Francis Bacon Quotes

The job of the artist is to deepen the mystery.

The feeling of desperation and unhappiness are more useful to an artist than the feeling of contentment, because desperation and unhappiness stretch your whole sensibility.

This delivering of knowledge in distinct and disjointed aphorisms doth leave the wit of man more free to turn and toss, and to make use of that which is so delivered to more several purposes and applications.

Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor.

Wives are young men’s mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men’s nurses.

Men of age object too much, consult too long, adventure too little, repent too soon, and seldom drive business home to the full period, but content themselves with a mediocrity of success.

He that gives good advice, builds with one hand; he that gives good counsel and example, builds with both; he that gives good admonition and bad example, builds with one hand and pulls down with the other.

There is as much difference between the counsel that a friend giveth, and that a man giveth himself, as there is between the counsel of a friend and a flatterer.

Prosperity doth best discover vice, but Adversity doth best discover virtue.

Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; adversity not without many comforts and hopes.