear in this face of God, and we will not be sorrowful, if he is not.

The greatest homage we can pay truth is to use it.

All men’s souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine.