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THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MANKIND. [Part III.

writers of antiquity. “ To take friendship from life,” says Cice-ro, “ would be almost the same thing, as to take the sun fromthe world.” And Pythagoras was accustomed to make the in-timacy of friendship so strict, that each person was to he asmuch pleased with his friend as with himself; and he made theperfection of it to consist in several persons being made one(units ex pluribus) by a union of affections and inclinations, anda resemblance of manners, morals, and excellences of everykind.*

The duties of friendship respect 1. its commencement, 2. itscontinuance, 3. its abuses and violations, 4. its close,—andunder these divisions I shall consider it.

1. The first duty of friendship respects the choice of ourfriends. The importance of this choice is manifest, when weconsider the influence over us, which we give to every onewhom we admit to our confidence and intimacy. The moralmaxim quoted by St. Paul, “ Evil communications corruptgood manners,”! is applicable to all human intercourse, es-pecially to'the more intimate connexions of life, and to no onemore than to friendship. Many writers have made useful sug-gestions respecting the choice of friends ; but no one has morecarefully summed up the necessary cautions to be used, than theauthor of the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus. “ Be in peacewith many,” says he ; “ nevertheless, have but one counsellor ofa thousand. If thou wouldst get a friend, prove him, first , andbe not hasty to credit him. For some man is a friend for hisown occasion, and will not abide in the day of thy trouble.And there is a friend, who, being turned to enmity and strife,will discover thy reproach.” Again, “ Some friend is a com-panion at the table, and will not continue in the day of thineaffliction. But, in thy prosperity, he will be as thyself, and willbe bold over thy servants. If thou be brought low, he will beagainst thee, and will hide himself from thy face. Separate thy-self” (that is, as to the interchanges of confidence) “from thineenemies ; and take heed,” (that is, in the choice) “ of thyfriends. A faithful friend is a strong defence ; and he that hath

* Cicero, De Amicitia, c. 13; De Officiis, Lib. I. c. 17.

t 1 Cor. xv. 33.