cipal instruments for action, which is trust and belief. The best composition and temperature is, to have openness in fame and opinion; secrecy in habit; dissimulation in seasonable use; and a power to feign if there be no remedy.

VII. OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN.

The joys of parents are secret, and so are their griefs and fears; they cannot utter the one, nor they will not utter the other. Children sweeten labours, but they make misfortunes more bitter: they increase the cares of life, but they mitigate the remembrance of death. The perpetuity by generation is common to beasts; but memory, merit, and noble works, are proper to men: and surely a man shall see the noblest works and foundations have proceeded from childless men, which have sought to express the images of their minds, where those of their bodies have failed; so the care of posterity is most in them that have no posterity. They that are the first raisers of their houses are most indulgent towards their children, beholding them as the continuance, not only of their kind, but of their work; and so both children and creatures.

The difference in affection of parents towards their several children, is many times unequal, and sometimes unworthy, especially in the mother; as Solomon saith, "A wise son rejoiceth the father, but an ungracious son shames the mother." A man shall see, where there is a house full of children,

one or two of the eldest respected, and the youngest made wantons; but in the midst some that are as it were forgotten, who, many times, nevertheless, prove the best. The illiberality of parents, in allowance towards their children, is an harmful error, and makes them base; acquaints them with shifts; makes them sort with mean company; and makes them surfeit more when they come to plenty and therefore the proof is best when men keep their authority towards their children, but not their purse. Men have a foolish manner (both parents, and schoolmasters, and servants,) in creating and breeding an emulation between brothers during childhood, which many times sorteth to discord when they are men, and disturbeth families. The Italians make little difference between children and nephews, or near kinsfolks; but so they be of the lump, they care not, though they pass not through their own body; and, to say truth, in nature it is much a like matter; insomuch that we see a nephew sometimes resembleth an uncle, or a kinsman, more than his own parents, as the blood happens. Let parents choose betimes the vocations and courses they mean their children should take, for then they are most flexible; and let them not too much apply themselves to the disposition of their children, as thinking they will take best to that which they have most mind to. It is true, that if the affection, or aptness of the children be extraordinary, then it is good not to cross it; but generally the precept is good, " optimum elige, suave et facile illud faciet consuetudo."

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Younger brothers are commonly fortunate, but seldom or never where the elder are disinherited.

not for it

freed

VIII. OF MARRIAGE AND SINGLE LIFE.*

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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 pertinences; 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

:

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* See note D at the end.

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not true

always best subjects; for they are light to run away;
and almost all fugitives are of that condition. A
Tore
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
think the despising of marriage among the Turks
maketh the vulgar soldier more base. Certainly
wife and children are a kind of discipline of hy
manity; 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 con-
stant, are commonly loving husbands, as was said
of Ulysses, "vetulam suam prætulit immorta-
litati." 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 re-
puted one of the wise men, that made answer to the
question when a man should marry :-" A young

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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 no Conclusin sure to make good their own folly. make it seem outwardly that Hsn it's alright IX OF ENVY.*

There be none of the affections which have been noted to fascinate, or bewitch, but love and envy : they both have vehement wishes; they frame themselves readily into imaginations and suggestions; and they come easily into the eye, especially upon the presence of the objects, which are the points that conduce to fascination, if any such thing there be. We see, likewise, the scripture calleth envy an evil eye; and the astrologers call the evil influences of the stars evil aspects; so that still there seemeth to be acknowledged, in the act of envy, an ejaculation, or irradiation of the eye: nay, some have been so curious as to note, that the times, when the stroke or percussion of an envious eye doth most hurt, are, when the party envied is beheld in glory or triumph; for that sets an edge upon envy and besides, at such times, the spirits of the person envied do come forth most into the outward parts, and so meet the blow.

But leaving these curiosities (though not unworthy to be thought on in fit place,) we will handle what persons are apt to envy others; what persons

* See note E at the end.