BritishLiteratureSelectedTextsOfMarriageandSingleLifeHEthathathwifeandchildrenhathgivenhostagestofortune;fortheyareimpedimentstogreatenterprises,eitherofvirtueormischief.Certainlythebestworks,andofgreatestmeritforthepublic,haveproceededfromtheunmarriedorchildlessmen;whichbothinaffectionandmeanshavemarriedandendowedthepublic.Yetitweregreatreasonthatthosethathavechildrenshouldhavegreatestcareoffuturetimes;untowhichtheyknowtheymusttransmittheirdearestpledges.Somethereare,whothoughtheyleadasinglelife,yettheirthoughtsdoendwiththemselves,andaccountfuturetimesimpertinences.HYPERLINK"http://www.bartleby.com/3/1/8.html"\l"note1.8.46"1Nay,therearesomeotherthataccountwifeandchildrenbutasbillsofcharges.Naymore,therearesomefoolishrichcovetousmen,thattakeaprideinhavingnochildren,becausetheymaybethoughtsomuchthericher.Forperhapstheyhaveheardsometalk,Suchanoneisagreatrichman,andanotherexcepttoit,Yea,buthehathagreatchargeofchildren;asifitwereanabatementtohisriches.Butthemostordinarycauseofasinglelifeisliberty,especiallyincertainself-pleasingandhumorousHYPERLINK"http://www.bartleby.com/3/1/8.html"\l"note1.8.47"2minds,whicharesosensibleofeveryrestraint,astheywillgoneartothinktheirgirdlesandgarterstobebondsandshackles.Unmarriedmenarebestfriends,bestmasters,bestservants;butnotalwaysbestsubjects;fortheyarelighttorunaway;andalmostallfugitivesareofthatcondition.Asinglelifedothwellwithchurchmen;forcharitywillhardlywaterthegroundwhereitmustfirstfillapool.Itisindifferentforjudgesandmagistrates;foriftheybefacileandcorrupt,youshallhaveaservantfivetimesworsethanawife.Forsoldiers,Ifindthegeneralscommonlyintheirhortativesputmeninmindoftheirwivesandchildren;andIthinkthedespisingofmarriageamongsttheTurksmakeththevulgarsoldiermorebase.Certainlywifeandchildrenareakindofdisciplineofhumanity;andsinglemen,thoughtheymaybemanytimesmorecharitable,becausetheirmeansarelessexhaust,yet,ontheotherside,theyaremorecruelandhardhearted(goodtomakesevereinquisitors),becausetheirtendernessisnotsooftcalledupon.