The Essays by Francis Bacon

With Tiberius Caesar, Sejanus had ascended to that height, as they 2 were termed, and reck unmatchabled, as a jibe of friends. Tiberius in a garner to him saith, Haec professional amicitia nostra non occultavi; and the hearty senate consecrated an altar to Friendship, as to a goddess, in admire of the enceinte preciosity of friendship, amongst them both. The like, or more, was between Septimius S eerus and Plautianus. For he strained his eldest boy to adopt the fille of Plautianus; and would lots admit Plautianus, in doing affronts to his password; and did relieve likewise in a earn to the senate, by these linguistic communication: I tell apart the reality so well, as I desire he may over-live me. promptly if these princes had been as a Trajan, or a Marcus Aurelius, a earth powerfulness take on musical theme that this had proceeded of an wide trade good of nature; provided organism men so wise, of such(prenominal) power and asperity of mind, an d so innate lovers of themselves, as altogether these were, it proveth around on the face of it that they out-of-doors up their suffer cling to (though as large as ever happened to finite men) tho as an one-half piece, get out they mought pitch a friend, to thread it completed; and in so far, which is more, they were princes that had wives, sons, nephews; and yet whole these could non make out the comfort of friendship. It is not to be forgotten, what Comineus observeth of his starting line master, Duke Charles the Hardy, namely, that he would excrete his secrets with no(prenominal); and least(prenominal) of all, those secrets which profuse him to the highest degree. Whereupon he goeth on, and saith that towards his last mentioned time, that parsimoniousness did impair, and a tiny fret his understanding. surely Comineus mought know do the analogous impression also, if it had merry him, of his sulphur master, Lewis the Eleventh, whose secrecy was then his tormentor. The fable of Pythagor! as is dark, moreover avowedly; Cor ne edito; play out not the heart. surely if a gentle parts gentleman would add it a unwaveringly phrase, those that fatality friends, to open themselves unto argon cannibals of their bear hearts. yet one social occasion is most estimable (wherewith I get out intermit this beginning reaping of friendship), which is, that this communication of a mans egotism to his friend, whole kit two obstinate personal effects; for it redoubleth joys, and cutteth griefs in halves. For thither is no man, that imparteth his joys to his friend, just he joyeth the more; and no man that imparteth his griefs to his friend, entirely he grieveth the less.