OfMarriageandSingleLifeFrancisBaconHethathathwifeandchildrenhathgivenhostagestofortune;fortheyareimpedimentstogreatenterprises,eitherofvirtueormischief.Certainlythebestworks,andofgreatestmeritforthepublic,haveproceededfromtheunmarriedorchildlessmen;whichbothinaffectionandmeans,havemarriedandendowedthepublic.Yetitweregreatreasonthatthosethathavechildren,shouldhavegreatestcareoffuturetimes;untowhichtheyknowtheymusttransmittheirdearestpledges.Somethereare,whothoughtheyleadasinglelife,yettheirthoughtsdoendwiththemselves,andaccountfuturetimesimpertinences.Nay,therearesomeother,thataccountwifeandchildren,butasbillsofcharges.Naymore,therearesomefoolishrichcovetousmenthattakeapride,inhavingnochildren,becausetheymaybethoughtsomuchthericher.Forperhapstheyhaveheardsometalk,“Suchanoneisagreatrichman”,andanotherexcepttoit,“Yea,buthehathagreatchargeofchildren”;asifitwereanabatementtohisriches.Butthemostordinarycauseofasinglelife,isliberty,especiallyincertainself-pleasingandhumorousminds,whicharesosensibleofeveryrestraint,astheywillgoneartothinktheirgirdlesandgarters,tobebondsandshackles.Unmarriedmenarebestfriends,bestmasters,bestservants;butnotalwaysbestsubjects;fortheyarelighttorunaway;andalmostallfugitives,areofthatcondition.Asinglelifedothwellwithchurchmen;forcharitywillhardlywatertheground,whereitmustfirstfillapool.Itisindifferentforjudgesandmagistrates;foriftheybefacileandcorrupt,youshallhaveaservant,fivetimesworsethanawife.Forsoldiers,Ifindthegeneralscommonlyintheirhortatives,putmeninmindoftheirwivesandchildren;andIthinkthedespisingofmarriageamongsttheTurks,makeththevulgarsoldiermorebase.Certainlywifeandchildrenareakindofdisciplineofhumanity;andsinglemen,thoughtheymaybemanytimesmorecharitable,becausetheirmeansarelessexhaust,yet,ontheotherside,theyaremorecruelandhardhearted(goodtomakesevereinquisitors),becausetheirtendernessisnotsooftcalledupon.Gravenatures,ledbycustom,andthereforeconstant,arecommonlylovinghusbands,aswassaidofUlysses,vetulamsuampraetulitimmortalitat