tage by it and from it; (and therefore if kings and princes are incapable of it, by the sublime inequality of their persons with men of a lower rank, for friendship does suppose some kind of equality, it is such an allay to their transcendent happiness, that they shall do well, by art and condescension, to make themselves fit for that which nature hath not made them ;) so it may by degrees and faint approaches be entertained by, and have operation upon, even those depraved affections and tempers, which seem most averse from and incapable of the effects and offices of it.

Friendship is compounded of all those soft ingredients which can insinuate themselves and slide insensibly into the nature and temper of men of the most different constitutions, as well as of those strong and active spirits which can make their way into perverse and obstinate dispositions; and because discretion is always predominant in it, it works and prevails least upon fools. Wicked men are often reformed by it, weak men seldom. It doth not fly in the face of the proud man, nor endeavour to jostle him out of his way with unseasonable reprehensions; but watches fit occasions to present his own vices and infirmities in the per sons of other men, and makes them appear ridiculous, that he may fall out with them in himself. It provokes not the angry man by peremptory con

tradictions; he understands the nature of the passion, as well as of the person, too well, to endeavour to suppress or divert it with discourses when it is in fury, but even complies and provokes it that he may extinguish it; Simulabit iram, ut tanquam adjutor et doloris comes, plus authoritatis in consiliis habeat; a friend will pretend to have a greater sense of the indignity, that he may be of counsel in the revenge, and so will defer it till it be too late to execute it, and till the passion is burned out with its own fire. Friendship will not assault the lustful person with the commendation of chastity; and will rather discourse of the diseases and contempt that will accompany him, than of the damnation that will attend him; it applies caution and lenitives to vice that is in rage and flagrant, the fever of which must be in remission before the sovereign remedies of conscience are to be administered. There is a weakness that contributes to health; and counsel must be as warily increased as diet, whilst there are dregs enough left of the disease to spoil the operation and digestion. Friendship hath the skill and observation of the best physician, the diligence and vigilance of the best nurse, and the tenderness and patience of the best mother. Lastly, It will not endeavour to reform those who are covetous, unjust, or ambitious, by persuading them that poverty is to be preferred before plenty; that

it is better to be oppressed than to oppress; and that contempt is more to be affected than honour. Friendship is neither obliged, nor obliges itself, to such problems; but leaves it to those who satisfy themselves in speaking what they think true, without caring whether it does good, or whether any body believes them or no. Friendship may lose its labour, but it is very solicitous that it may not; and therefore applies such counsels as it may reasonably presume will not be cast up, though it may not carry away all the humour it is applied to. It will tell the covetous man, that he may grow very rich, and yet spend part of his wealth as he gathers it, generously upon himself, and charitably upon others; it will put him in mind of Solomon's observation, that "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty," Prov. xi. 24. And how far the apprehension of that which he most endeavours to avoid may work upon him, depends much upon the force and power of friend. ship; and it hath wrought a great cure, if it hatlı prevailed with him to make his money his servant, and to do the business of a servant, instead of being a slave to his money. It is not to be expected, that all the precepts and all the example of the strongest friendship shall have force enough to drive away all the malignity which possesses these

several distempered persons; it will be very much, and a sufficient evidence of the divine influence of friendship, if it prevails with the proud man to be less proud, and to endure to be in that company that doth not flatter him; if it makes the angry man so much ashamed, as to blush for his impertinent rage, and though he cannot suppress it, yet to excuse it; if it brings the lustful person to abhor unclean discourses, to live cautè if not castè, and to endeavour to conceal his sin, though it cannot suppress it; and if it can persuade the covetous man to be less sordid towards himself, though not less avaricious towards others, it hath done great offices, and sown seed that may grow up to the destruction of many of the weeds which are left. And it hath been often seen, that many of these vices have been wonderfully blasted, and even withered away, by the discreet castigation of a friend; and rarely known that they have continued long in their full rage and vigour, when they have been set upon or undermined by skilful friendship.

But I cannot here avoid being told, that here is an excellent cordial provided for people in the plague, to whom nobody hath the charity to administer it; that since friendship can only be between good men, the several ill qualities which possess those persons have made them incapable of it, and so cannot receive those offices from it;

if the proud and the angry, the lustful, revengeful, and ambitious person, be not capable of friendship, they can never receive benefit by it. It is very true, there cannot be a perfect entire friendship with men of those depraved affections, who cannot perform the functions of it; there cannot be that confidence, communication, and mutual concernment between such persons, and those who are endued with that virtue and justice which is the foundation of friendship: but men may receive the benefit and offices of friendship who are neither worthy nor capable of entering into the society and obligation of it, or to return those offices they receive. It hath so much justice in it, that it is solicitous to relieve any body that is oppressed, though it hath proceeded from his own default; and it hath so much charity in it, that it is ready to give to whoever wants, though it could chuse a better object. It is possible that a fast friendship with a worthy father may in such a degree descend to an unworthy son, that it may extend itself in all the offices towards him which friendship uses to produce; though he can make no proportionable return, nor, it may be, cares not for that exercise of it. It is not impossible but that we may have contracted friendship with men who then concealed their secret vices, which would, if discovered, have obstructed the contract; or they may afterwards