Francis Bacon

Quotes from Francis Bacon’s Essays

 1-15/I.-XV. Essays—The Last Edition, 1625

Quotes Compiled by Kiran Fane

This is a selection of my favorite quotes from Francis Bacon's Essays. Some have been slightly altered to accommodate the sentiment in shorter sentences, herein indicated by a dash added to the beginning or end of the quote. These I have altered so in the least intrusive way, without taking out the original meaning. Bacon uses the word ‘facility’ often, this is in reference to the word ‘facile’ - not an establishment.

To observe first-hand some outdated nature of the English language and Francis Bacon’s personal opinions: you'll find the use of ‘men/man’ in reference to all human-kind; this is a failing of the English language for the most part, to mute the voice of women in regards to all people, I acknowledge here so often there is no better alternative. This I did not alter, though I do not agree with it.

Periodically, in old literature, I notice what is considered offensive uses of words and derogatory opinions. For the sake of decency, I have removed these aspects from the quotes. When reviewing things from four hundred years ago, I believe it is important to express that I do not always agree with everything. For instance, his essay ‘Of Religion’ I find unappealing, and 'Of Sedition' hardly applies in the current age, even in Europe. Even there, I still find some few things of value. I believe that is the best route of growing my personal intuitive thought and knowledge for all of human-kind, filtering their words through my own lens of discernment. 

Of Truth

“Truth may perhaps come to the price of a pearl, that showeth best by day, but it will not rise to the price of a diamond or carbuncle, that showeth best in varied light.”

“-That mixture of falsehood in truth is like alloy in coin of gold and silver, which may make the metal work better, but it embaseth it.” 

Of Death

“-Death is no such terrible enemy when a man hath so many attendants about him. Revenge triumphs over death; love slights it; honor aspireth to it; grief flieth to it; and fear preoccupieth it-”

“It is as natural to die as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as the other.”

“He that dies in an earnest pursuit, is like one that is wounded in hot blood; who, for the time, scarce feels the hurt; and therefore a mind fixed and bent upon somewhat that is good, doth avert the dolors of death;-”

Of Unity In Religion

“Religion being the chief band of human society, is a happy thing when itself is well contained within the band of unity.”

“Men create oppositions which are not, and put them into new terms, so fixed as, whereas the meaning ought to govern the term, the term in effect governeth the meaning.”

“There be also two false peaces, or unities; the one, when peace is grounded but upon an implicit ignorance: for all colors agree in the dark, the other when it is pieced up upon direct admission of contraries in fundamental points: for truth and falsehood , in such things, are like the iron and clay in the toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image;-”

Of Revenge

“Revenge is a kind of wild justice which the more man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out: for as for the first wrong, it doth but offend the law, but the revenge of that wrong putteth the law out of office.”

“Certainly, in taking revenge a man is but ever with his enemy but in passing it over, he is superior-”

“That which is past is gone and irrevocable, and wise men have enough to do with things present and to come; therefore they do but trifle with themselves that labor in past matters.”

“-But like [Revenge is like] the thorn or briar, which prick and scratch because they can do no other.”

“This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.”

Of Adversity

“Certainly, if miracles be the command over nature, they appear most in adversity.”

“-Judge therefore, of the pleasure of the heart by the pleasure of the eye.”

“-For prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.”

Of Simulation amd Dissimulation

“In few words, mysteries are due to secrecy.”

“As for talkers and futile persons they are commonly vain and credulous withal: for he that talketh what he knoweth, will also talk what he knoweth not; therefore set it down, that a habit of secrecy is both politic and moral: and in this part it is good that a man’s face give his tongue leave to speak; for his countenance, is a great weakness and betrayal, by how much it is many times more marked and believed than a man’s word.”

“The best composition and temperature is - to have openness in fame and opinion; secrecy in habit; dissimulation in seasonable use; and a power to feign if there be no remedy.”

Of Parents and Children

“The joys of parents are secret, and so are their griefs and fears; they cannot utter the one, nor they will not utter the other.”

