The Works of Francis Bacon/Volume 1/Ornamenta Rationalia
ORNAMENTA RATIONALIA,[1]
A SUPPLY (BY THE PUBLISHER)
OF
CERTAIN WEIGHTY AND ELEGANT SENTENCES,
SOME MADE, OTHERS COLLECTED BY THE LORD BACON; AND BY HIM PUT UNDER THE
ABOVESAID TITLE; AND AT PRESENT NOT TO BE FOUND.
A COLLECTION OF SENTENCES OUT OF THE MIMI OF PUBLIUS; ENGLISHED BY THE PUBLISHER.
1. "Aleator, quanto in arte est melior, tanto est nequior."
A gamester, the greater master he is in his art, the worse man he is.
2. "Arcum, intensio frangit; animum, remissio."
Much bending breaks the bow; much unbending, the mind.
3. "Bis vincit, qui se vincit in victoria."
He conquers twice, who upon victory overcomes himself.
4. "Cum vitia prosint, peccat, qui recte facit."
If vices were upon the whole matter profitable, the virtuous man would be the sinner.
5. "Bene dormit, qui non sentit quod male dormiat."He sleeps well, who feels not that he sleeps ill.
6. "Deliberare utilia, mora est tutissima."
To deliberate about useful things is the safest delay.
7. "Dolor decrescit, ubi quo crescat non habet."
The flood of grief decreaseth, when it can swell no higher.
8. " Etiam innocentes cogit mentiri dolor."
Pain makes even the innocent man a liar.
9. "Etiam celeritas in desiderio, mora est."
Even in desire, swiftness itself is delay.
10. "Etiam capillus unus habet umbram suam."
The smallest hair casts a shadow.
11. "Fidem qui perdit, quo se servat in reliquum?"
He that has lost his faith, what has he left to live on?
12. "Formosa facies muta commendatio est."
A beautiful face is a silent commendation.
13. "Fortuna nimium quem fovet, stultum facit."
Fortune makes him a fool, whom she makes her darling.
14. "Fortuna obesse nulli contenta est semel."
Fortune is not content to do a man but one ill turn.
15. "Facit gratum fortuna, quam nemo videt."
The fortune which nobody sees, makes a man happy and unenvied.
16. "Heu! quam miserum est ab illo lædi, de quo non possis queri."
O! what a miserable thing it is to be hurt by such a one of whom it is in vain to complain.
17. "Homo toties moritur quoties amittit suos."
A man dies as often as he loses his friends.
18. "Hæredis fletus sub persona risus est."
The tears of an heir are laughter under a vizard.
19. "Jucundum nihil est, nisi quod reficit varietas."
Nothing is pleasant, to which variety does not give a relish.
20. "Invidiam ferre, aut fortis, aut felix potest."
He may bear envy, who is either courageous or happy.
21. "In malis sperare bonum, nisi innocens, nemo potest."
None but a virtuous man can hope well in ill circumstances.
22. "In vindicando, criminosa est celeritas."
In taking revenge, the very haste we make is criminal.
23. "In calamitoso risus etiam injuria est."
When men are in calamity, if we do but laugh we offend.
24. "Improbe Neptunum accusat, qui iterum naufragium facit."
He accuseth Neptune unjustly, who makes shipwreck a second time.
25. "Multis minatur, qui uni facit injuriam."
He that injures one, threatens an hundred.
26. "Mora omnis ingrata est, sed facit sapientiam."
All delay is ungrateful, but we are not wise without it.
27. "Mori est felicis antequam mortem invocet."
Happy he who dies ere he calls for death to take him away.
28. "Malus ubi bonum se simulat, tunc est pessimus."
An ill man is always ill; but he is then worst of all when he pretends to be a saint.
29. "Magno cum periculo custoditur, quod multis placet."
Lock and key will scarce keep that secure, which pleases everybody.
30. "Male vivunt qui se semper victuros putant."
They think ill, who think of living always.
31. "Male secum agit æger, medicum qui hæredem facit."
That sick man does ill for himself, who makes his physician his heir.
32. "Multos timere debet, quern multi timent."
He of whom many are afraid, ought himself to fear many.
33. "Nulla tam bona est fortuna, de qua nil possis queri."
There is no fortune so good but it bates an ace.
34. "Pars beneficii est, quod petitur si bene neges."
It is part of the gift, if you deny genteely what is asked of you.
35. "Timidus vocat se cautem, parcum sordidus."
The coward calls himself a wary man; and the miser says he is frugal.
36. "O vita! misero longa, felici brevis."
O life! an age to him that is in misery; and to him that is happy, a moment.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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- ↑ Tenison's Baconiana, page 60.