ship, treats to this effect: The friendship which is to be recommended, is union of affections, springing from a generous respect to virtue, and is maintained by a harmony of manners. It is a great mistake, to call every trifling commerce by this serious name; or to suppose that empty compliments and visits of ceremony, where no more is intended than to pass the time, and shew the equipage, should pass for a real and well established friendship. The frequency of the practice will not wipe off the absurdity there is as wide a difference between a bully and man of honor.

Not that these amusements are to be found fault with, the innocence and convenience of which protects them, when they pass for nothing but what they are; but certainly they ought to be distinguished from their betters; and the language and professions bear a proportion to the real impression they have on our heart.

Conformity of inclination is the life of friendship.

Whilst all are pursuing this common interest, all are travelling the same course, nothing can break the union of their affections and desires. The danger is only from irregular motions, and forgetting from which they should So long as we maintain a respect to this principle of uinon, and keep virtue on the throne, our humor and caprice will be check

act.

G

ed and subdued. If interest can maintain and form societies, as we find it does, why should not those who are actuated by a higher principie (and with such only is our business) do as much, if not more?

It may be said, from hence I conclude that all good men are friends, if virtue be the life of friendship. The consequence holds good, if they knew one another, they would value one another. But though friendship is founded on esteem, so much that it cannot otherways subsist, there goes, however, something more to form it; esteem is a tribute due to merit in general; but friendship is an improvement made upon merit, and engages us in a very different degree.

Such impression has been made upon the heart, as cannot be well described, and works like a mother's affections to her own children; above those of strangers, as amiable in themselves. Those who would have friendship confined to the narrowest compass, have notions of it the most sublime; though number, if practicable, may be highly useful.

For to have but one friend, may sometimes be to have none, or, which is the same thing, none when we want him. The circumstances of time, and place, and ability too make it proper that we have more than one bottom to venture in. The offices of friendship are various; to direct our choice, and rectify our mistakes; to sustain our misfortunes, mode.

rate our joys, and the like. This may possibly be better done by the care and endeavors of several. Not that I would have friendship governed by profit and convenience; a motive so mean, can produce nothing extraordinary. There is something generous in the composi tion, that looks at another man's advantage as much as his own.

And that we may not talk without a precedent for what we say; the sages of old, whose friendships were so well cultivated, and became so famous as to be handed down to the present time, even their's was divided into several streams. The most polite nations, and their philosophers too, gave us examples of that sort to build upon. It were difficult to determine, just how many make a sufficient quantity of friends; some fix the number at three, others allowing a greater latitude; but this rule will serve us, the fewer the better; and he who thinks he has a great number of friends, has most reason to believe he has none. It was a good return of Socrates, when his house was thought too little," Would to God, I could fill it with true friends;" said he:-After all, if one could have a barn full, one would wish for no more than a closet would hold. Let the matter at least turn upon this, setting aside the reasons I have offered:---The difficulty we shall find in the choice of our friends, will make us rejoice that we have but few to choose. Of such importance

is the work, 'tis so hard to succeed, and so dangerous to miscarry, so severe an inquiry into the inclinations and merit of the person, and the experience we must run through, before we are safe in their hands, will convince us that to gain three or four in the course of our life, is to employ it well. Whence is it, so many friendships clapped up on a sudden, which have the air of veteran, not of raw, undisciplin'd affection, and look like the meeting of old friends, not of new ones-whence can it be, these so promising and kindly advances should be so soon overturned? 'tis because they began too soon, and run up too fast And is there any mystery in this, that Time should destroy what we set up without consulting him? We meet, at first sight like one another well, the next thing is to say so, the next, in course, to be dear friends. We vow and swear eternal amity; and when we go to considering, we find him out; we grow cool;-and at length come to hate him. We swing ourselves up by main force, and our own weight brings us down again. Would you contract a friendship that should last a long time, be a long time in contracting it.

Plutarch thus describes the person a friend should be. As to the person of whom we are to make a friend, he must be endowed with virtue, as a thing in itself lovely and desirable, which consists of a sweet and obliging temper of mind, a lively readiness in doing good of

To this a faadded; for the

fices; than which qualifications, nothing is more rarely found in nature. miliar conversation must be person whom we desire to make our friend, must not casually be picked up at a tavern, or an eating house, nor at a promiscuous meeting at an horse race: but one chosen upon long and mature deliberation, confirmed by settled converse, and with whom, as the proverb says, 66 we have eaten a bushel of salt."

From a vicious man I should desire to stand off altogether. By a vicious man I do not mean one liable to failings, as all men arc, but, one that acts without any regard to honor and conscience. He's out of his element that makes an engagement that is not supported only by principles of virtue. True friendship, justly founded, is a blessing, in which virtue has the sole property. And as virtue has but few temporal rewards to propose, those few are to be found no where else.

Equality of birth and fortune, is by some made a point necessary to a well constructed friendship; and it must be said, that the rule ever to be embraced, if we could, when we pleased, find as good men of our own rank, as elsewhere. But considering that there are few of any rank fit to be chosen, we should look at the solid foundation of merit, and pass by mere accomplishments. We make no league with the coat of arms and the liveries, but with the man, and that part of the man