Of Marriage and Single Life

“Unmarried men are best friends, best masters, best servants; but not always best subjects, for they are light to run away, and almost all fugitives are of that condition.”

“Certainly wife and children are a kind of discipline of humanity; and single men, though they be many times more charitable, because their means are less exhaust, yet, on the other side, they are more cruel and hard hearted(good to make severe inquisitors), to because their tenderness is not so oft called upon.”

Of Envy

“A man that hast no virtue in himself ever envieth virtue in others; for men’s minds will either feed upon their own good, or upon other’s evil; and who wanteth the one will prey upon the other; and whose is out of hope to attain to another’s virtue. Will seek to come at even hand, by depressing another’s fortune.”

“-For envy is a gadding passion and walketh the street and does not keep home:-”

“Men of noble birth are noted to be envious towards new men when they rise; for the distance is altered: it is like a deceit of the eye, that when others come on they think themselves go back.”

“Those that have joined with their honor great travels, cares, or perils, are less subject to envy;-”

Of Love

“-For whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection, quitteth both riches and wisdom.”

“This passion hath his floods in the very times of weakness, which are, great prosperity and great adversity, though this latter hath been less observed; both which times kindle love, and make it fervent, and therefore show it to be the child of folly.”

Of Great Place

“It is a strange desire to seek power and to lose liberty; or to seek power over others; and to lose power over a man’s self.”

“Certain men in great fortunes are strangers to themselves, and while they are in the puzzle of business they have no time to tend their health either of body or mind.”

“Merit and good works is the end of man’s motion; and conscience of the same is the accomplishment of man’s rest:-”

“Reduce things to the first institution, and observe wherein and how they have degenerated; but yet ask council of both times—of the ancient time what is best, and of the latter time what is fittest.”

“The vices of authority are chiefly four: delays, corruption, roughness, and facility.”

“It is an assured sign of a worthy and generous spirit, whom honor amends; for honor is or should be, the place of virtue; and as in nature things move violently to their place, and calmly in their place, so virtue is ambition is violent, in authority settled and calm.”

“All rising to great-place is by a winding stair; and if there be factions, it is good to side a man’s self whilst he is in the rising, and to balance himself when he is placed.”

Of Boldness

“This is well to be weighed, that boldness is ever blind; for it seeth not danger and inconveniences: therefore it is ill in counsel, good in execution; so that the right use of bold persons is, that they never command in chief, but be seconds and under the direction of others; for in counsel it is good to see dangers, and in execution not to see them except they be very great.”

Of Goodness, And Goodness Of Nature

“I take goodness in this sense, the affecting of the weal of men, which is that the Grecians call philanthropia; and the word humanity (as it is used) is a little too light to express it.”

“Goodness I call the habit, and goodness of nature the inclination.”

“This, of all virtues and dignities of the mind, is the greatest, being the character of the Deity: and without it man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing, no better than a kind of vermin.”

“Seek the good of other men, but be not in bondange to their faces or fancies; for that is but facility or softness which taketh an honest mind prisoner.”

“Neither give thou Aesop’s cock a gem, who would be better pleased and happier if he had had a barley-corn.”

Of Nobility

“A monarchy, where there is no nobility at all, is ever a pure and absolute tyranny,-”

“A great and potent nobility addeth majesty to a monarch; but diminish power, and putteth life and spirit into the people, but presseth their fortune.”

“It is well when nobles are not too great for sovereignty nor for justice;-”

Of Seditions And Troubles

“So when any of the four pillars of government are mainly shaken or weakened (which are religion, justice, counsel, and treasures) men had need to pray for fair weather.”

“Concerning the materials of seditions, it is a thing well to be considered; for the surety way to prevent seditions (if the times do bear it) is to take away the matter of them; for if there be fuel prepared, it is hard to tell whence the spark shall come that shall set it on fire.”

The matter of all seditions is of two kinds; much poverty and much discontentment.”