use of friendship, that where that fails, the performance of all other offices is to no purpose; and it may be observed, that few men have ever fallen into any signal misfortune, at least not been lost in it, who have ever been possessed of a true friend, except it be in a time when virtue is a crime. Counsel and reprehension was a duty of the text in the Levitical law; “Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him," (Lev. xix. 17.) and Mr. Selden tell us of a Rabbi, that thought it one of the principal causes of the destruction of Jerusalem, because they had left off reproving one another, "Non excisa fuisset lerosolima, nisi quoniam alter alterum non coarguebat;" and there is no doubt, the not exercising this essential part of friendship with that sincerity and plainness it ought to be, hath been, and is, the occasion of infinite mischief, and hath upon the matter annihilated friendship, and brought it under the reproach of being a pander, and prostituted to all the vile offices of compliance with the infirmities and vices of the person it regards. It is thought to be a necessary office of friendship, to conceal the faults of a friend, and make them be thought much less than they are; and it is so: every man ought to be very tender of the reputa

tion of one he loves, and to labour that he may be well thought of; that is his duty with reference to others: but he is neither to lessen or conceal it to himself, who can best provide for his reputation, by giving no cause for aspersion; and he, who in such cases gives not good counsel to his friend, betrays him.

2. The second office of friendship is, to assist the interest and pretence of his friend with the utmost power he hath, and with more solicitude than if it were his own, as in truth it is; but then Tully's rule is excellent, "Tantum cuique tribuendum est,primum quantum ipse efficere possis, deinde quantum quem diligas atque adjuves possit sustinere;" men are not willing to have any limits put to their desires, but think their friends bound to help them to any thing they think themselves fit for. But friendship justly considers what in truth they are, not what they think themselves fit for; quantum possunt sustinere friendship may be deceived, and overvalue the strength and capacity of his friend, think that he can sustain more than indeed his parts are equal to; but friendship is not so blind, as not to discern a total unfitness, an absolute incapacity, and can never be engaged to promote such a subject. It can never prefer a man to be a judge,

who knows nothing of the law; nor to be a general, who was never a soldier. Promotions, in which the public are concerned, must not be assigned by the excess of private affections; which, though possibly they may choose the less fit, must never be so seduced as not to be sure there is a competent fitness in the person they make choice of: otherwise friendship, that is compounded of justice, would be unjust to the public, out of private kindness towards particular persons; which is the highest injustice imaginable, of which friendship is not capable.

3. The third duty of friendship is entire confidence and communication, without which faithful counsel, the just tribute of friendship can never be given; and therefore reservation in friendship is like concealment in confession, which makes the absolution void, as the other doth the counsel of no effect. Seneca's advice is excellent, "Diu cogita, an tibi in amicitiam aliquis recipiendus sit:" It is want of this deliberation, this long thinking whether such a man be capable of friendship, and whether thou thyself art fit for it, that brings so much scandal upon it, makes friendships of a day, or rather miscalls every short acquaintance, any light conversation, by the title of friendship;

of which very many of those are incapable, who are fit enough for acquaintance and commendable enough in conversation. When thou hast considered this well which thou canst do without considering it long; cum placuerit fieri, if thou resolvest that he is fit for thy friendship, toto alium pectore admitte, receive him into thy bosom; let him be possessed of all thy purposes, all thy thoughts; to conceal any thing from him now is an affront, and a disavowing him for thy friend. It is the reason the Roman church gives, why they define the reservation and concealment of any sin, or circumstance of it, in confession of it, to be sacrilege, because it defrauds God of somewhat that was due to him from the penitent; and by the same reason, the not entirely communicating all thou knowest and all thou thinkest, is a lay sacrilege, a retaining somewhat that is his due by the dedication of friendship: and without this sincere communication, the principal use of friendship is abated and withheld, and the true virtue thereof undiscovered, and the comfort that attends it.

The fourth obligation in friendship is constancy, and continuing firm to the laws and obligations of it. Friendship is so much more a sacrament than marriage is, that in

many cases a friend is more to be trusted and relied upon than the wife of his bosom; and so is not to be cast off or dismissed, but upon the most discovered and notorious transgressions; and even then there will remain some marks, yea and obligations, which ean never be razed out or cancelled. Scipio had never patience so much as to hear that proposition of Bias the philosopher pronounced, "Ita amare oportere, ut aliquando esset osurus," that a man was to love his friend in such a manner, that he might hate him likewise if there were an occasion; which indeed was a barbarous advice of a rude Stoic, whose profession was not to appear like other men. It is possible that a friend may fall so far from the laws of virtue and justice, and commit such crimes and offences, that, like violating the integrity of the marriagebed, may cause a separation even to the dissolution of friendship; but it is not possible for a friend to think he will do so till he hath done it notoriously: and even after that time, though the communication which constituted the friendship be interrupted, there remains still some inclination; and he thinks it just to pay such a penalty for the error and unskilfulness of his election, that he hath still kindness and pity, and is never heard to load