356 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



when once the court goes on the side of injustice, the law 

 becomes a public robber, and one man really a wolf to an 

 other. 



XXYI. Contract no friendship with an angry man, nor walk v/ith a 

 furious one 35 



The more religiously the laws of friendship are to be ob 

 served among good men, the more caution should be used 

 in making a prudent choice of friends. The nature and 

 humor of friends, so far as concerns ourselves alone, should 

 be absolutely tolerated; but when they lay us under a neces 

 sity, as to the character we should put on toward others, this 

 becomes an exceeding hard and unreasonable condition of 

 friendship. It is therefore of great moment to the peace 

 and security of life, according to the direction of Solomon, 

 to have no friendship with passionate men, and such as 

 easily stir up or enter into debates and quarrels. For such 

 friends will be perpetually entangling us in strifes and con 

 tentions, so that we must either break oft with them or have 

 no regard to our own safety. 



XXVII. He who conceals a fault seeks friendship, but he who repeats 

 a matter separates friends 36 



There are two ways of composing differences and recon 

 ciling the minds of men; the one beginning with oblivion 

 and forgiveness, the other with a recollection of the injuries, 

 interweaving it with apologies and excuses. I remember it 

 is the opinion of a very wise politician, &quot;That he who treats 

 of peace without repeating the conditions of the difference, 

 rather deceives the mind with the sweetness of reconciliation 

 than equitably makes up the matter.&quot; But Solomon, a still 

 wiser man, is of a contrary opinion, and approves of forget 

 ting, but forbids a repetition of the difference, as being at 

 tended with these inconveniences: 1, That is rakes into the 

 old sore; 2, that it may cause a new difference; 3, and, 

 lastly, that it brings the matter to end in excuses; whereas 

 both sides had rather seem to forgive the injury than allow 

 of an excuse. 



35 Prov. xxii. 24. 36 Prov. xvii. 9. 



