AS the life of man generallie, lieth open to many miseries, so is it speciallie relieued by two remedies, according to that worthie saying: Tristia cuncta exsu­perans aut animo, aut amico. That is to say all things are to be ouercome, either with the fortesied power of a patient minde, or with the fortunate presence of a faithfull friend. What comfort can there bee more propitiate or present to a penciue mind, than to powre out the plaints thereof into the secret bosome of a sincere friend, by whose sweete communi­cation is receaued a sodaine delight, and soueraigne consola­tion, as a most cordiall medicine against any corrasiue.

Architas of Tarento teacheth vs that life is no life being led without the loyal loue and liking of some that are liuing: neither is his ioy, any ioy, that dooth not enioy some friend with whome he may be iointly ioyned in societie: for if a man should climbe vp to the skies, & take a ful view of the bright­nesse of the heauens, and contemplate the beautifulnesse of the starres: and behold all the wonderfull workes of GOD vpon the face of the earth: the admiration thereof would be but vnpleasant without some friend to whome hee might make relation of the same.

Scipio Minor when he went foorth of his house at any time would earnestly endeuour himselfe to finde out some compa­nie among whome hee would make one his familiar friend before he retourned home againe: saying there is no better possession than the fruition of a friend.

Titus Vespasianus the Emperor on a certaine time finding by feeling his owne conscience that he had not pleasured any person the day passed, complained with this clause, Diem A­mici perdidi. I haue (saith hee) lost a day, by neglecting the duetie of a friend.

Dionisius the Tirant was so amazed at the friendship [Page] of Damon and Pithias that it translated his minde from being tirannous towards them, to become almost amorous with them, as it may appeare by his owne petition. Rogo vt me quoque in vestram amicitiam recipiatis. I beseeche you (saith he) receaue me also into your sacred societie.

King Darius doubted not to say, hee had rather enioy his faithfull friend Zopirus free from wounded face and deformi­tie, then a hundred such cities as Babilon with al their welth and superfluitie.

Achilles being demaunded of Aiax, which were the greatest labours that euer hee susteined; answered, the la­bours that hee endured for his friends. And beeing againe demanded of the same, what trauailes and paines seemed to him most pleasant: said, the trauailes and paines he tooke for his friends. Signifying thereby, that a man indued with an heroicall heart should alwaies bee inflamed with a desire of doing good to his friend. And to the like end and purpose, a certain Philosopher cōpared a perfect friend to a good pro­portioned horse in seauen properties as followeth, hauing

• A little head by humble conuersation.
• A sharpe eare to be quick of hearing & ready at euery call.
• A soft mouth to the end his tongue be temperate.
• A hard hoofe to endure trauaile.
• An open hand to doo good deedes.
• A sure foote to continew in amitie.
• A bay colour for his good renowne.

Some also affirme that true friends ought to bee like mul­berie trees which bring foorth their fruite at such times, that they neither feare the frosts of May, as the vines doo; nor the mistes of October, as the Peaches and Quinces doo. Thus among the auncient Romaines and Grecians friendship hath been had in great reuerence, but throw the iniquitie of our time it is now become, tam rara auis in terris, that a man may as soone see a black Swan, as find out a faith­full friend.

And here I imagine some man may aske me a double que­stion. [Page] First, whether the late famous Famelie of loue, which begā to creep in among vs, haue any fellowship with Friend­ship. Secōdly, whether the Holy league may be linked in the golden chaine of charitie, or contained in the siluer band of a­mitie. To them both I answere negatiuely: and first as for the familie of loue, I thinke them fitter to be termed the fa­miliars of lust, and of the familie of Lucifer: they are a sect gi­uen to sensualitie, stirred vp by some infernall Furie, to make a confusion of al things generallie, the which is so odi­ous that as I loath to think of it, so wil I leaue to speak of it.

And as for the holy league, which some call the helly lake or hellish legion, how farre they are from amitie or honestie, France can best Iudge, of whose loyaltie they haue had expe­rience but too lately. The first original and birth of thē was like to an vntimely monster ripped out of the bowells of re­bellion, and fostered vp with the poysoned teats of treason, and will be still mainteyned by their mistres abhomination, vntill the breath of Gods wrath worke their destruction. Wherfore the Friendship y^t is spoken of in this place, is not the tirannicall friendship of the holy league, nor the filthie friendship, of the false named familie of loue, nor the froward friendship which a man may finde at Billingsgate for a boxe on the eare, nor the profitable friendship which is among Merchants, nor the pleasant friendship which is among Courtiers, nor the common friendship which is among Clownes: but it is the true, perfect, and vnfeyned friendship, which is neither for pleasure partely, nor for profit chiefely, but for vertues sake onely.

