Francis Bacon

The worst solitude is to have no real friendships.

But men must know, that in this theatre of man's life it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers on.

A sudden bold and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open.

Truth is so hard to tell, it sometimes needs fiction to make it plausible.

If a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics.

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.

A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green.

A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion.

The only really interesting thing is what happens between two people in a room.

The less people speak of their greatness, the more we think of it.

If we are to achieve things never before accomplished we must employ methods never before attempted

The surest way to prevent seditions...is to take away the matter of them.

A man that is young in years may be old in hours if he have lost no time.

For friends... do but look upon good Books: they are true friends, that will neither flatter nor dissemble.

Truth is a naked and open daylight, that does not show the masques, and mummeries, and triumphs of the world, half so stately and daintily as candle-lights. . . A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure

It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself.

God has, in fact, written two books, not just one. Of course, we are all familiar with the first book he wrote, namely Scripture. But he has written a second book called creation.