treatises on friendship and old age-第4节

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and　the　full　use　of　the　functions　of　the　body。　　But　friendship
embraces　innumerable　advantages。　Turn　which　way　you　please；
you　will　find　it　at　hand。　It　is　everywhere；　and　yet　never　out　of
place；　never　unwelcome。　Fire　and　water　themselves；　to　use　a
common　expression；　are　not　of　more　universal　use　than　friendship。
I　am　not　now　speaking　of　the　common　or　modified　form　of　it；
though　even　that　is　a　source　of　pleasure　and　profit；　but　of　that　true
and　complete　friendship　which　existed　between　the　select　few　who
are　known　to　fame。　　Such　friendship　enhances　prosperity；　and
relieves　adversity　of　its　burden　by　halving　and　sharing　it。

7。　And　great　and　numerous　as　are　the　blessings　of　friendship；　this
certainly　is　the　sovereign　one；　that　it　gives　us　bright　hopes　for　the
future　and　forbids　weakness　and　despair。　In　the　face　of　a　true
friend　a　man　sees　as　it　were　a　second　self。　　So　that　where　his　friend
is　he　is；　if　his　friend　be　rich；　he　is　not　poor；　though　he　be　weak；　his
friend's　strength　is　his；　and　in　his　friend's　life　he　enjoys　a　second
life　after　his　own　is　finished。　This　last　is　perhaps　the　most　difficult
to　conceive。　But　such　is　the　effect　of　the　respect；　the　loving
remembrance；　and　the　regret　of　friends　which　follow　us　to　the
grave。　　While　they　take　the　sting　out　of　death；　they　add　a　glory　to
the　life　of　the　survivors。　Nay；　if　you　eliminate　from　nature　the　tie
of　affection；　there　will　be　an　end　of　house　and　city；　nor　will　so
much　as　the　cultivation　of　the　soil　be　left。　　If　you　don't　see　the
virtue　of　friendship　and　harmony；　you　may　learn　it　by　observing
the　effects　of　quarrels　and　feuds。　Was　any　family　ever　so　well
established；　any　State　so　firmly　settled；　as　to　be　beyond　the　reach
of　utter　destruction　from　animosities　and　factions？　This　may　teach
you　the　immense　advantage　of　friendship。

They　say　that　a　certain　philosopher　of　Agrigentum；　in　a　Greek
poem；　pronounced　with　the　authority　of　an　oracle　the　doctrine　that
whatever　in　nature　and　the　universe　was　unchangeable　was　so　in
virtue　of　the　binding　force　of　friendship；　whatever　was　changeable
was　so　by　the　solvent　power　of　discord。　　And　indeed　this　is　a　truth
which　everybody　understands　and　practically　attests　by　experience。　
For　if　any　marked　instance　of　loyal　friendship　in　confronting　or
sharing　danger　comes　to　light；　every　one　applauds　it　to　the　echo。
What　cheers　there　were；　for　instance；　all　over　the　theatre　at　a
passage　in　the　new　play　of　my　friend　and　guest　Pacuvius；　where
the　king；　not　knowing　which　of　the　two　was　Orestes；　Pylades
declared　himself　to　be　Orestes；　that　he　might　die　in　his　stead；　while
the　real　Orestes　kept　on　asserting　that　it　was　he。　　The　audience　rose
_en　masse_　and　clapped　their　hands。　And　this　was　at　an　incident　in
fiction：　what　would　they　have　done；　must　we　suppose；　if　it　had
been　in　real　life？　You　can　easily　see　what　a　natural　feeling　it　is；
when　men　who　would　not　have　had　the　resolution　to　act　thus
themselves；　shewed　how　right　they　thought　it　in　another。

I　don't　think　I　have　any　more　to　say　about　friendship。　If　there　is　any
more；　and　I　have　no　doubt　there　is　much；　you　must；　if　you　care　to
do　so；　consult　those　who　profess　to　discuss　such　matters。

_Fannius_。　We　would　rather　apply　to　you。　　Yet　I　have　often
consulted　such　persons；　and　have　heard　what　they　had　to　say　with　a
certain　satisfaction。　　But　in　your　discourse　one　somehow　feels　that
there　is　a　different　strain。

_Scaevola_。　You　would　have　said　that　still　more；　Fannius；　if　you
had　been　present　the　other　day　in　Scipio's　pleasure…grounds　when
we　had　the　discussion　about　the　State。　How　splendidly　he　stood　up
for　justice　against　Philus's　elaborate　speech。

_Fannius_。　　Ah！　it　was　naturally　easy　for　the　justest　of　men　to
stand　up　for　justice。

_Scaevola_。　Well；　then；　what　about　friendship？　Who　could
discourse　on　it　more　easily　than　the　man　whose　chief　glory　is　a
friendship　maintained　with　the　most　absolute　fidelity；　constancy；
and　integrity？

8。　_Laclius_。　Now　you　are　really　using　force。　It　makes　no
difference　what　kind　of　force　you　use：　force　it　is。　For　it　is　neither
easy　nor　right　to　refuse　a　wish　of　my　sons…in…law；　particularly
when
the　wish　is　a　creditable　one　in　itself。

