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.

Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.

Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.

Great art is always a way of concentrating, reinventing what is called fact, what we know of our existence- a reconcentration… tearing away the veils, the attitudes people acquire of their time and earlier time. Really good artists tear down those veils

Wise men make more opportunities than they find.

Knowledge and human power are synonymous.

Philosophy when superficially studied, excites doubt, when thoroughly explored, it dispels it.

Ipsa scientia potestas est. (Knowledge itself is power.)

There ought to be gardens for all months in the year, in which, severally, things of beauty may be then in season.

If any human being earnestly desire to push on to new discoveries instead of just retaining and using the old; to win victories over Nature as a worker rather than over hostile critics as a disputant; to attain, in fact, clear and demonstrative knowlegde instead of attractive and probable theory; we invite him as a true son of Science to join our ranks.

He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.

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.

It is idle to expect any great advancement in science from the superinducing and engrafting of new things upon old. We must begin anew from the very foundations, unless we would revolve for ever in a circle with mean and contemptible progress.

Judges ought to be more leaned than witty, more reverent than plausible, and more advised than confident. Above all things, integrity is their portion and proper virtue.

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.

Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.

I had rather believe all the Fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, then that this universall Frame, is without a Minde. And therefore, God never wrought Miracle, to convince Atheisme, because his Ordinary Works Convince it. It is true, that a little Philosophy inclineth Mans Minde to Atheisme; But depth in Philosophy, bringeth Mens Mindes about to Religion.

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

The worst men often give the best advice.

It is in life as it is in ways, the shortest way is commonly the foulest, and surely the fairer way is not much about.

Lies are sufficient to breed opinion, and opinion brings on substance.