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A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.
Topic: Questions
Source: None
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Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an
exact man.
Topic: Reading
Source: Essays--Of Studies
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This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge keeps his wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.
Topic: Relationships
Source: None
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There was never law, or set, or opinion did so much magnify
goodness, as the Christian religion doth.
Topic: Religion
Source: Essays--Of Goodness, and Goodness of Nature
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The greatest vicissitude of things amongst men, is the
vicissitude of sects and religions.
Topic: Religion
Source: Of Vicissitude of Things
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Religion brought forth riches, and the daughter devoured the
mother.
[Lat., Religio peperit divitias et filia devoravit matrem.]
Topic: Religion
Source: Of Vicissitude of Things
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A little philosophy inclineth men's minds to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds to religion.
Topic: Religion
Source: None
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God's first creature, which was light.
Topic: Religion / Beliefs
Source: None
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The human understanding is no dry light, but receives infusion from the will and affections; which proceed sciences which may be called "sciences as one would." For what a man had rather were true he more readily believes. Therefore he rejects difficult things from impatience of research; sober things, because they narrow hope; the deeper things of nature, from superstition; the light of experience, from arrogance and pride; things not commonly believed, out of deference to the opinion of the vulgar. Numberless in short are the ways, and sometimes imperceptible, in which the affections color and infect the understanding.
Topic: Religion / Beliefs
Source: None
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Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature
runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.
Topic: Revenge
Source: Of Revenge
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In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.
Topic: Revenge
Source: None
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A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.
Topic: Revenge
Source: None
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Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend.
Topic: Rhetoric
Source: None
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Princes are like to heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil
times; and which have much veneratoin, but no rest.
Topic: Royalty
Source: Essays--Of Empire
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If I had always served God as I have served you, Madam, I should
not have great account to render at my death.
Topic: Service
Source: Life and Times of Francis the First (vol. I, p. 46, of ed. 2)
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Silence is the virtue of fools.
Topic: Silence
Source: None
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For it is most true that a natural and secret hatred and
aversation towards society in any man, hath somewhat of the
savage beast.
Topic: Society
Source: Essays--Civil and Moral--Of Friendship
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Man was formed for society.
Topic: Society
Source: Essays--Civil and Moral--Of Friendship
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Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
Topic: Society
Source: None
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There arises from a bad and inapt formation of words, a wonderful obstruction to the mind.
Topic: Society
Source: None
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Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.
Topic: Society
Source: None
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All rising to great place is by winding stair.
Topic: Society
Source: None
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And let him be sure to leave other men their turns to speak.
Topic: Speech
Source: Essays--Civil and Moral--Of Discourse (no. 32)
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Discretion of speech is more than eloquence; and to speak
agreeably to him with whom we deal is more than to speak in good
words or in good order.
Topic: Speech
Source: Essays--Of Discourse
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Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtile;
natural philosophy, deep; morals, grave; logic and rhetoric, able
to contend.
Topic: Study
Source: Essays--Of Studies
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The sun, which passeth through pollutions and itself remains as
pure as before.
Topic: Sun
Source: Advancement of Learning (bk. II)
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The general root of superstition is that men observe when things hit, and not when they miss, and commit to memory the one, and pass over the other.
Topic: Thinking
Source: None
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Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the
elder, a part of experience. He that travelleth into a country
before he hath some entrance into the language, goeth to school,
and not to travel.
Topic: Traveling
Source: Of Travel
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But no pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage
ground of Truth.
Topic: Truth
Source: Essays--Of Truth
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Vain-glorious men are the scorn of the wise, the admiration of fools, the idols of paradise, and the slaves of their own vaunts.
Topic: Vanity
Source: None
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Vices of the time; vices of the man.
[Lat., Vitia temporis; vitia hominis.]
Topic: Vice
Source: Humble Submission and Supplication to the Lords of Parliament
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Certainly virtue is like precious odours, most fragrant when they
are incensed or crushed.
Topic: Virtue
Source: Essays--Of Adversity
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Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set.
Topic: Virtue
Source: Essays--Of Beauty
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The cord breaketh at last by the weakest pull.
Topic: Weakness
Source: On Seditions, quoted as a Spanish proverb
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Riches are a good handmaiden, but the worst mistress.
Topic: Wealth
Source: None
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Wives are young men's mistresses, companions for middle age, and old men's nurses.
Topic: Wife
Source: None
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The wisdom of our ancestors.
Topic: Wisdom
Source: (according to Lord Brougham), also attributed to Edmund Burke "Observations on a Late Publication on
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A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.
Topic: Wisdom
Source: None
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Wives are young men's mistresses; companions for middle age; and
old men's nurses.
Topic: Wives
Source: Of Marriage and Single Life
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Words, as a Tartar's bow, do not shoot back upon the
understanding of the wisest, and mightily entangle and pervert
the judgment.
Topic: Words
Source: Advancement of Learning
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Young men are fitter to invent than to judge; fitter for
execution than for counsel; and fitter for new projects than for
settled business.
Topic: Youth
Source: Of Youth and Age
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Young people are fitter to invent than to judge; fitter for execution than for counsel; and more fit for new projects than for settled business.
Topic: Youth
Source: None
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