And because no man should be deceiued, as the Painter who supposed light colours to be linnen cloath, I haue set downe certaine Articles, precepts, or statutes of the lawe of A­mitie appertaining to the foresaid Figure: the which, who­soeuer dooth not obserue and performe, cannot obtaine the name of a sincere friend.

First, That Friendship is to be esteemed more than all wordly things.

[Page] 2 Friendship is onely among good men, and cannot be where vertue is not.

3 A faithfull Friend is as a mans owne selfe.

4 Friendship must not be desired for profit or gaine.

5 Friendship cannot be changed no more than Nature, but is of continuance.

6 Couetousnes is a great plague to Friendship.

7 Flatterie is an vtterenemie to Friendship.

8 A man must neither grant to his Friend, nor request anie thing of him that is vnlawfull or vnhonest.

9 If our friends conspire against the commonwealth, we ought to forsake them, and also reueale them.

10 Friends must not flatter, but boldly and freely ad­uertise, admonish, and counsell one another.

11 The chiefe triall of a Friend is in time of necessitie.

12 True friendship is hard to be found amongst great men.

13 A faithfull Friend in weale and woe is all one.

14 A Friend must neither be a tale carrier, nor a tale creditour.

15 Friends ought to remember good turnes.

16 A reuerent and modest bashfulnesse ought to be in Friendship.

17 Pleasant speaches and curteous manners bee not the worst sawces in Friendship: but lumpish sadnesse, and sullen sowrenesse ought to be in anie wise shunned.

18 A trustie Friend is a great treasure.

19 We cannot doo too much in Friendship.

20 Among Friends all things should be common.

Finally, they are all included in this definition.

Friendship is a perfect consent and agreement with beneuo­lence & charitie in all things, appertaining as well towards God as men.

These precepts duely considered, a true Friend may bee easily discerned, & yet you may sooner by definition declare what he is, thā by demonstratiō shew where he is: for friend­ship [Page] described in this forme and fashion hath been long since as one banished from euerie Nation, not hauing any certain place to make abode in: No not in Rome; for they are too couetous, superstitious, and vainglorious: Not in Turkie; for their Mahomet is too monstrous: in India, they are too rude and barbarous, in Italy proud and ambitious, in Spaine disdainfull, vile and vicious: in France craftie, fierce and furi­ous: in Germanie and Denmarke they dedicate themselues to Bacchus. But I would I could iustly report our selues to be cleere from all these vices, & more apt to embrace Friend­ship here in England: for that it hath the name and fame to be a most flourishing Iland, where religion hath appeared, where peace and concord hath been placed, and the people ac­counted blessed manie yeares; which God continue for euer. And here in this point, I cannot passe without some reuerēt and honorable mention of the Quéenes most excellent Ma­iestie: neither can anie man sufficiently admire the most ab­solute and rare perfections of her Highnesse heroicall minde; by whose regall beneuolence & bountie, full many are made happie, whose great mercie, abundant naturall clemencie, & vnspeakable lenitie (euen towards her greatest enemies) do merit immortal memorie. And if I shuld particularly speak of her Maiesties mightie Friendship to forreine Princes: if I should declare her gracious inclination and readinesse in aiding the oppressed: if I should shewe her godlie zeale in planting the Gospell: and to be short, if I could but in the least part expresse her princely care, pitie, and pietie towards her owne people and countrey, it woulde séeme such, and so great, that it might well make all other Princes and Po­tentates rather amazed to heare it, than apt to imitate it. What subiect would not shew himselfe as faithfull as Zopi­rus? What Courtier would not contend to be as constant as Curtius? What Noble man would not offer both life and seruice, as farre foorth as King Codrus to the good of so gra­cious a Gouernesse?

