“There is as much difference between the counsel that a friend giveth, and that a man giveth himself, as there is between the counsel of a friend and of a flatterer. For there is no such flatterer as is a man's self.”

English philosopher and statesman

Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban, was an English philosopher and statesman. He served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I, and he is best known for his role in shaping early modern thought. Bacon argued for the importance of natural philosophy and for inquiry guided by the scientific method. His writings remained influential throughout the Scientific Revolution, especially for their emphasis on disciplined observation and the study of nature.