dication, rightly difcriminate between appearance and reality.

When I fpeak of the value of friendship, I mean not to comprehend under that term what the general abuse of it implies; not every extenfive or more limited connection that may be founded on relationship, or on business, or on conviviality, or on focial refort to pleasures and diverfions, wherein neither intrinfic affection, nor tendernefs, nor confidence, has part. This is generally nothing more than a felfish intercourse of trifling civilities and fervices, in which the heart has little or no concern; and often a low traffic of mutual profit, which fubfifts for fo long a time as each can find his account in it. No, real friendship is pure and generous affection, is the close and complete union of hearts, which is teftified by an actual participation in all the joys and forrows of the other, a mutual and unreferved confidence, 'and the most difinterested officioufness, and fo connects a man with his friend in regard to fentiments and fenfations, that they both of them make but one felf.

Neither is fimilarity or conformity of difpofition, of tafte, of propenfities and pursuits, nor the ftrong attachment thence arifing, the only, nor even the principal material for raifing the ftructure of that friendship which truly deferves the name. This fimilarity, this conformity, this mutual propenfity, may likewife fubfift among fools and rogues, and do connect them together for a longer or a shorter time. But

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But who will decorate fuch combinations and connections as these with the facred name of friendship? They are not unfrequently confpiracies against the general welfare, confederacies for focial depredation or debauchery. No, it is only the fimilarity of dif pofition and sentiment, grounded on mutually good inclinations and propenfities, on generous and bene ficial defigns and pursuits, that can fo draw men together, and unite them fo intimately to each other, that they shall become in a manner one heart and one foul; and only in this union can real and exalt ed friendship consist.

In order then that friendship fhould have a great and folid worth, it must be built on real excellencies of mind and heart; on intelligence and virtue, and on reciprocal esteem. Both heart and mind are alike neceffary to it. The good heart alone is not fufficient to the happiness of friendfhip. It must be guided by a found, well-regulated mind, if we would not frequently occafion our friend, against our will, more diffatisfaction than comfort, more harm than profit. The light that should enlighten us, and the warmth that should animate us, as friends, must not be like the dazzling flash of the lightning and the fcorching heat of the fummer's fun, but like the light of the day and the mild and chearing breath of the fpring. But even the best regulated understanding and the most foft and tender heart are but weak and frail supports of friendship without the aid of virtue. The friendship which is not founded on virtue, on

reciprocal

reciprocal love to all that is beautiful and true and right and good, cannot be of long stability. It is incapable of any generous and magnanimous facrifice.. The unprincipled man is always at certain periods interested and felfifh. His views, his preferences, change with his inclinations, and take the colour of his paffions; and as often as these press into action, the voice of friendship is heard no more, and its most facred rights are trampled under foot. Friendship between the bad only lafts till one has had his ends of the other in the profecution of his plan, in the gratification of his fenfual defires, or in the oppref fion and the ruin of a third. Only the virtuous man remains true to his friend even when he can procure him no more profit, and afford him no more affift ance, when he has nothing left to return him for all his civilities and fervices, but a heart that confeffes and feels their value. It is virtue alone, in fine, that can beget in me a folid and lasting esteem towards my friend. And what is friendship without esteem? The creature of felf-intereft, of humour, of fenfuality, or of a blind mechanical impulfe, that is liable to as many alterations and accidents as the foundation whereon it refts,

Farther: if we would render friendship of actual and great value, it must be difinterested, generous, and at the fame time impartial. He that courts my friendship, only that he may promote and effect, through my means, certain purposes advantageous to him, or hopes to execute fome plan of ambition

with greater facility; who is only fo far and fo long my friend as he finds his account or his pleasure in it; he profanes the venerable name under which he conceals his bafe and felfifh fchemes. The true friend looks more to the welfare of his friend than to his own, and feels himself much happier when he can give him any thing, can help him, can work for him, or fuffer for him, than when he receives affiftance or benefits from him. He honours and reveres the mind, the heart of his friend, that which makes him a refpectable and amiable man, and not his station, his wealth, his figure, his influence over others, or any outward advantages. But, with all this, he is impartial. He overlooks not the greater accomplishments and merits of others with whom he is lefs closely connected; does them ample justice; fhews them, if they deserve and want it, ftill more refpect, still more reverence, ftill more affiftance, than to the friend of his heart; places them, not only in thought but in deed, above him, and furthers their views and their prosperity, even to the apparent detriment of his friend, whenever truth and justice and the common intereft, require it of him.

Yes, in order that friendship fhould be truly and highly valuable, should be morally good, then, thirdly, it need not be at variance either with general humanity, or with the benefit of the whole fociety of which I am a member, or with the particular relations wherein I stand towards my parents and family, and my fellow-citizens. Friendly affection, any more than

than patriotifm, need not degenerate into mifanthropy. I am neither to facrifice to my friend my duty, nor the claims of the innocent, nor those of the public welfare; not fo exclufively to attach myfelf to him, and to live for him alone, as to deprive of my esteem and affection, my benevolence, or my converfe and fervices, others who have equal demands upon them. This neither will nor can be required by the friendship that is founded on wisdom and virtue; nay, it would be injured, dishonoured, difgraced, by fo doing. On the contrary, the more pleasure generous friends fhall facrifice to their duty'; the more worthily each maintains his poft in human and in civil fociety: fo much will the tye of friendship, that holds them together, be more clofely drawn.

Laftly, friendship receives its greatest value from: real heart-felt piety. This binds a man to his friend by all that is venerable, holy, and comfortable in religion. This renders every thing that is of most confequence to mankind, their common concern. This cleanfes their hearts from all fordid motives and low propenfities. This binds them together as fellow-worshipers of God, as fellow-difciples of Jefus,: as co-heirs of the future felicity, by the strong cement of faith and hope. This opens to them a profpect into a superior state, where affection will be everlasting, and where they will inceffantly be striv ing after perfection with united powers. And of what fidelity, of what facrifices muft this not make