attribute to their stones for man's body; that it worketh all contrary effects, but still to the good and benefit of nature. But yet, without praying in aid34 of alchemists, there is a manifest image of this in the ordinary course of nature. For in bodies, union strengtheneth and cherisheth any natural action; and, on the other side, weakeneth and dulleth any violent impression: and even so is it of minds.

The second fruit of friendship is healthful and sovereign for the understanding, as the first is for the affections. For friendship maketh indeed a fair day in the affections, from storm and tempests; but it maketh daylight in the understanding, out of darkness and confusion of thoughts. Neither is this to be understood only of faithful counsel, which a man receiveth from his friend; but before you come to that, certain it is that whosoever hath his mind fraught with many thoughts, his wits and understanding do clarify and break up, in the communicating and discoursing with another: he tosseth his thoughts more easily; he marshalleth them more orderly; he seeth how they look when they are turned into words; finally, he waxeth wiser than himself; and that more by an hour's discourse than by a day's meditation. It was well said by Themistocles35 to the king of Persia, that speech was like cloth of Arras,36 opened and put abroad;37 whereby the imagery doth appear in figure;38 whereas in thoughts they lie but as in packs. Neither is this second fruit of friendship, in opening the understanding, restrained39 only to such friends as are able to give a man counsel (they indeed are best);

33. alchemists' stone. More often called "the philosopher's stone," a substance believed to have the power of transmuting base metals into gold, and also of prolonging life.

34. praying in aid. Craving the assistance; a legal term.

35. Themistocles. An Athenian general (514-449 B.C.), who, after being accused of treason by his own people, sought refuge with the Persian king Artaxerxes.

36. cloth of Arras. Art-tapestry (named from the town in France where the finest kinds were made).

37. put abroad.

38. imagery

39. restrained.

Spread out or hung.

in figure. The design is fully revealed, Restricted.

bift even without that, a man learneth of himself, and bringeth his own thoughts to light, and whetteth his wits as against a stone, which itself cuts not.40 In a word, a man were better relate himself11 to a statua12 or picture, than to suffer his thoughts to pass in smother.43

Add now, to make this second fruit of friendship complete, that other point, which lieth more open, and falleth within vulgar44 observation; which is faithful counsel from a friend. Heraclitus45 saith well in one of his enigmas, Dry light is ever the best. And certain it is that the light that a man receiveth by counsel from another is drier and purer than that which cometh from his own understanding and judgment; which is ever infused and drenched in his affections and customs. So as there is as much difference between the counsel that a friend giveth, and that a man giveth himself, as there is between the counsel of a friend and of a flatterer. For there is no such flatterer as is a man's self; and there is no such remedy against flattery of a man's self as the liberty of a friend. Counsel is of two sorts; the one concerning manners, the other concerning business. For the first; the best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend. The calling of a man's self to a strict account is a medicine, sometime, too piercing and corrosive. Reading good books of morality is a little flat and dead. Observing our faults in others is sometimes unproper for our case. But the best receipt (best, I say, to work, and best to take) is the

40. stone which itself cuts not. A proverbial expression drawn from Horace.

41. were better relate himself. Would do better to converse. 42. statua. Statue (the Latin form). Cf. Shakespeare's Julius Cæsar, II, ii, 76 and III, ii, 192.

43. in smother. Stifled.

44. vulgar. Common, general.

45. Heraclitus. A Greek philosopher who flourished about 500 B.C. The words attributed to him are found in Plutarch's Life of Romulus. Whatever they originally meant, Bacon uses the phrase "dry light" (and it has ever since been used). to mean clear intellectual perception, free from the saturating moisture (see "infused and drenched," four lines further) of personal feeling.

