Francis Bacon

The momentous thing in human life is the art of winning the soul to good or evil.

Antiquities are history defaced, or some remnants of history which have casually escaped the shipwreck of time.

Nakedness is uncomely, as well in mind as body, and it addeth no small reverence to men’s manners and actions if they be not altogether open. Therefore set it down: That a habit of secrecy is both politic and moral.

Houses are built to live in, and not to look on: therefore let use be preferred before uniformity.

If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world.

Images also help me find and realise ideas. I look at hundreds of very different, contrasting images and I pinch details from them, rather like people who eat from other people

This is the ultimate end of man, to find the One which is in him; which is his truth, which is his soul; the key with which he opens the gate of the spiritual life, the heavenly kingdom.

You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.

Today is Trinity Sunday. Centuries ago words were written to be a call and a spur to the faithful servants of Truth and Justice: Arm yourselves, and be ye men of valor, and be in readiness for the conflict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar. As the Will of God is in Heaven, even so let it be.

Let us work without theorizing, tis the only way to make life endurable.

You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction.

The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.

Love truth, but pardon error.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

To me the sole hope of human salvation lies in teaching Man to regard himself as an experiment in the realization of God, to regard his hands as God’s hand, his brain as God’s brain, his purpose as God’s purpose. He must regard God as a helpless Longing, which longed him into existence by its desperate need for an executive organ.

It is nobler to be good, and it is nobler to teach others to be good – and less trouble!

Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.

I’m not a teacher: only a fellow-traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead – ahead of myself as well as you.

Tis a rule of manners to avoid exaggeration.

The correlative to loving our neighbors as ourselves is hating ourselves as we hate our neighbors.