Caius Fannius.

FAnn. These thynges be true O Laeli, for neyther better, neither nobler hath there been any then Affri­canus. But you muste thinke all men haue cast their eyes vpon you, and you onely they call & iudge wyse. This name was geuen not longe sence to M. Cato. We knowe also, that L. Acilius in our father [...] tyme was named wyse. L. Aciliu [...]. But either of them in a sh [...]er maner. Aciliꝰ, because he was though [...] connyng in the Ciuile lawe: Cato, because he had experi­ence [Page] of ma [...]y thinges, and ma­ny of his doo [...]ynges, bothe in counsayle in the Senate, and in the iudgement place of Iu­stice, were reported to be fore­seen wisely, doen stoutly, and aunswered wittilie: atteigned now in his olde ag [...] (as halfe a surname) to be called Cato the wyse. But you in an other k [...]nde, not only by nature and condicions, but al [...]o by studie and knowlage, t [...]ey accompte wyse. Nether after the comon peoples reckenyng, but as the learned sorte are wonte to cal one wy [...], that is suche a one [...] as in al the rest of Grece is not the lyke. For those, whiche na­rowlie searche out these mat­ters, doe not reken them in the [Page 5] numbre of wyse men, which be called the seuē sages of Grece. S [...]uē sa­g [...]s of Grece. In dede one we haue heard of, that was at Athenes, and the [...]ame Apolloes oracle adiud­ [...]d the wysest. Socrates iudged most wyse by Apollo This wisdome [...]en thinke in you, that you accompt all your richesse lod­ged within you, and that all worldlie happes be inf [...]riours to vertue. And for this cause (I beleue) they enquire of me, and of Scaeuola here a [...]so, howe you beare Affricanes deathe, and so muche the ra­ther, because these last non as, when we came into D. Brutꝰ orchardes the Augur, (as the vsage is) to reason vpon mat­ters, you wer not presēt there, who was woonte moste dili­gently [Page] to attend both that day and businesse. Scae. Many truely aske, Caius Laelie, as Faunius saieth. But I make this aunswere, that I per­ [...]eiue, you beare your sorowe sobrelie, whiche you take for so noble and freendly a man, and that you [...]oulde not choose, but be somwhat trou­bled, and otherwyse of your owne naturall kindenesse ye could not be. And as to that you were not presente at our meetyng these nones, I saied, sickenesse was the cause, and not sorowe. Lae. Well saied Scaeuola and truely: for ney­ther oughte I for any losse to be withdrawen from this du­tie, whiche whyle I was in [Page 6] healthe, I alwaies perfour­med: neyth [...]r dooe I thynke, that it can happen by any oc­casion, that there shoulde be anie slackenesse of duitie in a constant manne. But you Fannie, Constant men. dooe lyke a freende, that you tell me, the worlde ascribeth so muche vnto me, as neyther I acknowelage, neyther desire: but yet as me seemeth, you iudge not true­lye of Cato: for eyther no manne there is (as in deede I rather beleue) or if anie bee, Cato it is [...] that is wyse. Ah howe (to leaue the reste vn­spoken) dyd he take the death of his sonne? Cato [...]er­keded wise if a­ny be wise. I can remem­bre Paulus, and saw Caius. But these may not be cōpared [Page] to Cato, the great and the no­ble. Wherfore beware, howe you prefer any before Cato, no not hym, whom Apollo (as you saied) adiudged the wy­sest. for of this man his dedes, and of that man his saiynges be cōmended. Socrates for his saiynges, Cato for his dedes cōmended But concernyng my selfe (to answere now you bothe) reaken thus. If I denie to be grieu [...]d with the losse of Scipio, lette the wyse iudge, howe well it were dooen: but certes lye I shoulde, for I am troubled, that I am nowe bi­reft of such a freend as I sup­pose neuer none shalbe, and as I can approue, Scipio cō m [...]nded. neuer none hath been. But I nede no phi­sicke, I can comforte my selfe, and chiefly with this kynde of [Page 7] comfort, that I am not in that errour, wherwith moste men are woont to be accombred, at the departing of their frendes. For I think that Scipio hath no hurte, mine it is, if any be. And for a man to be greuously troubled for his owne losses, it is selfly loue, and not frend­ly loue. Selfe loue, But who can denie, that Scipio is not happi [...]? for except he woulde haue wyshed euer lyfe, (whiche was farthest out of his thought) what hath he not obteined, that was m [...]te for a man to wishe? who in the beginnyng of this mannes state, with vnheard vertues, exceaded the great hope the ci­tesins conceiued of him, beyng [...] chylde, who neuer sued for [Page] the Consulship, Scipio twise con­sull. and yet was twise made Consull: first be­fore tyme, beeyng vnder age: secondlie in tyme by course, and for the common wealthe almost to late: who by destroi­yng two cities, moste egar e­nemies to this Empire, clerely brake vp not onely warres, that were present, but warres whiche were to come. What should I speake of his gentle maners, his naturall dutie to­wardes his mother, his liberal [...]tie towardes his sisters, his goodnesse towardes his ser­uantꝭ, his vprightnes towar­des all men? All Rome bewailed Scipioes death. All these be right wel knowen to you. But how deare he was to the citee, it was declared by the mourning [Page 8] at his funeralles. What then could hauyng of a fewe yeres moe, haue profited hym? for old age, although it be no hea­uie burden (as I remēbre Ca­to did the yere before his death discourse with me and Scip. Olde age.) yet it taketh away that freshe youth, wherin thē Scip. was. Wherfore his life was suche, either by fortune, or by glorie, as nothyng co [...]lde bee added more. But his quicke depar­ture, toke awaie the greefe of death, of the which sort of di­yng, it is hard to speake any certaintee. What menne su­specte, you see. Neuerthe­lesse, this a manne maie safe­ly saie, that amongest ma­ny his daies, whiche he had [Page] seen in his lyfe tyme most faire and ioyefull, that daie was the noblest to P. Scipio, Howe ho­norably Sci. was brought from the S [...]nate house. whē the Senate house beyng bro­ken vp, he was brought home again at nyghte, by the eldest Senatoures, by the league freendes of the Romains, and also by the Latines, the daie beefore he departed this lyfe, that from so high a slep of ho­nour, he might seme rather to haue mounted to God, then to haue gone doune to hell. Immortalitee of the soule. For I can in no wyse agree with them, whiche began of late to reason thus, that the soule di­eth with the body, and al thin­ges end by dea [...]h. I waie more th [...] auctoritee of olde writers, and of our elders, which made [Page 9] so godly lawes for the deade. as in mine opinion they wold neuer haue dooen, The part of Italie nowe cal­led Cala­bria in the kyngdome of [...]aples. if they had thought there hadde nothyng concerned them. And their au­ctoritee also I more regarde, whiche were sometyme here in this land, and instructed great Grece with their good rules and lessons, whiche nowe is destroyed, and at that tyme flourisshed. And his also I esteeme more, whiche by Ap­polloes oracle was adiudged the wisest, Socra [...] who did not affirm somtym [...] one thyng, and som­tyme an other, as in many ca­ses is vsed, but alwaies helde one, Mannes soult. that mans sowle was an heauenlie thyng: and that the same, when it departed from [Page] the bodie, had a waie to re­tourne to heauen very spedie, for euery good and iuste man. Whiche self same thyng Sci­pio also thought, who seemed as it were to haue a forefeling of the thyng, a verie fewe dai­es before his death, when both Philus and Manilius beyng present, Phi. Ma­nilius. and others moe: yea, and you your selfe Scaeuola, comoned with me, he reasoned three whole dayes vpon a co­mon wealth, the latter ende of the whiche disputacion, was of the euerlastyng lyfe of the soule, which (he said) he heard of Affricanus in his slepe by a vision. If that be so, that eue­ry good mans soule doth easi­ly make his flight to heauē, as [Page 10] out of prisō and cheines of the bodie, whom can we iudge to haue had an easier passage to God, then Scipio? Wherfore to lament this his good end, I feare were rather enuioꝰ then freendly. And on thother side, if I were afeard of this, that the soule died with the bodie, and that there remained ney­ther felyng of weale nor woe: then as in deathe there is no goodnes, so neither is there e­uelnesse. For whan a mans fe­ling is once gon, he is made as though he had neuer ben born: yet that Sci. was begot, both we dooe reioyse, and the citee (while it standꝭ,) ought to be glad. Wherfore, as I said a­fore, he is verie well, but with [Page] me it is somwhat wurse, whō reason rath [...]r woulde, as I came beefore hym into this worlde, so I should haue gone before him out of this life: but yet I take such fruite of the re­membraunce of our frendship, that I thinke I lyued happi­lie, that with Scipio I ledde my lyfe, with whom I had a ioynct care, for the common wealthe, and for our priuate causes, with whom bothe in peace and warre I tooke lyke parte: yea, and w [...]e agreed e­uermore in loue, mynde, pour­pose, and opinion, in whiche thyng the whole pithe of frēd­ship standeth. Freende­sh [...]p. Therfore this fame of wysdom, which Fan­nius euen nowe rehearsed, do­eth [Page 11] not so greatly delighte me, (specially beyng false) as tha [...] I trust there shalbe an euerla­styng memorie of our freend­ship: and the same the rather is an hearti [...]ye vnto me, be­cause that in so many hundred yeares, as haue passed, there haue he founde skace three or [...]owre couples of freendes, Scase thre or fowre co [...] ples of freende [...] a­monge the whiche sorte I see there is hope, that Scipioes and Laelius frendship shall be knowen to our of [...]pring.

Uerely Laelie, this can not otherwyse be chosen. But seeyng you haue made menci­on of frendship, and we be al­so at leasure, you shall dooe a great pleasure to me, and no lesse I trust to S [...]aeuola, if as [Page] ye are wont of other matters, when they are demaunded of you, you wil so nowe dispute of frendship, what you thinke thereof, whom you counte a freende, and what good rules you geue theron.

It pleseth me wel, and as I was about to be in hand with you for it, Fannius did forespeke me. Wherfore you shall excea­dynglie pleasure bothe vs.