admonition of a friend. It is a strange thing to behold what gross errors and extreme absurdities many (especially of the greater sort) do commit, for want of a friend to tell them of them, to the great damage both of their fame and fortune. For, as S. James46 saith, they are as men that look sometimes into a glass, and presently1 forget their own shape and favor. As for business, a man may think, if he will, that two eyes see no more than one; or that a gamester seeth always more than a looker-on; or that a man in anger is as wise as he that hath said over the four-and-twenty letters; 48 or that a musket may be shot off as well upon the arm as upon a rest;19 and such other fond50 and high imaginations, to think himself all in all. But when all is done, the help of good counsel is that which setteth business straight. And if any man think that he will take counsel, but it shall be by pieces, asking counsel in one business of one man, and in another business of another man; it is well (that is to say, better perhaps than if he asked none at all); but he runneth two dangers. that he shall not be faithfully counseled; for it is a rare thing, except it be from a perfect and entire friend, to have counsel given, but such as shall be bowed and crooked51 to some ends which he hath that giveth it. The other, that he shall have counsel given, hurtful and unsafe (though with good meaning), and mixed partly of mischief and partly of remedy; even as if you would call a physician, that is thought

One,

46. S. James. See the Epistle of James, 1:23-24.
47. presently. Immediately. favor. Countenance.

48. four-and-twenty letters. To run through the alphabet was a form of the same process as that recommended in the adage, "When angry count à hundred." The letters were numbered as twenty-four because u and v were counted as but one letter; so also i and j.

49. musket

upon a rest. The musket was a heavy gun introduced into the Spanish army by the Duke of Alva; it was Originally fired from a rest, which the "musketeer" stuck into the ground in front of him.

50. fond. Foolish.

51. bowed and crooked. Bent and perverted.

good for the cure of the disease you complain of, but is unacquainted with your body; and therefore may put you in way for a present cure, but overthroweth your health in some other kind; and so cure the disease and kill the patient. But a friend that is wholly acquainted with a man's estate52 will beware, by furthering any present business, how he dasheth upon other inconvenience. And therefore rest not upon scattered counsels; they will rather distract and mislead than settle and direct.

After these two noble fruits of friendship (peace in the affections, and support of the judgment) followeth the last fruit, which is like the pomegranate, full of many kernels; I mean aid and bearing a part in all actions and occasions. Here the best way to represent to life the manifold use of friendship is to cast and see how many things there are which a man cannot do himself; and then it will appear that it was a sparing speech of the ancients,54 to say that a friend is another himself: for that a friend is far more than himself. Men have their time, and die many times in desire of some things which they principally take to heart; the bestowing55 of a child, the finishing of a work, or the like. If a man have a true friend, he may rest almost secure that the care of those things will continue after him. So that a man hath as it were two lives in his desires. hath a body, and that body is confined to a place; but where friendship is, all offices56 of life are as it were granted to him and his deputy; for he may exercise them by his friend. How many things are there which a man cannot, with any face or comeliness, say or do himself! A man can scarce allege his own merits with modesty, much less extol

52. estate. Condition.

53. cast. Consider, count up.

54. speech of the ancients.

A man

A widely quoted saying. Bacon probably drew it from Cicero's treatise On Friendship. 55. bestowing. Giving in marriage.

56. offices. Functions.

them; a man cannot sometimes brook57 to supplicate or beg; and a number of the like. But all these things are graceful in a friend's mouth, which are blushing in a man's own. So again, a man's person hath many proper5s relations which he cannot put off. A man cannot speak to his son but as a father; to his wife but as a husband; to his enemy but upon terms: whereas a friend may speak as the case requires, and not as it sorteth59 with the person. But to enumerate these things were endless: I have given the rule, where a man cannot fitly play his own part: if he have not a friend, he may quit the stage.

OF DISCOURSE1

SOME in their discourse desire rather commendation of wit, in being able to hold all arguments, than of judgment, in discerning what is true; as if it were a praise to know what might be said, and not what should be thought. Some have certain common-places and themes wherein they are good, and want2 variety; which kind of poverty is for the most part tedious, and, when it is once perceived, ridiculous. The honorablest part of talk is to give the occasion; and again to moderate and pass to somewhat else; for then a man leads the dance. It is good, in discourse, and speech of conversation, to vary and intermingle speech of the present occasion with arguments; tales with reasons; asking of questions with telling of opinions; and jest with earnest: for it is a dull thing to tire, and, as we say now, to jade1 anything too far. As for jest, there be certain things which ought to be privileged from it; namely, religion, matters of state, great 57. brook. Endure.

1. This essay first appeared in 1597; it was enlarged in 1612 and again in 1625, and was eventually numbered XXXII.

2. want. Lack.

3. moderate. Sum up the question (like a presiding officer). 4. jade. Exhaust.