Francis Bacon

I have taken all knowledge to be my province.

Knowledge is power.

Nothing is terrible except fear itself.

Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.

Death is a friend of ours; and he that is not ready to entertain him is not at home.

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.

Human knowledge and human power meet in one; for where the cause is not known the effect cannot be produced. Nature to be commanded must be obeyed . . .

By far the greatest obstacle to the progress of science and to the undertaking of new tasks and provinces therein is found in this — that men despair and think things impossible.

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