Well；　then；　it　has　very　often　occurred　to　me　when　thinking　about
friendship；　that　the　chief　point　to　be　considered　was　this：　is　it
weakness　and　want　of　means　that　make　friendship　desired？　I
mean；　is　its　object　an　interchange　of　good　offices；　so　that　each　may
give　that　in　which　he　is　strong；　and　receive　that　in　which　he　is
weak？　Or　is　it　not　rather　true　that；　although　this　is　an　advantage
naturally　belonging　to　friendship；　yet　its　original　cause　is　quite
other；　prior　in　time；　more　noble　in　character；　and　springing　more
directly　from　our　nature　itself？　The　Latin　word　for　friendship…
_amicitia_…is　derived　from　that　for　love…_amor_；　and　love　is
certainly　the　prime　mover　in　contracting　mutual　affection。　
For　as　to　material　advantages；　it　often　happens　that　those　are
obtained　even　by　men　who　are　courted　by　a　mere　show　of
friendship　and　treated　with　respect　from　interested　motives。　　But
friendship　by　its　nature　admits　of　no　feigning；　no　pretence：　as　far
as　it　goes　it　is　both　genuine　and　spontaneous。　Therefore　I　gather
that　friendship　springs　from　a　natural　impulse　rather　than　a　wish
for　help：　from　an　inclination　of　the　heart；　combined　with　a　certain
instinctive　feeling　of　love；　rather　than　from　a　deliberate　calculation
of　the　material　advantage　it　was　likely　to　confer。　The　strength　of
this　feeling　you　may　notice　in　certain　animals。　They　show　such
love　to　their　offspring　for　a　certain　period；　and　are　so　beloved　by
them；　that　they　clearly　have　a　share　in　this　natural；　instinctive
affection。　But　of　course　it　is　more　evident　in　the　case　of　man：　first；
in　the　natural　affection　between　children　and　their　parents；　an
affection　which　only　shocking　wickedness　can　sunder；　and　next；
when　the　passion　of　love　has　attained　to　a　like　strength…on　our
finding；　that　is；　some　one　person　with　whose　character　and　nature
we　are　in　full　sympathy；　because　we　think　that　we　perceive　in　him
what　I　may　call　the　beacon…light　of　virtue。　For　nothing　inspires
love；　nothing　conciliates　affection；　like　virtue。　　Why；　in　a　certain
sense　we　may　be　said　to　feel　affection　even　for　men　we　have　never
seen；　owing　to　their　honesty　and　virtue。　Who；　for　instance；　fails　to
dwell　on　the　memory　of　Gaius　Fabricius　and　Manius　Curius　with
some　affection　and　warmth　of　feeling；　though　he　has　never　seen
them？　　Or　who　but　loathes　Tarquinius　Superbus；　Spurius　Cassius；
Spurius　Maelius？　We　have　fought　for　empire　in　Italy　with　two
great　generals；　Pyrrhus　and　Hannibal。　For　the　former；　owing　to　his
probity；　we　entertain　no　great　feelings　of　enmity：　the　latter；　owing
to　his　cruelty；　our　country　has　detested　and　always　will　detest。

9。　Now；　if　the　attraction　of　probity　is　so　great　that　we　can　love　it
not　only　in　those　whom　we　have　never　seen；　but；　what　is　more；
actually　in　an　enemy；　we　need　not　be　surprised　　if　men's　affections
are　roused　when　they　fancy　that　they　have　seen　virtue　and
goodness　in　those　with　whom　a　close　intimacy　is　possible。　I　do　not
deny　that　affection　is　strengthened　by　the　actual　receipt　of　benefits；
as　well　as　by　the　perception　of　a　wish　to　render　service；　combined
with　a　closer　intercourse。　　When　these　are　added　to　the　original
impulse　of　the　heart；　to　which　I　have　alluded；　a　quite　surprising
warmth　of　feeling　springs　up。　And　if　any　one　thinks　that　this
comes　from　a　sense　of　weakness；　that　each　may　have　some　one　to
help　him　to　his　particular　need；　all　I　can　say　is　that；　when　he
maintains　it　to　be　born　of　want　and　poverty；　he　allows　to　friendship
an　origin　very　base；　and　a　pedigree；　if　I　may　be　allowed　the
expression；　far　from　noble。　If　this　had　been　the　case；　a　man's
inclination　to　friendship　would　be　exactly　in　proportion　to　his　low
opinion　of　his　own　resources。　　Whereas　the　truth　is　quite　the　other
way。　For　when　a　man's　confidence　in　himself　is　greatest；　when　he
is　so　fortified　by　virtue　and　wisdom　as　to　want　nothing　and　to　feel
absolutely　self…dependent；　it　is　then　that　he　is　most　conspicuous　for
seeking　out　and　keeping　up　friendships。　Did　Africanus；　for
example；　want　anything　of　me？　　Not　the　least　in　the　world！　
Neither　did　I　of　him。　　In　my　case　it　was　an　admiration　of　his　virtue；
in　his　an　opinion；　may　be；　which　he　entertained　of　my　character；
that　caused　our　affection。　Closer　intimacy　added　to　the　warmth　of
our　feelings。　But　though　many　great　material　advantages　did
ensue；　they　were　not　the　source　from　which　our　affection
proceeded。　For　as　we　are　not　beneficent　and　liberal　with　any　view
of　extorting　gratitude；　and　do　not　regard　an　act　of　kindness　as　an
investment；　but　follow　a　natural　inclination　to　liberality；　so　we
look　on　friendship　as　worth　trying　for；　not　because　we　are　attracted
to　it　by　the　expectation　of　ulterior　gain；　but　in　the　conviction　that
what　it　has　to　give　us　is　from　first　to　last　included　in　the　feeling
itself。

Far　different　is　the　view　of　those　who；　like　brute　beasts；　refer
everything　to　sensual　pleasure。　And　no　wonder。　Men　who　have
degraded　all　their　powers　of　thought　to　an　object　so　mean　and
contemptible　can　of　c