And I surelie thynke it no payne, if I thought my self well able, for both the matter seemes goodlie, and we (as Fannius alledged) be at lea­sure. But who am I? or what eloquence is in me? This is the facion of lerned men, and that amonge the Greekes, to [Page 12] haue a matter proponed vnto theim, whereon they shoulde reason, although out of hand. It is a buisie peece of worke, and needeth no small exercise. Wherefore my iudgement is, you shoulde seake the poyn­ctes to be disputed of freende­ship, of those, whiche professe this manner of reasonyng. As for me, Frēdeship to be pre­ferred a­boue all thyng. I can no more but ex­horte you, to sette freendship beefore all kynde of worldely thynges. For nothyng is so agreable to nature, nor so fitte for prosperitee or aduer­sitee. F [...]ēdeship onely be­twe [...]ne good men But firste and fore­most this I thinke, that frend­shippe can bee but in good men.

¶Neyther do I so search the [Page] matter to the quicke, as they whiche reason this geare more subtillie, although perchaunce [...]ruely, and yet little to any co­mon profite. For they denie, that any is good, but he bee wyse. And be it so hardily Yet suche a thyng call they [...]hat wysedome, as neuer earthely man atteigned hytherto. But we must [...] hope for suche thyn­ges as bee in vre, and in our daiely life, and not for those thynges, whiche be feign [...]d or wished aft [...]r. I wil neuer saie, that Caius Fabritius, Mar. Curius, C. Fab [...]. Mar Cu. [...]. Coruucanus. and Titus Cornuca­nus, whom our [...]lders de [...]med wyse, were after these mennes rule accompted wyse. Wher­fore let them keepe to them sel­ues [Page 13] their name of wisedome, bothe enuied and vnknowen, so thei cōfesse these afore were good men: but yet that wyll not they graunt, for th [...]y will denie, that that can bee saied but by them that be wyse. Let vs goe then euen plainlie to woorke lyke a packe staffe, as the prou [...]rbe is. They whiche behaue thems [...]lues, Prouerb [...] and doe so liue, that their faieth, their ho­nestee, their vprightnesse and liberalitee is allowed, and in them neither couetousnesse, neither trecherie, neither rash­nesse is seene to be: and besyde this, be of great constancie, as they wer, whom before we na­med: all these lyke as they bee taken for good men, Good men [...] [...]o we [Page] thinke them worthie to be cal­led, who folow nature, the best guide of welliuyng, so far as mans power can leade them. For this me thinkth I do spie, that we are so borne together, as there shoulde be among all men a certain felowship. Thorder of freend­ship. And the greater the felowship shuld be, th [...] nearer that euerie one cometh to an other. And ther­fore cit [...]sins be derer to vs thē forrains, and kinsfolke nerer then frennefolke: for towarde these Nature her selfe hathe bredde a fre [...]ndelinesse: but in this there is not suretee y­nough. for in this point frēd­shippe passeth kinred, in that kinred maie be without good will: but frendship in no wise [Page 14] can lacke it. For take awaie good wil, and frēdship l [...]seth, but cosinage keepeth styll his name. But how great the ver­tue of frendship is, it may here of best be vnderstand, that of innumerable compaignies of mankinde, whiche nature her selfe hath knitte together, it is a thyng drawen and broughte into such a streight, that frēd­ship is alwai [...]s ioigned either betweene twoo, orels betwene fewe. What a­mitee is. For frendshippe is no­thyng els, but a perfect agre­ment with good will and true loue in al kind of good thingꝭ and godlie. And I knowe not whether any better thyng hath been geuen of GOD vnto men, wisedome excepted, then [Page] this same freendship. Some set richesse before, some health, oth [...]rs power, and othe [...]s ho­nour, many also pleasures. Plesure. But certes this last is for bea­stes, and those other vpper­more be fading and vncertein, and bee not so muche within the compasse of ou [...] wysdome, as within the ficklenes of for­tune. But they, whiche place our cheefest weale in vertue, doe therin very well: and yet this same vertue it is, whiche bothe engendreth and vphol­deth freendship. No frend­ship with­out v [...]r­tue. Neither maie freendship by any meanes bee without vertue. Nowe let vs s [...]t out, what is v [...]rtue, a [...]ter the maner of our liuyng, and facion of our talke: and let vs [Page 15] not measure it as certeine vn­learned m [...]n dooe, by the state­linesse of the woordes. And let vs reken th [...]m good m [...]n, whi­che are so counted, that is to saie, the Paules, the Catoes, the Caians, the Scipiōs, and Philons. These were conten­ted with this common kind of lyfe. And as for suche, whiche can not any where be founde, let vs leaue theim of. Commo­ditees of frendship. There­fore among suche sort of men, freendship hath so many com­moditees, as I can scacely wel expresse. First who can be vi­ta vitalis (to vse Ennius ter­mes) whiche in english [...] is, li­uyng in this lyfe, that liueth not in mutual loue with some freend? What sweeter thyng [Page] can there be, than to haue one, with whō thou darest so bold­ly talke all mattiers, as with thine owne selfe: how shoulde the profit of welfare, and pro­speritee be so great, if you had not some, which should reioise so muche therat as your self? But as for euil plight and aduersitee, it were harde to beare them without such an one, as wold beare the same more gre­uously than your self. To con­clude, all other thynges, that are desired, eache one to eache man serueth the tourne, as ri­chesse for vse, wealth for wor­ship, honoure for pra [...]se, plea­sure for delite, health to want grefe, and to dooe the office of the bodie. Freendship conteig­neth [Page 16] more thyngꝭ in it. Whi­ther so euer you tourne, it is at hand, it will be kept out of no place, it is n [...]uer vnseasona­ble, nor neuer troubloꝰ. Frēdeship is as necessary as the elementꝭ. Ther­fore neither water, nor fier, ne aire, as thei say, do we in more places vse, then this frēdship [...] And now doe I not speake of the common or meane sorte of freendship (which yet deliteth and pro [...]iteth) but of the true and perfecte, as theirs was, whiche beeyng fewe are soone tolde. For frendship maketh welfare the goodlier, and euill fare, by sonderyng and par­tyng of greefes, the lighter. And where freendshippe hath in it manie and greate com­moditees, yet this exceadeth [Page] al the rest, that she forecōfortes vs, with the good hope that is to come. She suffreth mens hertes neither to [...]eint, nor yet to fall: but he that beholdeth his friend, doeth as it wer be­hold a certain patterne of him selfe. The excel­lencie of [...]mitie. Wherfore in frendship the absent be present, the nedie neuer lacke, the sicke thyncke them selues whole, and that which is hardest to be spoken, the dead neuer dye. So great honour, remembraunce, and desire breedeth in thē towarde their freendes. By reason wherof their dethes be thought happie, and the others lifes be muche preisid. But if you shoulde take out of the worlde the knot of fre [...]ndship, Want of frendship. n [...]ither [Page 17] can there any house, wante of freēdship. neither a­ny citie be able to continue, no not the tillage of the land can endure. And if this can not be vnderstand herebi, yet of strife and debate it maie wel be per­ceiued, howe great the power of concorde and freendship is. For what howse so stedie, or what citie standꝭ so faste, but thorough hatered aud strife, Hatred & strife. it may be vtterlie ouerthrowen? Whervpon, how much good­nesse resteth in freendshippe, it maie be easily iudged. Men report, Emp [...]do­cies. that a certein Agrigen­tine, beeyng a learned manne, wrote in Greke verses, that al thyngꝭ, hauyng their beyng in the world and mouyng, be by freendship kept togither, and [Page] by debate skattered: and this all menne bothe perceiue, and proue in very deede. And ther­fore if at any tyme, there hath appeared, any kynde parte of one freend toward an other, in aduenturynge of parell, or els ī part w [...]aryng the same, what is he that would not set it out with great preyses? What a great show was there, the last daie all the place ouer, at the newe made plaie of mine olde hoste and freend M. Pacuui­us, M. Pacu [...]ius tra­g [...]dy Ami­tee of Orestes and Pylades. when the kynge, not kno­wing whether of the two was Orestes, Pylades answered, that he it was, that was Ore­stes, because he woulde haue been put to death for him: and Orestes again, that was so in [Page 18] deede, auowed stiffely, that he it was that was Orestes. The herers that stode aboute, prei­sed it with clapping their han­des, beyng but a matter feig­ned. What thinke we then thei would haue doen in a true matter? Here nature her selfe did soone bewraie her own er­nestenesse, when these men iud­ged the same to be well dooen in another, whiche they could not doe them selfes. And thus farre me seemeth, I haue tho­roughly spokē what I thynke of freendshippe. if there be any more thyngꝭ, as A beleue there be many, aske it of them if ye thinke good, whiche dispute these kynd of matters.

But we rather couet to heare [Page] [...]t of you, although for my part I oft tymes haue soughte it at their handꝭ, and haue hearde theim very wyllynglie: but we looke for an other manner of veine in your talke.

You woulde the sooner haue saied so Fannie, if you had of late been present in Scipioes orcharde, when the reasonyng was concernyng a common wealth, and had heard, what a defender of iustice be was at that day, against a curiouse oracion that Philus made.

[...]hat surely was an ea­sie matter for the iust to defend iustice.

And what saie you by freendship? shall it not be lyke easie for him to doe the same therein, who hath gained [Page 19] great honour, for keepyng the same with all trustinesse, sted­fastnesse, and vprightnesse.

