---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Age appears best in four things: old wood…"
description: "\"“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.”\" — Francis Bacon"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/francis-bacon-297_friendship_age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood_1640998.jpg"
---

#  Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old…

![“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.” quote by Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/francis-bacon-297_friendship_age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood_1640998.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/francis-bacon-297_friendship_age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood_1640998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/francis-bacon-297_friendship_age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood_1640998.jpg)

> ““Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.””

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Aging is valuable when it yields useful things like firewood, wine, trusted friends, and wise authors.

**In simple terms:** Old things can be useful.

Key Takeaway

Appreciate the value of age.

Themes

wisdom age utility

Mood

reflective respectful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- reading classic literature
- building long-term friendships
- using old resources
- preserving heritage

Key Concepts

philosophy literature social value

Questions to Reflect On

- What old things in your life could be more appreciated?
- How can you honor aging in daily habits?

A Different Perspective

Modern fast-paced culture often discards the old without recognizing its worth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Old friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-friends/) [Old wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-wine/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/)

## Related quotes

> [Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/age-appears-to-be-best-in-four-things-old-wood-best-to-burn-old-wine/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/old-wood-best-to-burn-old-wine-to-drink-old-friends-to-trust-and-old/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Age appears to be best in some things Age appears to be best in some things. Old wood best to burn. Old books best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorna-grace/age-appears-to-be-best-in-some-things-age-appears-to-be-best-in-some/)

[Lorna Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorna-grace/)

> [“He agreed with Francis Bacon: Old friends to trust, old wood to burn, old authors to read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-jackson-braun/he-agreed-with-francis-bacon-old-friends-to-trust-old-wood-to-burn/)

[Lilian Jackson Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-jackson-braun/)

> [I like old fashioned things. We have these old wine buckets at the restaurant and none of them match.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-like-old-fashioned-things-we-have-these-old-wine-buckets-at-the/)

[Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/)

> [Age appears to be best in some things. Old wood best to burn. Old books best to read. Old rice best to eat and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/age-appears-to-be-best-in-some-things-old-wood-best-to-burn-old-books/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Is not old wine wholesomest, old pippins toothsomest, old wood burns brightest, old linen wash whitest? Old soldiers, sweetheart, are surest, and old lovers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-webster/is-not-old-wine-wholesomest-old-pippins-toothsomest-old-wood-burns/)

[John Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-webster/)

> [Is not old wine wholesomest, old pippins toothsomest, old wood burn brightest, old linen wash whitest? Old soldiers, sweethearts, are surest, and old lovers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-webster/is-not-old-wine-wholesomest-old-pippins-toothsomest-old-wood-burn/)

[John Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-webster/)

> [Old age appears hideous to us until we have to choose between it and death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-de-poitiers/old-age-appears-hideous-to-us-until-we-have-to-choose-between-it-and/)

[Diane de Poitiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-de-poitiers/)

> [“Once again we see that the most important year in a man's life, for the purposes of cementing his favorite baseball team as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-stephens-davidowitz/once-again-we-see-that-the-most-important-year-in-a-man-s-life-for/)

[Seth Stephens-Davidowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-stephens-davidowitz/)

> [The moral disposition of the age appears in the refinement of conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-somerville/the-moral-disposition-of-the-age-appears-in-the-refinement-of/)

[Mary Somerville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-somerville/)

> [Though I've turned 21, I don't drink. I'm an old hag now. I'm just an old fart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mena-suvari/though-i-ve-turned-21-i-don-t-drink-i-m-an-old-hag-now-i-m-just-an/)

[Mena Suvari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mena-suvari/)

> [“Story Content Warning: There will be angst, sex, a little rough language and rampant lesbianism. If this is not your cup of tea, don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/badsquirrel/story-content-warning-there-will-be-angst-sex-a-little-rough-language/)

BadSquirrel

> [“What the hell am I? I thought. Too old to be a real teenager, too young to drink. Old enough to die in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-raeder/what-the-hell-am-i-i-thought-too-old-to-be-a-real-teenager-too-young/)

