[英国]弗朗西斯·培根/Francis Bacon
弗朗西斯·培根（1561-1626），英国科学家、哲学家和散文家。出身名门，而仕途坎坷，直至伊丽莎白女王辞世才得以提升，官至法相。但不久，即因受贿而被免职。从此，发奋著书，致力于多个领域的学术研究。主要作品有《亨利七世传》、《新工具》、《学术的进展》、《论说文集》。
1626年4月9日清晨，培根病逝于伦敦北郊。
It is a trivial grammar-school text, but yet worthy a wise man's consideration. Question was asked of Demosthenes, what was the chief part of an orator?He answered, Action. What next?-Action. What next again?-Action.
He said it that knew it best, and had, by nature, himself no advantage in that he commended. A strange thing, that that part of an orator which is but superficial, and rather the virtue of a player, should be placed so high above those other noble parts of invention, elocution, and the rest;nay, almost alone, as if it were all in all. But the reason is plain.
Wonderful like is the case of boldness in civil business. What first?-Boldness;what second and third?-Boldness. And yet boldness is a child of ignorance and baseness, far inferior to other parts;but, nevertheless, it does fascinate, and bind hand and foot those that are either shallow in judgment or weak in courage, which are the greatest part, yea, and prevaileth with wise men at weak times. Surely, as there are mountebanks for the natural body, so are there mountebanks for the politic body;men that undertake great cures, and perhaps have been lucky in two or three experiments, but want the grounds of science, and therefore cannot hold out, nay, you shall see a bold fellow many times do Mahomet's miracle. Mahomet made the people believe that he would call a hill to him, and from the top of it offer up his prayers for the observers of his law. The people assembled;Mahomet called the hill to come to him again and again;and when the hill stood still, he was never a whit abashed, but said, if the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill. So these men, when they have promised great matters and failed most shamefully, yet if they have the perfection of boldness, they will but slight it over, and make a turn, and no more ado.