Naie, this is as though ye would force me to speake. But what skilleth it, by what meanes you driue me to it, I take it truely, that ye force me. Yet to withstande the earnest desires of a mans freendes, es­pecially in an honeste matter, partlie it is an harde thyng to doe, and partly not well stan­dyng with reason. Wherfore many times thinkyng of frend shippe, this was woont to be chiefly weighed of me, whether for staie and for neede, menne ought to seeke for frēdship, to thentent that in doyng and ta­kyng of pleasures, one mighte [Page] receiue of another, Wherfore freendes are sought that he told not come to by him selfe, and after that sorte mighte requite others: and whether this were the very propertee of frēdship, or elles there were some other cause more ancient, more com­mendable, and more proceding of nature. For loue, wherof freendly loue and freendshippe commeth, is the chiefe cause, to fasten good willes together. Commoditees often times al­so bee gotten at their handes, Loue. whiche with flatteryng fren­ship be soughte vpon, and as tyme serueth, be attended vpō. But in frendshippe there is no faining, there is no dissēbling, and what so euer is in it, the same is true and vnforced. [Page 20] Wherefore I am of opinion, that freendship toke his begin­nyng rather by nature, Natural freēdship thē for any helpe of staie, and rather by the castyng of ones phantasie toward thother, with a cer­tein felyng of loue, then by the thinkyng, howe muche profite mighte ensue of suche a thyng. The which surely what kinde of thyng it is, maie wel be vn­derstande, euen in certeine bea­stes, whiche so tenderlie loue their yong ones for a certayne space, and be so loued of them again, that their nature soone appeareth: whiche thyng in man is muche more euident.

Firste of the loue that is bee­twene the children & parentes, whiche can not possibly with­out [Page] some heinouse mischi [...]fe be withdrawen. And secondarily when a lyke bearyng of loue appeareth, as if we haue foūd any body, with whose maners and nature we agree, because we thinke we see in theim as it were a certeine sparke of ho­nestie and vertue. For no­thyng is better beloued than vertue, Uertue. nor nothyng more al­lureth men to cast fauour, in so muche, that for vertue and honestie we fauour, after a certeine sorte euen those, whom we neuer sawe in our life. For who is it, that doeth not vse remembraunce of Caius Fa­britius, or Marcus Curius, C. Fabri­ [...]ius. M. Curius. whō he neuer saw [...] with a cer­teigne loue and good fauour [Page 21] toward them. Who again do­eth not hate Tarquinius the proude, Sp. Cassius, and Sp. Melius? With the two capi­teins Pyrrhus and Hānibal, Pyrrhus Anniball. we foughte for the Empire in Italie. Notwithstandyng frō the one, we withdrewe not muche our heartes, for his ho­nest name, and thother alwai­es the citie hated for his cruel­tee. But if the power of hone­stie be so muche, Power of honestie. that we loue the same, yea in those, whiche we neuer sawe, and more then that, we like it euen in our ve­ry enemies: what meruaile is it, if the hertꝭ of men be mo­ued, when thei seeme to behold the vertue a [...]d goodnesse of suche, with whom they may be [Page] ioigned in acquaintaunce. Loue con­firmed by benefites. Al­though loue be fastened by ple­asures receaued, by good will well tryed, and acquaintaunce had: all which [...] thynges toge­ther when they bee laied to the same firste phantasie of mans mynd and loue, a certein won­derfull greatness [...] of good will doeth kiendle. Whiche, if anie thinke it commeth of desire, Base o [...]t spryng of freēdship [...] to haue a h [...]lpe of staie, that it should be a m [...]ane, wherby eue­rie one should come by that he most desireth, truely they leaue vs a very base, and no gentle­manlie out spryng of frēdship to be, which of lacke and nede would haue it to issue. But if this w [...]r so, then as euery man felt in hym self smallest habili­tee, [Page 22] so should he be most rediest to freendship: whiche thyng is farre otherwyse. For as eu [...]ry man trusteth most to him self, and as euery man chief [...]y with vertue and wisdome, is so fur­nished, that he hath no nede of any other, and taketh all his owne thyngꝭ to lye in his own power: so he dooeth moste ex­ceade all others in sekyng and honouryng freenshippe. Aff [...]canꝰ and Lael [...]ꝰ had no nede one of an o­ther. For what, had Affaicanꝰ any nede of me? Nothyng at all truely, Nor I of him neither: but I, for certein woonder I was in of his vertue, and he perchāce agein for an opinion he had of my behauiour, loued me, and our daylie cōpanie encreased our good will. But although [Page] manie and great commoditees ensued thereof, yet did not the cause of our louyng one the o­ther, come of any hope of such thyngꝭ. For as we be profita­ble to oth [...]rs and liberall, not of purpose to get thankes, Usury of plesures. (for in deede we make no vsurie of our pleasures) but euen of ve­rie nature be geuen to liberali­tee: so doe we thinke, that we ought to couet freendship, not led therto by hope of rewarde, but b [...]cause all the fruite there­of resteth ī verie loue self. Frute of Amitee. We are farre from the opinion of these, wh [...]che after the nature of brute beastꝭ, dooe referre al thynges to pleasure & sensua­litie. And no meruail at al For they, whiche haue cast all their [Page 23] myndes, vpon so vyle and so lothsome a thing, can haue no eye to any heavenlye, to anie goodly, or godly thing. Wher fore those maner of menne, we wil set a syde from our talke, and let vs imagine and iudge, that loues feelyng, and ernest­nesse of good wil is engendred of nature, by some profe of honestie declared. Whiche hone­stie who that loue, doe applie theim selues to the same, and drawe neerer, that they maie take the vse of the compaigny and maners of him, whō they began to phantasie: and that they maie be mates and a lyke in loue, readier to doe pleasu­res than to r [...]quire any And let this bee an honest kynde of [Page] strife betweene freendes. And thus shall great commoditees be tak [...]n of freendship, and the beginning therof shal come of nature, rather then of neede, a beginnyng both weightier and trewer. Freēdship beginning of nature. For if profite shoulde fasten frendship, then the same beyng changed, shoulde vnlose it againe. But because nature cannot be chaunged, therefore true frendships be eu [...]rlasting.

¶Thus the first begīning of freendship you see, excepte per­aduenture ye haue some thyng els to aske.

Naie Laeli­us, I praie you goe forth with your matter, and as for hym here, whiche is my younger, of mine owne [...]ead I dare make answere.

