Robert Boyle

"The usefulness of a cupboard were not to be measured by the number of utensils it contained, but by the readiness with which the right instrument could be found and used."

"A man is not to be credited for what he does by constraint and necessity."

"The greater you esteem yourself, the less you will be esteemed by others."

"I have always thought it a very foolish question to ask a man, what he would not do for a considerable sum of money."

"Nothing can be more futile than to attempt to advance science by the method of unfounded conjecture."

"The Christian virtuoso shows that by being addicted to experimental philosophy, a man is rather assisted than hindered in his theological studies."

"I have had the good fortune to become acquainted with many eminent men, and have been enabled to witness the truth of the maxim that 'knowledge is power.'"

"The praise of good deeds is the only reward worth having."

"It is a noble privilege to be instrumental in contributing to the welfare of mankind."

"The surest way to become a gentleman is to resolve to be one."

"Nature is not inert, but is full of activity and vitality."

"In all the investigations of nature, we should remember that the human mind is the instrument by which we understand the world."

"The truth is that everything depends upon the will and pleasure of God, who is the source of all power."

"The foundation of true knowledge is the knowledge of ourselves."

"Let us be content to know that we know but little, and that we know nothing perfectly."

"Experience is the surest instructor, but the tardy one, and experiment is experience condensed and quickened."

"The book of nature is written in the language of mathematics."

"I have often thought that the world would be a much better place if people would devote themselves to the pursuit of truth rather than the accumulation of riches."

"The difference between a virtuous and a vicious man is not that one has desires and the other does not, but that one controls them and the other does not."

"True knowledge consists in knowing things, not words."

"I have always believed that the advancement of science is the advancement of the human race."

"The study of nature is the most delightful pursuit of the human mind."

"A man may be very industrious, and yet not be successful."

"The greatest discoveries have often been made by accident."

"The true test of a man is not what he does when he is with you, but what he does when he is away from you."

"I regard the satisfaction of the curious mind as one of the greatest pleasures of human existence."

"The mechanical philosophy is not to be condemned simply because it is not complete."

"Let us not be too hasty in judging the opinions of others."

"The greatest weakness of man is his ignorance."

"I have never found that to be true which is commonly said, that our modern age excels all others in wisdom."