Page:Bacons Essays 1908 West.djvu/44

Rh facile and corrupt, you shall have a Servant five times worse than a Wife. For Souldiers, I finde the Generalls commonly, in their Hortatives, put Men in minde of their Wives and Children: And I thinke the Despising of Marriage, amongst the Turkes, maketh the vulgar souldier more base. Certainly, Wife and Children are a kinde of Discipline of Humanity; And single Men, though they be many times more Charitable, because their Meanes are lesse exhaust, yet, on the other side, they are more cruell and hard hearted, (good to make severe Inquisitors), because their Tendernesse is not so oft called upon. Grave Natures, led by Custome and therfore constant, are commonly loving Husbands; As was said of Ulysses, Vetulam suam prætulit 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 Obedience, in the Wife, if She thinke her Husband Wise, which She will never doe, if She finde him Iealous. Wives are young Men's Mistresses, Companions for middle Age, and old Men's Nurses: So as a Man may have a Quarrell 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 seene that bad Husbands have very good Wives; whether it be that it rayseth the Price of their Husbands Kindnesse, when it comes; Or that the Wives take a Pride in their Patience. But this never failes, if the bad Husbands were of their owne choosing, against their Friends consent; For then they will be sure to make good their owne Folly.