In deede you [Page 24] saie but wel, wherfore lette vs heare foorth [...] Laelius. Hearken then my frendes these thyngꝭ, whiche many tymes and ofte haue been reasoned, betweene me and Scipio, concernyng freendshippe. Continuā ce of frēd­ship. He truely was woont to saie, there was no­thyng more harde then freend­ship to continue vnto the last houre of death. For he woulde saie, it oft tymes hapned, that either it should not auaile both parties, to haue it continue still, orels that freendꝭ woulde [...]ot be alwaies of one mynde, in the matters of the common wealth. He would saie also, that mennes maners dyd ofte chaunge, sometyme by reason of euill lucke, som [...]yme as age [Page] grewe on theim. And of thes [...] thingꝭ he would bryng an ex­ample by a similitude of boies state, whiche was, that the whotte loue of children, was oft tymes caste vp with their chaunge of voyce. And in case they had continewed it, til thei became young men of full age: yet that frendship was broken sometyme, eith [...]r by reason of s [...]ryfe, either by some maner of riote, either by some gain and profite, whiche bothe of theim beyng freendes, coulde not at­teigne to at once. So that if any had gone on, somewhat longer in freendship, yet they brake often tymes, if they fell in any contencion for honour or dignitee. For he would saie [Page 25] there was no sorer pestilence in freendship, Couetus­nesse in frendship. then couetous­nesse of moneie, whiche is in the moste part of menne, and strife about honor and glorie, whiche is in the beste sorte of men. Wher vpon great enmi­tee oft times groweth betwene right deare freendes. He fur­ther would say, that great va­riance, and many tymes iuste dyd spryng, when any thyng was required of freendes, that was not honest, as either that they should be instrumentes to others trecherie, orels helpers to dooe wronge. The whiche thyng suche as would refuse, although they should dooe ho­nestlie in it, yet should they be reproued of them, whose myn­des [Page] they would not folow, a [...] breakers of the lawe of frend­ship. But thei, whiche had the face to require any thyng, what so euer it were, of their freend, he was woont to saie, did by their very askyng pro­fesse, that for their frendꝭ sake they would attempt all maner of thynges. And when suche mennes malice was once long growen and festered in hearte, not onely their acquaintaunce was wont to be geuen vp, but also great and continuall ha­tered grewe betwene theim. These many thynges so hang ouer freendshippe, euen as one should saie, by destinee, that he [...]aied, to escape all these, he thoughte it to bee not onely a [Page 26] parte of wisedome, but also of very happinesse. Bondes of loue. Wherfore if ye be pleased, let vs firste see this poinct, how farre oughte loue to stretche in freendship, as if Coriolanus hadde any freendes, Comociō of Corio­lanus. whether they oughte to haue borne weapon with hym against their countreye: whether Becillinus freendes Becillinꝰ should haue ordered him in his enterprise for the kyngdome: whether Spu. Melius fre [...]n­des shoulde haue holden with hym? We sawe Tiberius Graccus, when he made an vp sturre in the common wealth, was forsaken of Quin [...]ꝰ Tu­b [...]ro and his companion fren­des. But Caius Blossius the Cumaine, a geast of your fa­ [...]ilie [Page] Scaeuola, when he came to me as a sewter, because I sate in counsaile with Laenas and Rutilius the Consulles, alledged this cause for him self that I shoulde pardone hym, which was that he had Tibe­rius Graccus in suche a reue­rence, that whatsoeuer he wil­led, he thought it meete to be enterprised. Than ꝙ I, what and this to, if he woulde haue had you set fyer on the Capi­toll? Naie ꝙ he, Capitoll. he would ne­uer haue willed me to suche a thyng, but and if he had once bydde me, I must needes haue doen it. You see how shame­full a saiyng this was, Wicked answere of Blosiꝰ. and in very deede so he did, yea and rather more than he saied. For [Page 27] he did not folowe Tiberius Graccus rashenesse, but was also a ryngleader to it, nor made not him self a compaig­nion of his furie, but a capi­tein. And therfore in this mad­nesse beyng afearde of a newe examinciō, he fled into Asia, and gat hym to our ennemies, and in the ende, suffered iuste and greuous punishement [...] of our citie. Offence i [...] our freen­des b [...]half. There is therefore none excuse for the faulte, if a manne offend for his freendes sake, Honeste r [...]quest [...]s. for seeyng the opinion of ones vertue is the breeder of frendship, it is hard for frend­ship to remain, if one swarue from vertue. But if we agree it to be honest, both to graunt [...]o our freendes what so euer [Page] they woulde haue, and to ob­teigne of our frendes what so euer we desire: there truely we be of a through tried wisdom, if there can be no faulte found with the thing. But our spea­kyng is of these freendes that be in our lye daily, of suche as we see, or suche as we haue heard of, and our daily expe­rience teacheth vs. Oute of these sortes we muste take ex­amples, and of theim chiefely, who come neerest to wisdome. We know, P. Aemi­lius. that Paulꝰ Aemi­lius was of muche familiari­tee with Caius Lucinius, C. Luciniꝰ as we haue heard of our fathers, and that they wer twise Con­sulles to gether, and felowes in office of the Censureshippe. [Page 28] And we reade also in stories, that in that time Marcus Cu­rius and Titus Coruncanus M. Curiꝰ C. C [...]runcanus. were great freendꝭ with them, and dearest one to thother al­so among them selues. Ther­fore we can not so muche as suspecte or deeme, that any of these would haue earnestly re­quired any thing of their frēd, that should haue been against their faith, against their othe, or against the common welth. For to what purpose were it, to say that these euils were in suche men? For if they had er­nestlie required any thyng in that maner, I know thei could not haue obteigned, for asmu­che as these we spake of, were very godlie men. But let it be [Page] of a lyke euill to graunt, as to make an vnhonest suite. Yet Caius Carbo cōsented to Ti­berius Graccus, and so did C. Cato, who at that tyme was neuer awhit his brother Cai­us ennemy, First law in fr [...]nd­ship. but at this present is his earnest aduersarie. Let this then bee the firste lawe e­nacted in freendship, that nei­ther we require vnhonest thin­ges, nor beyng desired do any. For it is a fowle excuse, and in no wise to be alowed, when a man shall either in priuate faultes, other elles in faultes against the comon wealth cō ­fesse, Foule ex­cuse. he did it for his freendes sake. For we are nowe, O Fannius and Scaeuola, sette in such place, that it behoueth [Page 29] vs longe afore to foresee the chaunces that maie happen to the comon wealth [...] For the old custome of our fathers al rea­die is somwhat swarued from hir course and race. Ambicion of Tiberiꝰ Graccus. Tiberius Eraceus went about to haue gotten the kyngdome, and ru­led as a kyng to, for certaine monethes, did euer the people of Rome heare or see the lyke? And his frendes and kinsfolke also after his death did folow the exaumple of hym. What partes they plaied against P. Scipio Nasica, I can not without teares reporte. For as for Carbo, whō we spake of earwhile, we did suffer and beare with, because of Tiberi­us Graccus new punishment. [Page] But what I looke to folowe of Tiberius Graccꝰ Tribune­ship, I luste not to prophecie, for from thence com [...]th al ma­tiers, whiche be ready for mis­chiefe: and after they once be­ginne, they folowe headlong on. Ye see alreadie afore hand in the tables of the lawes, howe great a decaie hath hap­pened, first by the lawe called Gabinia, Gabinius law. and thē within two yeres after, by the lawe called Cassia. Cassius law. And me thinkꝭ I doe alredie see the communaltee of Rome deuided from the Se­nate, and that the great [...]st matiers be ordered after the will of the people. For mo men shal learne howe suche thyngꝭ may be doen, then howe they maie [Page 30] be withstanded. But to what ende speake I all this? verely because no man go [...]th about any suche thyng without fel­lowship. The honest sort ther­fore muste bee warned, if vn­wares they lyght by any ad­uenture in suche a kynde of freendshippe, that they thinke not them selues so bounde, but that thei mai forsake their freende, if in any great matter thei conspire against the com­mon wealth. Punishe­ment as due to the partners as rynge­leaders. And for naughty men a punishment must bee de­ [...]ised, and no lesse for suche as followe others, then for those whiche bee the verie capitai­nes and ryngeleaders theym selues of all wickednesse. Who was nobler, who was [Page] of more power in al Grece th [...] Themistocles? Themi­stocles. who beyng ca­pitayne in the warre againste the Persians, when he had de­liuered Greece from bondage, and afterward was banished for enuie, coulde not beare the same enuie of his vnthankful countrey, which his part was to haue borne. He plaied the like part that Coriolanus did with vs twentie yeares a goe. Themistocles and Coriola­nus slew thēselfes. These twayne found no ayde agaynste their countrey, and therfore th [...]y kylled thēs [...]lfes. Wherfore suche naughtie mē ­nes conspiracie, is not to bee cloked with any excuse of frēdship, but rather punished with all extremitee, that no manne maie thinke it lawefull to fo­lowe [Page 31] his freende, that makes warre against his countreie. Whiche thyng (as the worlde beginneth to goe) I wote not whether one daie it will be so or not. But truely I for my parte, haue no lesse care, A good but a rare care. what the state of the common welth shalbe after my deathe, then what it is at this day. First rule of freend­ship. Let this therfore be agreed, to bee the fyrst rule of freendshippe, that we aske of our freendes thyn­ges that be lawfull, and dooe for our freendes sakes thyngꝭ that be honest. And that we looke not vpon our freend till he desire vs, Preuen­tyng of honest re­ques [...]es. but that good wil bee alwaies readie, and that [...]ackenesse be not vsed Let vs be glad in dede to geue faith­full [Page] counsaill. Let theim be of great accompt in freendeship, Mocions in freend­ship. whiche counsaill well. And let vs geue theim a rule ouer vs, to warne vs, not only plaine­ly: but also if neade be, sharpe­ly, and suche authoritie geuen must be obeied. For I suppose some wonderfull wonders pleased some of theim, whom I heare saie were taken for wise in Greece. But there is nothing, but that thei can des­cant theron with their quidi­tiues, as for example we shuld auoide frendship with to ma­ny, Few fren­des [...] for that one man thereby must nedes be carefull for ma­ny, and that it is enough to doe, euery man to care for his owne. Also to be ouermuche [Page 32] combred with other mennes mattiers (they saie) is vn­weldie, and to haue the raines of freendshippe at length to plucke straiter or make slac­ker, as one will, they thynke it a pleasure. For they say, quietnesse is the chiefe poincte of happines, which the minde can not enioye, if one musts beare the burdeine, or as it were, trauaile with childe for many. Another sort of them (thei saie) speake muche more beastelie yet then this, whiche place a littell aboue I briefely touched, and that was, that freendeshippe ought to bee de­sired for an healpe and staies sake, and not for good will and fauour to anie body. [Page] And therfore as euery manne hath little staie, and little suc­cour, so he shoulde the more seeke after freendship. And for this cause (they saie) it is, that women seeke more the helpe of freendship then men, and the poore more then the riche, and the wretched more thē the for­tunate.

Takyng freendship out of the world.¶ O gaye and goodlye wise­dome. For they goe aboute to take the sōne out of the world, that would take frendship out of it, then the whi [...]he we haue of God nothyng better, ne no­thyng pleasaunter. For what maner of quietenesse is this? truely to see to, pleasaunt, but in verie deede at many tymes to be refused [...] For it is no rea­son, [Page 33] either not to take in hand or to leaue of beyng taken in hande, We must alwaie do well. anie honest cause or deede, because thou wouldest not be troub [...]ed. But if we wil refuse paine, we must also refuse ver [...]ue, whiche must of necessitee with a certeine pain­fulnesse dispise and hate his contraries, as for example, the good must hate the euill, the chast the lecherouse, the hardie the cowardly. Therfore you see the ryghte, moste of all gre­ued with vnrightuousenesse, the mightie with the weake­lynges, the honest with the shameles. This therfore is the propertie of a wel staied mind, Propertee of a well staide mīde to reioice at good thyngꝭ, and to be greued with the contra­ries. [Page] Wherfore if greefe of minde light in a wise man (as in veraie deede it doth) except we suppose the nature of man is cleane rooted vp out of his hert, what cause is there, that we shoulde vtterly bannysh frēd [...]hip from the life of man, because we woulde suffer no troubl [...]s for it? For what dif­ference is there, I saie not be­twene a beast and a man, but euen betwene a man and a stone, or a dead stocke, or any suche like thing, if you take a­way the mouynges and modes of the mind? He mea­neth the stoikes. Neither are these to be h [...]rd, that wil nedes haue vertue to bee an harde thyng, & as it were like iron. Whi­che trwely aswell in manie [Page 34] thyngꝭ, as also in freendship, is easie and gentle, so that at the good fortune of his freend it spredeth it s [...]lfe abrode, and at his misfortune it shrinketh in again. Wherfore this grefe of minde, that is oftimes to be taken for freendes, is not so great as it ought to take a­waie freendship among men: no more than vertue shoulde be refused, because it bringeth with it many cares and trou­bles of mind. But for asmuche as vertue knitteth [...]reendeship together (as I saied afore) if any sparke of vertue doe ap­peare, Where loue groweth. whervnto one of a like minde maie applie and ioyne it selfe, there loue must necessa­rily grow, when suche a thing [Page] hapneth. Beastli­n [...]sse. For what is so trast­lie, as to be delited with these many kynde of vaine thinges, as honour, glorie, buildyng, apparell, and deckeyng of the bodie, and not marueilousely to be delighted, with suche a mind endewed with vertue, as bothe can loue and yelde loue for loue againe. Requi­t [...]ng of benefites. For there is nothyng goodlier, then r [...]qui­tyng of benefitꝭ, nor any thing pleasanter, than thent [...]rchan­geyng of loue and dutie. And also if you putte this vnto it, which maie wel be added, that there is nothyng, whiche al­lureth and so draweth oughte vnto it, Cause prī cipall of frendship. as lykenesse of condi­cions doeth one to freendship. This surely is graunted to be [Page 35] true, Like wol to like. that the honest, loue the honest, and so haunt together, as men n [...]re ioigned by kinred and nature. For nothing more coueteth, or is more egar of his lyke, then nature. Wherfore this is p [...]aine, Nature. O Fannie and S [...]aeuola, in mine opinion, that the honest beare towarde the honest, a certein goodwill, as of course, whiche is apoin­cted by nature, to bee the well spryng of freendship. But this kynd of goodnesse also should appeere towarde the common sorte. Uertue. For vertue is not chor­lishe, nor emptie handed, nor yet loftie: but hir custome is to defend all men, and to doe the best for them she can. Whiche thyng vndoubtedlie she would [Page] not dooe, if she disdeigned the common sorte.