Wherefore, if Friendship were thus imbraced in the [Page] Court, there should be no Gnatho so often with filed tongue flattering, nor Thraso so commonly with brazen face brag­ging: nor Davus so continually with double heart dissem­bling. Currifauourers and clawbackes, should be contem­ned as irksome and perillous: Sicophants and Shifters, should be pronounced as execrable & odious: Parasites and platter-friends, should be proclaimed as pestilent and per­nicious.

In like manner in the Citie, if they would whip out the spaniels that will fawne when they are emptie, and beat out the dogges that will bite when they are full, and feare away the crowes that will eate vp quicke bodies, and flap out the flies that will sting Alexander, and ridde themselues of the Friers fleas that are bred in euerie corner; then should they not haue so manie wilful murthers to molest them in the day, nor so manie secret robberies to disquiet them in the night: then should not our hearts be so much heated with hatred & spitefulnesse, nor our tongues so tipped with taunts and bit­ternes, nor our déeds so distained with mischiefe and nough­tinesse: then should reason rule onely in the head, & treason should be trodd vtterly vnderfoote: then should Cities bee gouerned peaceably, and people in all places liue prosperous­lie: which God grant continually.

SO necessarie, great & infinit are the cōmodities of Friēd­ship, that they seeme to take the Sunne out of the world, which would remooue Friendship from amongst vs: with­out the which, nothing is so well staid, but it may bee soone destroyed, nothing so strong but it may easely be beaten downe, nothing so firmly settled but it may be vtterly sub­uerted: yea without Friendship no house can be wel guided, no Citie well gouerned, no Countrey safe preserued, no State long continued, no nor anie thing in the vse of man rightly ordered. It is so conuenient for the Court, and so fit for the Countrey; it is such a treasure abroad in the warres, and such an ornament to the Citie in time of peace; that as [Page] Tully testifieth, there is no gift giuen of God to man (Sapi­ence only excepted) more agreeable to nature, more comfor­table to the heart, more pleasant to the minde, or more profi­table to a Publique weale: although some rather regard ri­ches, other more esteeme health, manie chieflie preferre ho­nour, most of all vainely delight pleasure: but yet neither the vse of riches, nor the worship of wealth, nor the praise of honour, nor the delight of plesure, nor the happines of health, may bee compared with Friendship: for which way soeuer thou takest, it turneth with thee: if thou goe forward, it fol­loweth thee: if thou call, it is at hand: if thou looke for it, it is linked vnto thee: in no place is it excluded, at no time out of season, in no cause troublesome: wherefore it may be well said, that wee vse neither water, nor fire, nor earth, nor aire, in more places than we doo Friendship. It maketh prospe­ritie to shine most glorious, and causeth aduersitie to seeme nothing grieuous. It suffereth neither the heart to be daun­ted, nor the courage in any case quailed: wherefore being ab­sent, yet are they present: being needie, they haue inough: being poore, they haue plentie: being weake, are strong: yea and I had almost said that which is more strange, being dead are aliue: insomuch, that the death of the one seemeth blessed, and the life of the other nothing blemished, so great is the ho­nor, so gracious the remēbrance, so godly the zeal that is bred in Friends one toward another. He y^t loketh vpon his faith­full Friend, doth behold a perfect patterne of his owne per­son, being as it were an Alter ego, that is another himselfe. What was it that caused Phocion to say, he neuer denied any thing to his faithfull friend Nicocles, was it not Friendship? What was it that vrged Damon to yeelde himselfe a pledge for the life of his companion Pithias, was it not Friendship? What was it that mooued Titus to come downe from the Bench of authoritie, and accuse himselfe to acquite Gisippus from miserie, was it not Friendship? What was it that in­flamed Pilades to present his owne person to saue the life of Orestes, was it not Friendship? To be short, what was the [Page] reason that the two honourable Romanes, Scipio and Laeli­ [...]s so greatly loued: insomuch that one house serued them both, one face, one ioint studie, one delight, one consent in all things: not onely in priuate affaires, but also in pub­lique, in trauailes, in voyages, in soiourning, at home and a­broad all were alike common: was not this a laudable kind of Friendship? Yea, to make our ful period, (thogh Friend­ships praise be infinite) such is the force therof, that mightie Kings haue desired it, it is so glorious: famous Philoso­phers haue honoured it, it is so specious: cruell tyrants haue been amazed at it, it is so victorious: al men in general haue praised it, it is so precious: and yet few haue effectually at any time attained vnto it, it is so miraculous.