Bacon's Essays, and Wisdom of the Ancients
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
parent, 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.”[106]—Younger brothers are commonly fortunate,
but seldom or never where the elder are disinherited.
VIII.—OF MARRIAGE AND SINGLE LIFE.
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.[107]
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 discipline of humanity; and
single men, though they be many times more charitable, because their
means are less exhaust, yet, on the other side, they are more cruel
and hard-hearted (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.”[108] 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[109]
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.”[110] It is often seen that bad husbands
have very good wives; whether it be that it raiseth the price of their
husbands’ 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.
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;[111] 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 are most subject to be envied themselves; and what is the
difference between public and private envy.
A man that hath no virtue in himself, ever envieth virtue in others;
for men’s minds will either feed upon their own good, or upon others’
evil; and who wanteth the one will prey upon the other; and whoso is
out of hope to attain to another’s virtue, will seek to come at even
hand[112] by depressing another’s fortune.
A man that is busy and inquisitive, is commonly envious; for to know
much of other men’s matters cannot be, because all that ado may concern
his own estate; therefore, it must needs be that he taketh a kind of
play-pleasure in looking upon the fortunes of others; neither can he
that mindeth but his own business find much matter for envy; for envy
is a gadding passion, and walketh the streets, and doth not keep home:
“Non est curiosus, quin idem sit malevolus.”[113]
Men of noble birth are noted to be envious towards new men when they
rise, for the distance is altered; and it is like a deceit of the eye,
that when others come on they think themselves go back.
Deformed persons and eunuchs, and old men and bastards, are envious;
for he that cannot possibly mend his own case, will do what he can to
impair another’s; except these defects light upon a very brave and
heroical nature, which thinketh to make his natural wants part of his
honor; in that it should be said, “That a eunuch, or a lame man, did
such great matters,” affecting the honor of a miracle; as it was in
Narses[114] the eunuch, and Agesilaus and Tamerlane,[115] that were
lame men.
The same is the case of men that rise after calamities and
misfortunes; for they are as men fallen out with the times, and think
other men’s harms a redemption of their own sufferings.
They that desire to excel in too many matters, out of levity and
vainglory, are ever envious, for they cannot want work; it being
impossible but many, in some one of those things, should surpass them;
which was the character of Adrian the emperor, that mortally envied
poets and painters, and artificers in works, wherein he had a vein to
excel.[116]
Lastly, near kinsfolk and fellows in office, and those that have been
bred together, are more apt to envy their equals when they are raised;
for it doth upbraid unto them their own fortunes, and pointeth at them,
and cometh oftener into their remembrance, and incurreth likewise more
into the note[117] of others; and envy ever redoubleth from speech and
fame. Cain’s envy was the more vile and malignant towards his brother
Abel, because when his sacrifice was better accepted, there was nobody
to look on. Thus much for those that are apt to envy.
Concerning those that are more or less subject to envy: First, persons
of eminent virtue, when they are advanced, are less envied, for their
fortune seemeth but due unto them; and no man envieth the payment of
a debt, but rewards and liberality rather. Again, envy is ever joined
with the comparing of a man’s self; and where there is no comparison,
no envy; and therefore kings are not envied but by kings. Nevertheless,
it is to be noted, that unworthy persons are most envied at their first
coming in, and afterwards overcome it better; whereas, contrariwise,
persons of worth and merit are most envied when their fortune
continueth long; for by that time, though their virtue be the same, yet
it hath not the same lustre; for fresh men grow up that darken it.
Persons of noble blood are less envied in their rising; for it seemeth
but right done to their birth: besides, there seemeth not so much added
to their fortune; and envy is as the sunbeams, that beat hotter upon
a bank or steep rising ground, than upon a flat; and, for the same
reason, those that are advanced by degrees are less envied than those
that are advanced suddenly, and _per saltum_.[118]
Those that have joined with their honor great travels, cares, or
perils, are less subject to envy; for men think that they earn their
honors hardly, and pity them sometimes, and pity ever healeth envy.
Wherefore you shall observe, that the more deep and sober sort of
politic persons, in their greatness, are ever bemoaning themselves
what a life they lead, chanting a _quanta patimur_;[119] not that they
feel it so, but only to abate the edge of envy; but this is to be
understood of business that is laid upon men, and not such as they call
unto themselves; for nothing increaseth envy more than an unnecessary
and ambitious engrossing of business; and nothing doth extinguish envy
more than for a great person to preserve all other inferior officers in
their full rights and preëminences of their places; for, by that means,
there be so many screens between him and envy.
Above all, those are most subject to envy, which carry the greatness
of their fortunes in an insolent and proud manner; being never well
but while they are showing how great they are, either by outward pomp,
or by triumphing over all opposition or competition. Whereas wise men
will rather do sacrifice to envy, in suffering themselves, sometimes of
purpose, to be crossed and overborne in things that do not much concern
them. Notwithstanding, so much is true, that the carriage of greatness
in a plain and open manner (so it be without arrogancy and vainglory),
doth draw less envy than if it be in a more crafty and cunning fashion;
for in that course a man doth but disavow fortune, and seemeth to be
conscious of his own want in worth, and doth but teach others to envy
him.
Lastly, to conclude this part, as we said in the beginning that the
act of envy had somewhat in it of witchcraft, so there is no other
cure of envy but the cure of witchcraft; and that is, to remove the
lot (as they call it), and to lay it upon another; for which purpose,
the wiser sort of great persons bring in ever upon the stage somebody
upon whom to derive the envy that would come upon themselves; sometimes
upon ministers and servants, sometimes upon colleagues and associates,
and the like; and, for that turn, there are never wanting some persons
of violent and undertaking natures, who, so they may have power and
business, will take it at any cost.
Now, to speak of public envy: there is yet some good in public
envy, whereas in private there is none; for public envy is as an
ostracism,[120] that eclipseth men when they grow too great; and
therefore it is a bridle also to great ones, to keep them within bounds.
This envy, being in the Latin word _invidia_,[121] goeth in the modern
languages by the name of discontentment, of which we shall speak in