Profite.¶ Furthermore me think [...]th those men, that for profites sake dissemble freendship, doe cleane take awai the louing [...]st knot of freendship. For the veraie profite gott [...]n by ones freend, doth not so muche like one, as his freendes very loue doth delite hym: and than is that, whiche commeth from a mans freend a pleasure, whan of good will and loue it pro­ceadeth. And it is so beyonde reason, that freendship should be sought for necessitee, seeyng that those, whiche be endued with wealth, richesse and ver­tue chiefly, wherin most aide is, haue no neede of any other, [Page 36] and be most liberal and boun­teouse. And I know not, whe­ther it be a meete thyng, that fr [...]endes shoulde neuer neade anie thyng: for where should our good will haue appeared, yf Scipio had neuer neaded, neuer fauour, neuer counsail, neuer our assistaunce, neither in peace nor in warre. Ther­fore freendship huntes not af­t [...]r profite, Profite foloweth freēdship. but profi [...]e folo­weth freendship. M [...]n than that swimme in richesse, be not to be heard, if thei shall at any tyme dispute of freendship, in which nether by exp [...]riēce, nor by knowelage, they haue anie vnd [...]rstandyng. For who is there (in very sadnesse) that neither to loue any, neither to [Page] be loued again, would walow in all richesse, and liue with plentie of all [...]hyngꝭ earthlie? For this kynd of lyfe is for ty­rans, A tyrans lyfe. wherein there is no tru­stinesse, no loue, no hope of as­sured good will, but all thyn­ges euermore suspected and ca­red for: Loue and feare. nor there is no place of frēdship. For who can loue one, whom he feareth: orelles loue one whom he dreadeth? Suche yet be honoured with feigned freendship onely for a time, that if thei happē to take Aduersi­tee trieth freendes.a fall (as it doeth many times come to passe) than is it well perceyued, howe naked they be of freendes. Whiche thing the reporte goeth, Tarquinius the tyranne saied, at suche time as [Page 37] he was banished, that he well vnderstode, what freendes he had faithfull, and what vn­faithfull, nowe when he was hable to recompence neither of theim. And yet I meruail, if in that his pryde and loathsome condicions, he could possibl [...]e haue any at all. And as this mannes maners, of whom we haue spoken, could not pour­chase any true frendes, so ma­ny mens riches, that be in high authoritie, Richesse. do cleane shut out, as it were true freendship. For Fortune her selfe is not onely blynde, Fortune. but maketh these also often tymes blynde, whom she moste embraceth. And therfore (for the moste parte) they are puffed vp with pryde and dis­deigne, [Page] and nothing is so irk [...] ­some, A foole fortunate. as a foole in good for­tune. And this a man maie see, that such as before tymes wer of indifferent maners, by rule, power, and prosperitee, dooe chaunge and despise their olde freendes, and leane to newe. But what more foolishe thing can be, than to studie, thei may be hable with great heapes and plentie, to gette other thynges that be sought for, as mon [...]ie, horses, seruauntes, gaye cloa­thing, and costly plate, and yet not to secke for freendes, being the best & goodlyest riches of this lyfe. Freendes the best ri­chesse. For they knowe not for whom they get other thyn­ges, when they are gotten, nor to whose vse thei trauaile. For [Page 38] euery one of these he his, whi­che will win them with strong hande. But freendship once gotten, abydeth with euerie man stedfast and sur [...]ly. [...]ef [...]es of fortune. And although these thynges conti­new, whiche be as one woulde saie, the giftes of fortune, yet a rude lyfe and destitute of freendes can not be pleasant. But here an ende of this mat­tier.

¶And nowe we must set out, Bondes of loue in frendship. howe farre the boundes and pointes of loue doe reache in freendeshippe. Whereof I see there be three opinions, and I allow neither of them. One is, that we so loue our freend, as we doe our selfes. The other, that our good will towarde [Page] our freendes, doe a like and e­quallie answere theyr good will towarde vs. [...]. opiniōs of freend­ship disa­lowed. The thirde, that howe muche euery man setteth by him selfe, so muche he shoulde bee sette by of his freendes. But I agre to none of these three opinions. For the first is not trewe, that eue­ry man, is a like herted tow­arde his freende, as he is tow­arde him selfe. For how many thynges enterprise we for our freendes sake, whiche for our selues we woulde neuer doe, as to praie and sue to an vn­worthy man for our freendes cause: to be ouer earnestly bēt against one, and to pursue him very sore: whiche thynges in our owne mattiers stande not [Page 39] well with honestie, but in our freendes causes bee moste ho­nest. There be many thynges also, in whiche the honest sort, hoth take awaie and suffer to bee taken from theyr owne gaines, to thende their frendes rather than them selues, maie enioy them. The second opini­on is, that appointeth freend­ship, to vse like benefites, and like good will, but this is to straight and to ne [...]re, to bryng freendship to be weied in bal­launce, as though there ought to be a like iompe measure of taking and receiuyng of plea­sures. Trewe frendship. Me thinketh trewe freendeship is a richer and a bountifuller thyng, and doeth not take so narrowe heade to [Page] geue no more than it maie re­ceiue. Neither is there suche feare to bee taken in freende­ship, that we lease not a good tourne, or let it fal in the mire, or that we heape not vp more benefites than iust measure. The thirde is the worst, which is, that how muche euery man maketh of himselfe, so muche he shoulde bee made of by his freende. But in some often tymes either th [...]e is a more bashful spirite, o [...] a more com­fort [...]es hope of amēdyng their state. It is not therefore the propretee of a freende, to bee toward him, as he is towarde him selfe, but he ought rather to studie and find the meanes, that he cheare vp his freendes [Page 40] dismaied minde, and bryng hym in a more hope and better comfort. There is therfore another ende of trewe freend­ship to be mad [...], so that first I shall tell that whiche Scip [...]o was wont chiefly to reproue. He wolde denie, that any sai­yng coulde be founde more a­gainste freendshippe than this that saied, men ought so to loue, as at sometyme they shoulde ha [...]e And he could not be brought to beleue, A saiyng most repugnant to frendship. that this was saied by Bias, as it was reported, who was one of the seuen wise men: but that it was the saiyng of some vile and ambicious man, or els of one that woulde bryng all [...]ynges to his owne power [Page] and swaie. For how can one be his freende, whose enemie he thinkes also to be. For first he must nedes desier and wish, that his freende might verie often offende, that he might geue as it were occasions to chide. Againe, he must needes be greued and freated, or else enuie at his frendes good hap and doynges. Wherfore this rule truly were enough (whose so euer it be) to destroy fren­ship. But this rather were mete, to haue a rule made, that we should vse suche warenesse in prouidyng of freendes, that we shoulde not begin to loue hym, whom at anie tyme we might after hate. Besides, if we had not bene most fortu­nate [Page 41] in chosyng of our frendabis;, yet Scipio thought men shuld [...]eare that mischaunce, rather than to seeke an occasion of f [...]llyng out. What is to be attributed to honest frē ­des. These endes in freendeship therfore I thynke bee to bee vsed, that whan freendes maners be honest, all their goodes, counsaill, and good will, should be as comon among them, without any ex­cepcion: and also if chaunce so come to passe, that the v [...] ­honest doynges of freendes, bee to bee holpen in thynges, where they stande vpon lyfe and death, or vpon their esti­macion, they maie somewhat swarue out of the waie, so that great dishonestie follow not of it. For freendship maie [Page] be pardoned herein. Neither is estimacion to be reiected. Nor yet muste we thinke, that the peoples voice is a small helpe to haue a doo [...]yng in thynges, whiche to get with flatterie & fayre woordes is dishonestie. Therfore vertue, who hath the loue of all men folowyng it, is not to bee di [...]pised. But it was ofte demaunded (for now I returne to Scipio, al whose talke was of freendeshippe,) why in all other thyng [...]s men were more diligent, as that e­uerie one coulde tell how ma­nie goates and sheepe he had of his owne, A questiō worthy the [...]yng. yet coulde not [...]umbre howe manie freendes he had: and that in compas­syng the one he bestoweth a di­ligence, [Page 42] and in choosyng the other, he is negligent, and hath as it were, no certeigne signes and mark [...]s, by the whiche he should iudge who be fittest for freendeshippe. We must ther­fore choose sure, stedfast, and [...]nwaueryng freendes, of the whiche sorte, there is a greate [...]arsitie, and it is harde to knowe theim without a triall. But we muste make the tryall [...]n freendeshyppe it selfe, for so freendeshippe goeth before our iudgement, and taketh a­waie the occasion of t [...]yall. It is therefore a wyse mannes parte, so to staie the earnest­n [...]sse of his loue, as he dooeth his race in r [...]nning, to the [...]tēt we ma [...]e so vse our frendship, [Page] as men that had assaied their horse, Waies to proue frē ­des. and somewhat tryed the maners of their freendes. Ma­ny men often tymes in a little monei [...] matter, be founde how vnconstant they be: there be o­th [...]r some again, whom when a little money can not attēpt, Money. by a great sūme of money may be soone knowen. But if some maie be founde, whiche thinke it beastly to set moneie before freendship, where then shal we finde them, Honour. that dooe not sette honour, rule, Rule. auctoritie, Auctoritee and power, before freendship? that when these be set foorth on the one side, & the power of frend­ship on the other side, who is there, that wil not rather chose the firste then the laste? [Page 43] For mans nature is weake [...] refuse rule, which if mē folow and little regarde freendeship, they thinke thei are to be exc [...] ­sed, because not without a great occasion, they haue bro­ken of freendship. Frēdship hardly found a­monge greatte men. Therfore trew freendship is very hardly found in theim, whiche liue in honour and rule. For where can you finde suche a one, as woulde preferre his freendes honour before his owne? But to leaue these, howe greuouse and dangerouse do most men thinke it, to be fellowes and partenars in miseries, wherto not one is easily founde, that wilbe contēt to come, although Ennins saied well: Sure freend [...]. The sure freende in thynges vnsure is [Page] knowen. Yet these two thyn­ges make mē for the most part to be noted of vnstedfastnesse and lightnesse, if either in their owne prosperitee they set their frēdes light, or in their frēdes aduersitee they cast theim of. Who therfore shall shewe him self in both these discrete, sted­fast, and faithful in frendship, A feithful frend. him oughte we to iudge of the perfectest kind of men, and in a maner as a god. For the groūde worke of that stedfast­nesse & constācie, which we seke to be ī frēdship, is faithfulnes. For nothyng is stedfast, that is vnfaithfull. Besides it is fitte we chose our frēd simple, How to chose a freend [...]. familiar, good to agre with, & one that will be moued with [Page 44] the same thingꝭ, wherwith we be. All which thingꝭ belong to the faithfulnesse that ought to be in frendship. W [...]ue­ryng mynde. For nether can he b [...] faithful, that wil be in many mindꝭ, or that hath a tour­ning hed. Nor he stedfast & sure that is not of the same mode that his frend is, and agreable to his nature. What a freēd must [...]schew. Herevnto must be ioyned [...] that he which shalbe a frēd, may not take plesure in accusing, nor lightly beleue ac­cusacions offred, which thingꝭ belong [...] to that stedfastnesse, wherof [...]arwhile I entreated. And so commeth it to be true, which in the beginning I said that freendship can not be but betwene good men. For it is the propertee of a good man Good mē. (whom we may also call wise) [Page] [...]o keepe these twoo rewles in freendship.

