But being Men so Wise, of such Strength and Severitie of minde, and so Extreme Lovers of Themselves, as all these were; It proveth most plainly, that they found their owne Felicitie (though as great as ever happened to Mortall Men) but as an Halfe Peece, except they mought have a Frend to make it Entire: And yet, which is more, they were Princes, that had Wives, Sonnes, Nephews; And yet all these could not supply the Comfort of Frendship.

It is not to be forgotten, what Commineus observeth, of his first Master Duke Charles the Hardy; Namely, that hee would communicate his Secrets with none; And least of all, those Secrets, which troubled him most. Whereupon he goeth on, and saith, That towards his Latter time; That closenesse did impaire, and a little perish his understanding. Surely Commineus mought have made the same Iudgement also, if it had pleased him, of his Second Master Lewis the Eleventh, whose closenesse was indeed his Tormentour. The Parable of Pythagoras is darke, but true; Cor ne edito; Eat not the Heart. Certainly, if a Man would give it a hard Phrase, Those that want Frends to open themselves unto, are Canniballs of their owne Hearts. But one Thing is most Admirable, (wherewith I will conclude this first Fruit of frendship) which is, that this Communicating of a Mans Selfe to his Frend, works two contrarie Effects; For it redoubleth Ioyes, and cutteth Griefes in Halfes. For there is no Man, that imparteth his loyes to his Frend, but he ioyeth the more; And no Man, that imparteth his Griefes to his Frend,

but hee grieveth the lesse. So that it is, in Truth of Operation upon a Mans Minde, of like vertue, as the Alchymists use to attribute to their Stone, for Mans Bodie; That it worketh all Contrary Effects, but still to the Good, and Benefit of Nature. But yet, without praying in Aid of Alchymists, there is a manifest Image of this, in the ordinarie course of Nature. For in

Bodies, Union strengthneth and cherisheth any Naturall Action; And, on the other side, weakneth and dulleth any violent Impression: And even so is it of Minds.

The second Fruit of Frendship, is Healthfull and Soveraigne for the Understanding, as the first is for the Affections. For Frendship maketh indeed a faire Day in the Affections, from Storme and Tempests: But it maketh Daylight in the Understanding, out of Darknesse & Confusion of Thoughts. Neither is this to be understood, onely of Faithfull Counsell, which a Man receiveth from his Frend; But before you come to that, certaine it is, that whosoever hath his Minde fraught, with many Thoughts, his Wits and Understanding doe clarifie and breake up, in the Communicating and discoursing with Another: He tosseth his Thoughts, more easily; He marshalleth them more orderly; He seeth how they looke when they are turned into Words; Finally, He waxeth wiser then Himselfe; And that more by an Houres discourse, then by a Dayes Meditation.) It was well said by Themistocles to the King of Persia; That speech was like Cloth of Arras, opened, and put abroad; Whereby the Imagery doth appeare in Figure;

whereas in Thoughts, they lie but as in Packs. Neither is this Second Fruit of Frendship, in opening the Understanding, restrained onely to such Frends, as are able to give a Man Counsell: (They indeed are best) But even, without that, a Man learneth of Himselfe, and bringeth his owne Thoughts to Light, and whetteth his Wits as against a Stone, which it selfe cuts not. In a word, a Man were better relate himselfe, to a Statua, or Picture, then to suffer his Thoughts to passe in smother.

Adde now, to make this Second Fruit of Frendship compleat, that other Point, which lieth more open, and falleth within Vulgar Observation; which is Faithfull Counsell from a Frend. Heraclitus saith well, in one of his Enigmaes; Dry Light is ever the best. And certaine it is, that the Light, that a man receiveth, by Counsell from Another, is Drier, and purer, then that which commeth from his owne Understanding, and Iudgement; which is ever infused and drenched in his Affections and Customes. So as, there is as much difference, betweene the Counsell, that a Frend giveth, and that a Man giveth himselfe, as there is between the Counsell of a Frend, and of a Flatterer. For there is no such Flatterer, as is a Mans Selfe; And there is no such Remedy, against Flattery of a Mans Selfe, as the Liberty of a Frend. Counsell is of two Sorts; The one concerning Manners, the other concerning Businesse. For the First; The best Preservative to keepe the Minde in Health, is the faithfull Admonition of a Frend. The Calling of a Mans Selfe, to a

Strict Account, is a Medicine, sometime, too Piercing and Corrosive. Reading good Bookes of Morality, is a little Flat, and Dead. Observing our Faults in Others, is sometimes unproper for our Case. (But the best Receipt (best (I say) to worke, and best to take) is the Admonition of a Frend.) It is a strange thing to behold, what grosse Errours, and extreme Absurdities, Many (especially of the greater Sort) doe commit, for want of a Frend, to tell them of them; To the great dammage, both of their Fame, & Fortune. For, as S. Iames saith, they are as Men, that looke sometimes into a Glasse, and presently forget their own Shape, & Favour. As for Businesse, a Man may think, if he will, that two Eyes see no more then one; Or that a Gamester seeth alwaies more then a Looker on; Or that a Man in Anger, is as Wise as he, that hath said over the foure and twenty Letters; Or that a Musket may be shot off, aswell upon the Arme, as upon a Rest; And such other fond and high Imaginations, to thinke Himselfe All in All. But when all is done, the Helpe of good Counsell, is that, which setteth Businesse straight. And if any Man thinke, that he will take Counsell, but it shall be by Peeces; Asking Counsell in one Businesse of one Man, and in another Businesse of another Man; It is well, (that is to say, better perhaps then if he asked none at all;) but he runneth two dangers: One, that he shall not be faithfully counselled; For it is a rare Thing, except it be from a perfect and entire Frend, to have Counsell given, but such as shalbe bowed and crooked to some ends, which he hath that

giveth it. The other, that he shall have Counsell given, hurtfull, and unsafe, (though with good Meaning) and mixt, partly of Mischiefe, and partly of Remedy: Even as if you would call a Physician, that is thought good, for the Cure of the Disease, you complaine of, but is unacquainted with your body; And therefore, may put you in way for a present Cure, but overthroweth your Health in some other kinde; And so cure the Disease, and kill the Patient. But a Frend, that is wholly acquainted with a Mans Estate, will beware by furthering any present Businesse, how he dasheth upon other Inconvenience. (And therefore, rest not upon Scattered Counsels; They will rather distract, and Misleade, then Settle, and Direct.

After these two Noble Fruits of Frendship; (Peace in the Affections, and Support of the Iudgement,) followeth the last Fruit; which is like the Pomgranat, full of many kernels; 1 meane Aid, and Bearing a Part, in all Actions, and Occasions. Here, the best Way, to represent to life the manifold use of Frendship, is to cast and see, how many Things there are, which a Man cannot doe Himselfe; And then it will appeare, that it was a Sparing Speech of the Ancients, to say, That a Frend is another Himselfe: For that a Frend is farre more then Himselfe. Men have their Time, and die many times in desire of some Things, which they principally take to Heart; The bestowing of a Child, The Finishing of a Worke, Or the like. If a Man have a true Frend, he may rest almost secure, that the Care of those Things, will con