Of Marriage and Single Life

Francis Bacon

HE THAT hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief. Certainly the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried or childless men; which both in affection and means, have married and endowed the public. Yet it were great reason that those that have children, should have greatest care of future 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 impertinences. Nay, there are some other, that account wife and children, but as bills of charges. Nay more, there are some foolish rich covetous men, that take a pride, in having 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-pleasing and humorous minds, which are so sensible of every 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 always best subjects; for they are light to run away; and almost all fugitives, are of that condition. A single life doth well with churchmen; for charity will hardly water the ground, where it must first fill a pool. It is indifferent for judges and magistrates; for if they be facile and corrupt, you shall have a servant, five times worse than a wife. For soldiers, I find the generals commonly in their hortatives, put men in mind of their wives and children; and I think the despising of marriage amongst the Turks, maketh the vulgar soldier more base. Certainly wife and children are a kind of disccipline of humanity; and single men, though they may be many times more charitable, because their means are less exhaust, yet, on the other side, they are more cruel and hardhearted (good to make severe inquisitors), because their tenderness is not so oft called upon. Grave natures, led by custom, and therefore constant, are commonly loving husbands, as was said of Ulysses, vetulam suam praetulit immortalitati. Chaste 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 think her husband wise; which she will never do, if she find him jealous. Wives are young men"s mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men"s 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 very good wives; whether it be, that it raiseth the price of their husband"s 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 choosing, against their friends" consent; for then they will be sure to make good their own folly.

論論結婚與獨身

王佐良 譯

夫人之有妻兒也不啻已向命運典質，從此難成大事，無論善惡。興大業，立大功，往往系未婚無兒者所為，彼輩似已與公眾結親，故愛情產業并以付之。按理而論，有子女者應對未來歲月最為關切，因已將至親骨肉托付之矣。獨身者往往思慮僅及己身，以為未來與己無關。有人則視妻兒為負債。更有貪而愚者，以無兒女為榮，以為如此更可夸其富足。此輩或曾聞人議論，一云此人為大富，另一則云否也，其人有多子負擔，其財必損。然獨身之原因，最常見者為喜自由，尤其自娛任性之人不耐任何束縛，身上褡帶亦視為桎梏。未婚者為最好之友、最好之主、最好之仆，然非最好之臣，因其身輕易遁也，故亡命徒幾全未婚。未婚適合教會中人，因如先須注水于家池則無余澤以惠人矣。然對法官行政官等則無足輕重，彼輩如收禮貪財，劣仆之害五倍于妻。至于士兵，余嘗見將軍以渠等妻兒所望激勵之，而土耳其人鄙視婚姻，故其士兵更為卑劣。妻兒對人確為一種鍛煉。單身者本可心慈過人，因其資財少耗也，實則由于不常觸其心腸，反而更為嚴酷(因而適為審判異端之官)。莊重之人守規不渝，為夫常能愛妻，是故人云優利息斯“愛老妻勝過不朽也”。貞節之婦自恃節操，不免驕縱。欲使妻子守貞從夫，夫須有智；如妻疑夫猜忌，則斷難聽命矣。妻子者，青年之情婦，中年之伴侶，老年之護士也，故如決心結婚，須善擇時。昔有智者答人問何時可婚，曾云：“青年未到時，老年不必矣。”常見惡夫有良妻，是否由于此輩丈夫偶爾和善，更見其可貴，抑或此類妻子以忍耐為美德歟？可確言者，如妻子不顧友朋勸告而自擇惡夫，則必盡力彌補前失。