Two ru­les in frēdship.¶ First, that nothyng be fei­gned nor dissembled: for it is more honeste openlie to hate, than in countenance to cloke. N [...]xt, that not onely he cleere his freend of faultes, whereof he is charged by ani other, but also that he him s [...]lf in no wise be suspicious, or thinke his freend hath doen any thyng a­misse. There must be besydes this, Pleasant talke. a certein pleasantnesse in ones talke and facions, which is not one of the worst sau [...]es for freendship, but sowernesse and solemnesse must in no wise be had, yet sadnesse and sage­nesse in all matters haue in it surely a certein grauitee. Sagenesse But [Page 45] freendshippe ought to be som­what more at large, more free & pleasant, & to all feloweship and gentlenes more disposed.

¶ And here riseth a very hard question, Whethe [...] newe or old frēdes are to be pre [...]red. whether our newe freendes worthy of frendship, be to be preferred before our olde, as we vse to esteme yong horses more than olde. A doubt surely vnsemely for men, for of freendship as there is of o­ther thynges, ought there to be no gluttyng. And our oldest kinde of thinges like good old wines, ought to be most regarded. And that is a trewe saied saw, Prouerb [...] whiche comonly is saied, that we muste eate manie bus­shelles of salte togeather, with whom we shall perfourme the [Page] partes of freendship. Yet new acquaintaunces be not to be refused, if there be any hope in theim, Simili­tude. as in good trees where appeareth fruite. And yet olde acquaintance must be kept in his dewe place. For in olde freendes, and acquaintaunce, and custome is no small trust.

¶ And as to the horse, wher­of we made mencion e [...]while, if nothyng lette, there [...]s none, but had rather vse him, whom he hath vsed, Custome. than a new and vnhandled. Neither doth cu­stome muche on [...]lie in liuyng thynges, but also in thynges lackyng life. For euē with hil­lie places and wooddy coun­treis be we delited, wherin we haue dwelled longe. But it is [Page 46] a chiefe poinet in freendeship, Chiefe-point in freēdship. the higher to bee equall with the lower. For often tymes there bee certaine graces in it, as was in Scipio tow­arde our company of frendes, he neuer put hym selfe foorth before Philus, before Rutili­us, before Mummius, or any of his baser freendes. But he honoured Quintus Maxi­mus his brother, The elder in honour preferred. as his bet­ter, because he was his el­der, who was surely a nota­ble man, yet nothyng like him, and he was desirouse, that al his freendes might be made richer by hym. Whiche all men muste bothe dooe and fo­lowe, that i [...] they gette anie betternesse of vertue, witte, [Page] or fortune, they should parte if among their frendes, and part it with their kins [...]folkes, as if they be borne of a low s [...]ocke, orels haue their kynred either in witte or substaunce woorse then the [...]m selfes, they shoulde enlarge their richesse, and bee as an honoure and glorie to their state, as we reade in the playes of some, that were in seruauntes states, by reason the [...]r birth and stocke was vn­knowen, but after they were perceiued, and founde eyther Gods sonnes, or kyngs chil­dren, yet they bare still a loue toward the sheapherdꝭ, whom they toke manie yeres as their fathers. Whiche thyng we ought much rather do toward [Page 47] our true and well knowen fa­thers. For thence chiefly is the fruites of ones witte, vertue, and all honestie taken, when it is bestowed on hym that is n [...]erest alied. Therfore as those whiche in freendeshippe be the betters in degree, Mutuall behauiour of freen­des. ought to equall theim selues with their inf [...]riours, so ought in­f [...]riours not to be greeued, if either in witte, either fortune, either worship, their freendes doe excede theim Of the which the moste part eyther plaine them selfes of somwhat, or els vpbraide men with their bene­fites, and so muche the more if they thinke they haue ought, Upbrai­des of plesures. whiche they can proue to haue be done either dewtifully, or [Page] fre [...]ndely, or by any of their trauaile. But surely the [...]e vp­br [...]iders of pleasures, be an hateful kinde of people. Whi­che pleasures he only, on whō thei be bestowed, ought to re­member, and not he that dyd bestow th [...]im. Wherfore as the better man must abase him selfe in freendeship, so after a sort the better muste preferre the inferior. For there be some whiche make freendeship ve­ray yrkesome, where as they thinke theim selfes not regar­ded. Whiche happeneth al­moste to none but suche as thinke theim selfes worthy to be dispised. Who must both by woordes and deades bee brought from this opinion. [Page 48] You muste dooe for euery one first so much as your selfe can do. Howe much is to be done for frēdes. Next so muche as he is ha­ble to discharge, whō you loue and would further. For you can not bring all your frendes to high honour, although you be farre aboue other. As Sci­pio was hable to make Publi­us Rutilius Consull, Scipio made Ru­tilius consull. but he coulde neuer make his brother Lucius. And if you bee hable to prefer one to what you lust, yet most you take heede, what he is hable to discharge. And we must alwaies thinke fr [...]ndship to be in full growen ages and well stayed wittes. Freēdship in ages & wittes. Nor those, whiche in their boistate, haue been desirous of hunting and te [...]esse, muste of necessitee [Page] take them their freendꝭ, Cōpaniōs of youth. whom they loued and delighted than with their plesure. For so shal nurssꝭ and youth maisters cha­lenge muche frendship, by rea­son of olde right, who in dede be not to bee dispised, but yet after some other sorte to be e­stemed. For els freendship can not continue stedfast. Unlike maners. Unlyke maners haue vnlyke studies, whose vnlykenesse of condici­ons doeth breake of all freend­ship [...] And for none other cause the good with the wicked, and the wicked with the good can not bee freendes: but for that there is betwene them so great differēce, as the greattest may be of maners and affections. It maie be also a good lesson [Page 49] in frendship, that no man hin­der his frendꝭ profite, through vnmeasurable loue towarde him, as it often happeneth. For to come to fab [...]es. Inordi­nate loue ī frendship. If Ne­optolemus would haue heard Lycomedes, with whom he was brought vp, whan he wolde haue staied his iourney with muche weepyng, he could neuer haue taken Troie. And oftentymes there chaunceth waighty mattiers, why a man must depart from his fr [...]endꝭ: the whiche who so euer wolde let or trouble, because be can not beare well his absence, is to bee compted a weakelyng and cockney natured: and therfore vnreasonable for freende­ship. And in all thynges we [Page] must take heade, Freendes ought to ponder re­questes. both what we aske of our freende, and what we suffer to be obteyned of vs. There happeneth also many times, as it were a certaine ne­cessarie lamentacion for the partyng of frendship, for now our talke tourneth from sage mens to the common peoples freendship. Comon peoples [...]rendship. Oftymes freendes faultes burst out, partly vpon freendes, and partely vpon s [...]raunge [...]s, yet the shame re­downes to theyr freendes. Suche sort of fre [...]ndship ther­fore muste bee eased with lea­uyng of companie, and as I haue hearde Cato saie, muste bee vnhaunted, rather than hastily broken of, except some vnbeareable iniurie shall fier [Page 50] it out, as a thyng neither comly, neither honest, neither fit t [...] [...]e, without a present change and a seuerance. But if th [...]r shalbe a certaine chaunge ī their maners and likynges, a some tyme there happeneth, [...] some variance shall fall abo [...] some part of the cōmō wel [...] (for I spake as I sai [...]d a litt [...] afore not of wisemens but cō ­mon freendeship) a warinesse is to be vsed, Wari­nesse to be vsed in frendship [...] least freendeship seeme not only to be left of: but malice also to be bredde. For nothyng is more dishonest, than to be at warre with hym, with whom thou hast freendly liued. Disho­nestie [...] Scipio for my sake (as you knowe) had seuered hym selfe from Quintus Pōpeius [Page] freendship. For the discencion that was in the comon welth, he was also withdrawen clene from our [...]ellow in office Me­tellus. Scipios alienaciō [...]rom two of his frē ­d [...]s, Both these he did sageli with auctoritie, and no great gri [...]fe of minde. Wherfore we must first take heade, that dis­sencion happen not amonge freendes, and that their frend­ship seeme rather cast of, than oppressed. Also we must be­ware, that great frendshippes turne not in to great hatredes: wherof chidynges, tauntyngꝭ, and euill reportes do rise, whi­che yet be to be borne, if any wai [...] they be sufferable. And here is the honor of old freendship to be geuen, that the fault alwaies bee in the doer, and [Page 51] not in the sufferer of wronge. R [...]dresse of v [...]is in fren [...]ship. There is one counsaile, and ease for al these vices and dis­cōmoditees, and that is, that we loue not ouer soone, nor loue the vnworthy. Who be worthy of frendship. They be worthy of frendship, in whose selfe there is a cause why they should be beloued. It is a rare kinde, and so surely all wor­thy thynges be rare, yea and nothyng harder than to finde a thyng in his kynde through perfite. But the most part of men in worldly thynges will knowlage nothyng good, but that is profitable, Beastes. and lyke beastes thei loue those freendꝭ chiefly, of whom thei hope thei shall receiue moste profite. Therfore they want that fai­rest [Page] and naturallest frendship, whiche is to be sought euen by it selfe and for it selfes sake: neither do thei shew vnto th [...]m selfes any token or example of the strength of this frendship, what and how muche it is. For euerie man loueth hym selfe not as though he woulde chalenge of him selfe a reward for his loue, but because euery man of nature is dearest to hym selfe: which kinde of loue and dearenesse who so doeth not vse it in freendeship, shall neuer bee founde a trew and faithfull frende. For he surely is a freend, Who is a freende[?]. that is an other I. That if it appeare in beastes, in foules, in cattell, in fish, in swine, and wilde sauage, first [Page 52] that they loue them selfes, Compari­sō betwene beastes and men. (for that propertee is geuen to eue­rie liuyng thyng from the first birth) and next that they couet and lust after some other bea­stes of their kynd, with whom they maie be conuersaunt, and that thei do with a d [...]sire, and certein likenesse to mans loue: howe muche the more is it by nature in man, who bothe lo­ueth hym selfe, and gettꝭ hym a nother, with whom he maie breake his mind, as though of two he wold make almost one But the moste sort of men euen froward [...]lie, (I will not saie shamefully) would haue suche a freend as thei th [...]mselfes can not be, Unfrenly request. and those thyngꝭ, whi­che they doe not to their freen­des, [Page] they yet theim s [...]lfes will craue of th [...]m. But it is firste m [...]te, that one be good himself, A fre [...]nd must be a good mā. ond thē s [...]ke after for his like: for in suche, that kynd of sted­fast freendship [...] whiche I trea­ted of earwhile, may be surelie setled, when men ioigned to­gither with good wil, wil first rule those aff [...]ctions, which o­thers doe serue, and then take a pleasure in vprightnesse and iustice, and the one will [...]ake in hand all thynges for the o­ther, and one will not require of an other, any thing but that is honest and lawfull, and thei wyll not onely agree and loue together, but they will also stand in a shamely awe of eche other. For he that taketh a­waie [Page 53] honest bashefulnes from freendship, Honest bashful­nesse in frendship. dooeth take awaie freendeshippes chiefe beautie. Therfore in those men is a ve­rie daungerous errour, whi­che thynke that by freendship, a gate is set open to all luste and vice. For frendship is ge­uen by nature as an ayde to vertue, Freēdship an aide to vertue. and not as a guide to vice, to the entent that seeyng vertue can not achieue alone to the chiefe thyngꝭ, she should come as it were in arme and accompanied with a nother, whiche kynde of felowship if either it be, either hath been, or shall be amongest any, they must be saied best and luckiest accompaigned, for the atteig­nyng of natures chiefe happi­nesse. [Page] For this is (I say) the verie fellowship, U [...]aie fe­louship. wherein all thynges be, whiche men thinke to be wisshed after, as hone­slie, glorie, quietnes, and plea­sure of mynde, so that where these be, there is the happy life, Happie li [...]e. and without these it can not be. The whiche life seeyng it is the best and chiefest thyng, we must geue our mind to ver­tue, Uertue [...] if we will obtaine it, with out whiche n [...]ither freendship, nor any thing els to be desired we can attaine to. And sure­ly where vertue is dispised, those whiche thynke thei haue freendes, doe than feale th [...]y w [...]re deceyued, whan anie [...]eighty aduenture doth driue theym to make a tryall. [Page 54] Wherefore when you haue iudged of your freende, Witty sente [...]ce. you must loue, and not wh [...]n you haue loued, than iudge. Yea and this had neade yet oftner to be tolde you. But where as in many thynges we be muche punisshed for negligen [...]e, yet most of all in louyng and re­gardyng of our freendes. For we vse oftentymes the cleane contrary counsaile, and euen forbidded we doe and vndoe, as the olde prouerbe saieth. Prou [...]rb [...] For when we bee toste hither and thither, either by daiely compaignie, or else by some kinde of dutee, sod [...]inly in the [...]niddes of our course we burst of our freendship, whan there [...]yseth anie little offence. [Page] Wherfore suche a carelesnesse of so necessarie a thyng, Recheles­nesse in frendship. is the rather to be dispised. For frēd­ship is the onely thyng in the worlde, Profite of frendship. of whose profite all men with open mouthes do a­gree of, although vertue selfe of many is vnsetby: and is saied to be a certein outbragge or outshewe. Richesse. Many also re­garde not riches, who beeyng content with a little, right ho­mely fare and homely appa­rayle pleaseth them Promoci­ons also, Promo­cions. with the desire wher of many be sette a fyre, a great sort dooe so little esteme, that they thinke nothyng vayner nor lighter. Also other thingꝭ, whiche some euen wonder at, very manie esteme them as no­thyng. [Page 55] Of freendship all men haue one opinion, both those, whiche haue geuen them selfes to meddle with the common welth, and those who be deli­ted with the knowelage and learnyng of thinges, and those which quietly tend their owne businesse, and finallie those, whiche geue them selfes ouer whollye to folowe pleasures, thinke there is no life without freendeshippe, if it so be they will liue somewhat hones [...]lie.