[Leah Raeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-raeder/)

> [Quotations (such as have point and lack triteness) from the great old authors are an act of reverence on the part of the quoter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-imogen-guiney/quotations-such-as-have-point-and-lack-triteness-from-the-great-old/)

[Louise Imogen Guiney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-imogen-guiney/)

## More by Francis Bacon

> [Princes are like heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, and which have much veneration, but no rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/princes-are-like-heavenly-bodies-which-cause-good-or-evil-times-and/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [The best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-best-preservative-to-keep-the-mind-in-health-is-the-faithful/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Since custom is the principal magistrate of man's life, let men by all means endeavor to obtain good customs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/since-custom-is-the-principal-magistrate-of-man-s-life-let-men-by-all/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Painting today is pure intuition and luck and taking advantage of what happens when you splash the stuff down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/painting-today-is-pure-intuition-and-luck-and-taking-advantage-of/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [I usually accept bribes from both sides so that tainted money can never influence my decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-usually-accept-bribes-from-both-sides-so-that-tainted-money-can/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Much bending breaks the bow; much unbending the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/much-bending-breaks-the-bow-much-unbending-the-mind/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [When Christ came into the world, peace was sung; and when He went out of the world, peace was bequeathed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-christ-came-into-the-world-peace-was-sung-and-when-he-went-out/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [...neither is it possible to discover the more remote and deeper parts of any science, if you stand but upon the level of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/neither-is-it-possible-to-discover-the-more-remote-and-deeper-parts/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [The divisions of science are not like different lines that meet in one angle, but rather like the branches of trees that join in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-divisions-of-science-are-not-like-different-lines-that-meet-in/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down... forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-human-understanding-when-any-preposition-has-been-once-laid-down/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [I should have been, I don't know, a con-man, a robber or a prostitute. But it was vanity that made me choose painting, vanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-should-have-been-i-don-t-know-a-con-man-a-robber-or-a-prostitute/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Wounds cannot be cured without searching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/wounds-cannot-be-cured-without-searching/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [The French are wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem wiser than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-french-are-wiser-than-they-seem-and-the-spaniards-seem-wiser-than/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never forgive the loss of their prerogative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-a-man-laughs-at-his-troubles-he-loses-a-great-many-friends-they/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Believing that I was born for the service of mankind, and regarding the care of the commonwealth as a kind of common property which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/believing-that-i-was-born-for-the-service-of-mankind-and-regarding/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

[Explore all 711 Francis Bacon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

## More Friendship quotes

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I never believed in trying to do anything. Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/)

Maureen Andeson

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/)

Unknwon

> [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/)

[Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/)

> [If you love some one for who they are not for there body or how many friend so when you say I love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/if-you-love-some-one-for-who-they-are-not-for-there-body-or-how-many/)

Unknow

> [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“way. A true friend isn't the one that agrees with everything you say or do. A true friend is someone that has your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shameek-speight/way-a-true-friend-isn-t-the-one-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say/)

[Shameek Speight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shameek-speight/)

> [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/)

[Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/)

> [“Kings don’t move mountains as a favor to a friend,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/kings-don-t-move-mountains-as-a-favor-to-a-friend/)

[Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/)

> [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/)

[Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/)

> [“The real purpose of friendship was to discover and exploit weakness in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/the-real-purpose-of-friendship-was-to-discover-and-exploit-weakness/)

[Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/)

[Browse all 45,469 Friendship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Francis Bacon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood-to-burn-old-wine-to-drink/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Friendship"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood-to-burn-old-wine-to-drink/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/francis-bacon-297_friendship_age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood_1640998.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/francis-bacon-297_friendship_age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood_1640998.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/francis-bacon-297_friendship_age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood_1640998.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors…” — Francis Bacon",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Francis Bacon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Age appears best in four things:...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood-to-burn-old-wine-to-drink/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/age-appears-best-in-four-things-old-wood-to-burn-old-wine-to-drink/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
