The essays, or councils, civil and moral, of Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban with a table of the colours of good and evil, and a discourse of The wisdom of the ancients : to this edition is added The character of Queen Elizabeth, never before printed in English.

VIII. Of Marriage and Single Life. (Book 8)

HE that hath Wife and Children, hath given hostages to Fortune, for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of Vertue or Mischief. Certainly the best works, and of greatest merit for the publick, have proceeded from the unmarried or Childless Men, which both in affection and means have married and endowed the publick. Yet it were great reason, that those that have Children, should have greatest care of fu∣ture times, unto which they know they must transmit their dearest pledges. Some there are, who though they lead a Single Life, yet their thoughts do end with themselves, and account future times impertinencies. Nay, there are some other, that account Wife and Chil∣dren but as Bills of Charges. Nay, more, there are some foolish rich covetous men, that take pride in ha∣ving no Children, because they may be thought so much the richer. For perhaps they have heard some talk, Such an one is a great rich Man; and another except to it, Yea, but he hath a great charge of Children; as if it were an abatement to his riches. But the most ordinary cause of a Single Life is Liberty, especially in certain self plea∣sing and humorous minds, which are so sensible of eve∣ry restraint, as they will go near to think their Girdles and Garters to be Bonds and Shackles. Unmarried men are best Friends, best Masters, best Servants, but not al∣ways best Subjects; for they are light 〈◊〉〈◊〉 run away, and almost all Fugitives are of that condition. A single life doth well with Church-men: for Charity will hard••y wa∣ter the Ground, where it must first fill a Pool. It is indifferent for Judges and Magistrates; for if they be fa∣cile and corrupt, you shall have a Servant five times worse than a Wife. For Souldiers, I find the Generals

commonly in their hortatives put men in mind of their Wives and Children. And I think the despising of Mar∣riage amongst the Turks, making the vulgar Souldier more base. Certainly Wife and Children are a kind of humanity; and Single men, though they be many times more charitable, because their means are less exhaust: yet on the other side, they are more cruel and hard hearted, (good to make severe Inquisitors) because their tenderness is not so oft called upon. Grave natures, led by custom, and therefore constant, are commonly lo∣ving Husbands; as was said of Ulysses, Vetulam suam prae∣tulit immortalitati. Chast Women are often proud and froward, as presuming upon the merit of their chastity. It is one of the best bonds both of chastity and obedi∣ence in the Wife, if she thinks her Husband wise, which she will never do, if she find him jealous. Wives are young mens Mistrisses, Companions for middle Age, and old mens Nurses; so as a man may have a quarrel to marry when he will. But yet he was reputed one of the wise men, that made answer to the question; When a man should marry? A young man not yet, an elder man not at all. It is often seen, that bad Husbands have ve∣ry good Wives; whether it be, that it raiseth the price of their Husbands kindness when it comes, or that the Wives take a pride in their patience. But this never fails, if the bad Husbands were of their own chusing, against their Friends consent; for then they will be sure to make good their own folly.