Francis Bacon

A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green.

The desire of power in excess caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess caused man to fall.

For what a man had rather were true he more readily believes.

Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true.

Whence we see spiders, flies, or ants entombed preserved forever in amber, a more than royal tomb.

A prudent question is one half of wisdom.

It was a high speech of Seneca (after the manner of the Stoics) that, 'the good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished, but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.'

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

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

Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament, adversity is the blessing of the New.