The human understanding is no dry light, but receives an infusion from the will and affections... What a man had rather were true he more readily believes.

When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never forgive the loss of their prerogative.

Always let losers have their words.

For many parts of Nature can neither be invented with sufficient subtlety, nor demonstrated with sufficient perspicuity, nor accommodated unto use with sufficient dexterity, without the aid and intervening of the mathematics, of which sort are perspective, music, astronomy, cosmography, architecture, engineery, and divers others.

All artists are vain, they long to be recognized and to leave something to posterity. They want to be loved, and at the same time they want to be free. But nobody is free.

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

Who then to frail mortality shall trust But limns the water, or but writes in dust.