¶ For freendship I wote not how creapeth through al kind of liues, Freēdship crepeth through all kind [...] of life [...] and wil suffer no part of a mans life that is ledde to want hir. So if there be any, of that sowernes and grimnes of nature, that he flieth and hateth [Page] the compaignie of felow­ship of men, of the whiche sort we haue heard saie, one of the Tymons of Athenes was, Timon of A [...]henes. but whiche of them I knowe not, y [...]t he culd not abide, but must nedes seke after one, to whom he mighte vomitte vp euen the bitternesse of his gaule. And this chiefly woulde be iudged, if any such thyng mighte hap­pen, that God would take vs out of this prease of men, and would set vs some where in a wildernesse, and geeuyng vs there store & plentie of al thin­ges, whiche nature desireth, would take frō vs the libertie of seeyng any man at all, who wer there so stonie herted, that could abide that kind of lyfe? [Page 56] And from whom woulde not solitarinesse take the fruicte of all pleasures? Solitari­nesse. Therefore that is true, which I trowe I haue hearde oure elders tell, was wont to be fathered on Archi­ta the Tarentine, Archi [...]a. and so they heard saie of other olde men, that is, if any man shold climb to heauen once, and thorough­lie beeholde the nature of the worlde, and the beautieful­nesse of the sterres: it woulde be an vnpleasaunte woonder vnto him, whiche would haue been a most pleasant m [...]ruaile, if he had anie, with whom he mighte haue commoned there­of. Nature loueth no solitari­nesse So Nature (we see) lo­ueth no solytari [...]nesse, and al­waies hangeth vpon another, [Page] as vpon a staie, which euen a­mongest the freudliest kind of men is had for most del [...]ght. But where as the same nature d [...]clareth by so many signes, what she meaneth and seketh, what she coueteth & desireth, yet I can not tell howe we waxe deafe, and here not [...]hose thinges, wherof we be warned by her. For diuerse and many waies the vse of frendship ser­ueth, and many occasions of suspiciouse offences be geuen, whiche somtime to shonne, sō ­tyme to ease, and sometyme to beare thē, is a wise mans part. And this one maner of offence is to b [...]e auoided, that bothe the profite, and faithfulnesse of frendship may be k [...]pt still. [Page 57] For oftentimes we muste both warne, yea and chide our frē ­des to. And the same is to be taken freendly, Chidyng in freend­ship. when it is done of good will. But I know not howe it cometh to passe to be trew, that my familiar Te­rence saied in his comoedy Andria, Familiar, because he vsed to rede his bookes. that sowthyng getteth freendes, and truth doth pur­chase hatred. Truth is noi­some, if there grow hatrede of it, which is a poison to frend­ship, Southin [...] flattery. but yet sowthing is much more hurtfull, whiche cokereth vp his freende in his faultes, and suffereth him to renne still on hedde. But there is great blame in him, that careth not for the truth, and muche fault in hym, that for disceite is ge­uen [Page] to sowthyng. Herein ther­fore we must haue all our re­garde and warinesse, that our warnynges be without bitter­nesse, and our chidynges with out spitefulnesse: but in sow­thing (because I delight to vse Terence worde) l [...]t there be an honest likyng, [...]attery. and let flattery the egger on of vice be set [...]e a loufe, whiche not on [...]ly for a freende, but for no honest man is me [...]te. For men lyue aft [...]r one sort with a ty [...]anne, and after an other sorte with a freende: but his good daies be to be dispaired of, whose eares be so shu [...]te vp from the trewth, [...]wth is [...] be [...] [...] that he will not heare it of his freend. For it is a tri­ed saw of Catoes, that earnest [Page 58] foes d [...]serue muche more plea­sure of some, A tried saw of Catoes. then those that seeme to be fawnyng freendes. For they sometyme, but these neuer tell the truth. And [...]his is to to foolish, To to [...]oolish & thyng. that [...]hose, who be warned of their freendes, be not agreaued at that they ought, but at that they ought not. For they be not sory th [...]y did amisse, but they take it vn­kyndly tha [...] be [...]hidden, wh [...]r as contrary wyse thei shoulde bee sory for their fault, and gladde of the chidyng. As then to warne our f [...]eende, and to be warned againe, is the pro­pertee of trew freendship, Propretee of [...]we frendship [...] and to do the one honestlie, and no [...] spitefully, and to take thother gentilly, and not [...]rowardly, [Page] so must we thinke, Greatest pestilēce in frendship. there is no greatter pestil [...]nce in freende­ship than flattery, faire speach and sowthyng, howe be it for many causes, this may be no­ted the fault of light and sub­tile persons, whiche speake all to pleasure, but nothyng to truth. Dissimu­lacion in frendship. But wheras dissimula­c [...]on is euill in all thynges (for it keapeth a man from iud­gyng the truth) yet most of all it is contrary to freendeship, for it taketh away all trueth in word, without the [...]iche the very name of freēdship can not continew. Ende of frendship. For seeyng the power of frēdship is in a man to none other ende, but that o [...] two m [...]des there shold be mad [...] one, how can it be brought to [Page 59] passe, if in one mā there be not one and a like minde alwaies, but a diuerse, a wauering, and a changeable. For what thing can be made so variable, so out of course, as his mynd, whiche not only turneth at euery mā [...] phantasie and pleasure, but also at euery mans becke and looke? saie ye nay? and nay saie I. saie ye yea? and yea say I: and to be plaine, I haue e­uen appoincted with my selfe to holde vp all thynges with yea and naie, Gnato the parasite. as the same Te­rence saieth. But this Terence speaketh in Gnatoes person, whiche kynde of speakyng to make in a freende, were to to muche lightnesse. But wher as there be many lyke these Gna­toes, [Page] and in place, richesse, and estimacion a [...]oue others, Flattery very hurt­full. their kynde of flattery is very hurt­full, when auctoritee is ioig­ned with th [...]ir vanitee. But a flatteryng freende may be as­well discerned and knowen from a trew freend by takyng good heade, as all counterfait and feigned thynges may be tried out from trew and right thynges. The assemble of the commons of a citee, which stā ­deth moste of vnskilfull per­fons, is wont yet to iudge, what difference is betwene a people pleaser, that is a flat­terer, and curri [...]a [...]our, and a constant, a sage, and a discrete citesin. Caius Papyrius. With the whiche kind of flatteries Caius Papyrius [Page 60] consull stuffed a late the peo­ples eares, whan he woulde haue made a law for the resto­ryng of the Tribunes for the commons. We perswaded the contra [...]y, but [...] will saie no­thyng of my selfe, of Scipio I wil speake gladly. Pithy o­racio [...] of Scipio. Good lord, howe pithy was he that daie, how great a maiestie was in his talke, that you might well haue called hym the leader of the people, and not a felowe commoner. But what neade I to speake mu [...]h [...] h [...]rof, y [...] were present, an [...] [...] oracion is in euery mands [...]a [...]de. And by that m [...]anes [...], f [...]r the g [...]ttyng of [...]he [...] fauou [...], by the voic [...]s of th [...] [...]eopl [...] selfe was dasshed.

