Robert Boyle

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

The corpuscular philosophy, which supposes all bodies to be made up of minute particles, of various figures and sizes, variously moved and associated, seems to me to be the most intelligible and comprehensive hypothesis that can be framed concerning the nature of things.

I confess, I am not satisfied with the vulgar notion of elements, as if there were but four, or five, or six, or any other small number of simple bodies, out of which all others are compounded.

I shall not here dispute whether there be any such thing as a true element, or whether all bodies be not rather compounded of other bodies, which are themselves compounded of others, and so on in infinitum.

I am apt to think that the grand agents of nature are but few, and that the various phenomena of the universe are produced by the various combinations and modifications of these few principles.

I would have men to know, that I am not so much a dogmatist, as to be unwilling to change my opinion, upon better information.

It is not enough to know, but we must also know how to apply what we know.

He that would seriously search after truth, must be content to lay aside his prejudices, and to be taught by experience.

I am not so much concerned to know what men have thought, as what is true.

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

The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the wisdom and power of its Creator.

I think it is a great mistake to imagine that God is confined to the narrow limits of our understanding.

I am not so much a lover of novelty, as of truth.

The true way of improving natural philosophy, is to make experiments, and to observe the phenomena of nature.

I am not ashamed to own that I have sometimes been mistaken, and that I have learned more from my errors than from my successes.

I confess, I am not able to conceive how any man can be a good philosopher, who is not also a good Christian.

It is not enough to have a good understanding, but the principal thing is to apply it well.

I am not so much concerned to know what is probable, as what is true.

I am not so much concerned to know what is new, as what is useful.

I am not so much concerned to know what is easy, as what is necessary.