[Page]¶And that I maie r [...]turne to the matter, you remēbre, when Q. Maximus Scipio [...]s bro­ther, and L. Mancinus w [...]re Consuls, howe the lawe of C. Lycinius Crassus, concer­nyng the Priestes dignite [...]s, was thoughte to be fauell see­kyng of th [...] commons. For the choyce of coll [...]dges was tur­ned to the peoples benefit. And he first made this ordre, to dele more truel [...] with the common people. Yet the religion of the euer liuyng godd [...]s (we defen­dyng it by our aunswere) did soone ouercome his oracion, which was euen a thyng pein­cted for sale woorke, and was doen wh [...]n I was Pretor fiue yeare beefore I was Consull. [Page 61] Therfore that cause was de­fended, rather of it selfe, than by auctoritie of the s [...]eaker.

¶But if in stage plaies, wherin many feigned and resem­bled matters be vsed, trueth is regarded, so that it be sette out and declared: what must it be in frendship, which hangꝭ all on trewth? In the whiche, except you know (as thei saie) a mans hert to the bottome, and you show likewise yours, there is no trust nor trial in it, and surely you can not loue nor be loued, when you knowe not how trewly it is mēte. al­though this flattery be hurt­full, yet can it not hinder none but him, that geues eare to it, and is delited with it. And so [Page] it commeth to passe, Flatterer herkn [...]th flatterers. Uertue. that he o­peneth his eares to flatterers, whiche flattereth and b [...]ste ly­keth him selfe. Uertue alwaies loueth [...]r selfe. For she best knoweth her s [...]lfe, and percei­u [...]th how she is to beloued. But I sp [...]ake not nowe of vertue, but of the opinion whi [...]h men haue of vertue. For with ver­tue se [...]fe so manie bee not as woulde seeme to be ind [...]wed. These sorte of menne flatt [...]rie delighteth, when feigned com­municacion is put foorthe to please theim, and th [...]y thinke that kynde of [...]ayne talke to be a witnesse of th [...]ir prayses.

This th [...]refore is no [...]we fre [...]ndesh [...]ppe, when the one will h [...]are no trew [...]he, and the [Page 62] other is readie to lye. Feigned frendship. Neither woulde the clawyng of these trencher frendes, which be pa­rasites, seeme feate and plea­saunt in comoedies, excepte there were myxte therein some glorious soul [...]iours, whiche bee Thrasoes: as for exaum­ple saieth Thraso: In Enu­cho Terēce comoedy. Did Tha­is my woman ge [...]e me greate thankes. It had been enough for Gnato the Parasite to haue aunswered, Ye sir great, but he sayed, ye sir exce [...]dyng greate thankes. Flatterie al­wayes settes a thyng to the moste, Flattery maketh [...] muche of a little. whiche he woulde haue seme great, for whose plea [...]ure it is spoken. Wherefore al­though this kynd of fawnyng vanitie, is muche este [...]med [Page] with thē, whiche embrace and like it them selfes, yet the sager and constantee sorte of menne must be warned, that thei take hede, they be not snared with subtle flatterie. For eueri man can see an open flatterer, ex­cept he be a very sotte. But we must diligently beware, leaste the subtill and secrete flatterer wynde hym selfe in with vs. For he cannot easily be kno­wen. Because euen with con­trariyng of one often tymes he flattereth, Snares of subtill flattery. and feignyng that he chideth, he is fayre spoken, and at length he yeldes & suf­fers him self to be ouercōe, that he that is disceued maie thinke he hath gotte a great victorie. But what is more dishonestie [Page 63] then to be skorned? And ther­fore we must vse the more di­legence, that it maie not hap, as in a plaie named the Epi­cure. To day before all my old dotyng foolish freendes, you tost me goodly, and mocked me gaily: for in plaies olde mēs persons without forecast and beyng light of beliefe, be the most foolish. But I can not tell by what meanes from the freendship of perfite and wise men (I meane in suche wisdome as is supposed may be in man) our cōmunicacion is turned to slight and slender freendship. Wh [...]rfore let vs come again to the firste we spake of, and let vs conclude at length vpon it.

[Page] Conclu­sion of the mattier.¶I saie vertue, O C. Fanniꝰ and Q. Mutius, both getteth and keepeth freendes. For in it is all agrement, all stedfast­nesse, and all con [...]tancie: Uertue. Whiche when she aduaunceth her self, and sheweth out hir light, and bothe seeth and knoweth the same in another, she geueth hir selfe to that to, and takes likewyse that she findeth in a nother. Where vpon loue and louyng frendship toward eche other, is enkendled. For both these two woordes haue their names of th [...]s woord, to loue. But to loue is nothyng elles, but to beare good wil toward hym, To loue what it is whom you loue, not for anie neede or profite that is sought, Whiche profite flo­risheth [Page 64] yet of freendshippe, al­though you the lesse nothyng folow it. With this kynde of good will, we when we were young menne, dyd loue Luci­us Paulus, Marcus Cato, Caius Gallus, Publius Na­sica, Tiberius [...]raccus, our Scipides father in lawe. This freendshippe also doeth more appeare among suche as be lyke of ages, as betweene me and Scipio, Lucius Fu­rius, Publius Rutilius, and Spurius Mummins. And we old men also do take pl [...]asure in young mennes loue towar­des vs, as you see, I am de­lited in yours, and in Quintꝰ Tuberos, beyng a very young man, and in P. Rutiliꝰ Uirgi­nius [Page] compaignie. And seeyng an order is so appoin [...]ted in our lyfe and nature, that one age maie spryng of a nother, chiefely we shoulde desire, that we might liue with our like in ages, Liuyng with lyke. that euen as we came togither with them in our swad­lyng cloutes, so we might kepe theim compaignie to the win­dyng sheete. But because this worldlie substaunce is bri [...]kle and fadyng, we alwaies pro­uide some, whom we mai loue, and of theim be loued againe. For if loue and frēship be ta­ken from man, Scipio beyng deade liued yet with Laelius. all pleasure of lyfe is taken awaie. Scipio surely although he was taken awaie sodeinly from this life, liueth yet with me, and shall [Page 64] liue euer For I alwaies loued the vertue of that man, whiche is not deade with me, neither standeth it daiely alone before myne eye, who alwaies haue had it in sight, but also to our child [...]ens children shall it be noble and notable. No man shall euer enterprise greatier thynges with hope a [...]d cou­rage, whiche hath not th [...]mage and memo [...]y of him before his eies. The ima­ge and me­mory of Scipio. Truely of all the thynges whiche fortune or nature gaue me, I haue nothyng to matche with Scipioes freendship. Scipioes fren [...]ship [...]n it was my conference for the common wealth: in it was my counsaile for priuate causes: In it was my r [...]st full of al de­lite. And I neuer offended him [Page] in any thing that euer I could perceiue, and I neuer herd any thyng of hym that I was a­gainst. We had one howse, one diet, and that euen com­mon: yea not that onely, but warfare, and also our iorneis and goyng abrode were a like common. But what shall I speake of our studies in ser­chyng alwaies and learnyng of some what, in the which we bestowed all our leasure and tyme, whan we were out of the sight of men. The remem­braunce and onthynkyng of the which thyngꝭ, if with hym thei had died, I coulde by no meanes haue borne the lacke of so freendly and louyng a man. But those nother be dead [Page 65] yet, but rather nourished and encreased by the onthynkyng and remembraunce of theim. And although I shold wholy be bereft of them, yet myne age self wolde bryng my greattest comfort. For I could not very longe continew in this state. And all short griefes be suffe­rable, although they be great. These thynges be they, whiche I had to speake of freendship. And I doe exhort you, that you so esteame vertue, (with out which freendship can not bee pos­sible) as sauyng it, ye thinke nothyng better than freende­ship.