OF FRIENDSHIP 69 



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, 

 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 bestowing 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. A man hath a body, and that body is confined to 

 a place ; but wb^e./nendshipJs,_alL offices 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 them ; a man cannot sometimes brook 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 proper 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 sorteth 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. 



XXVIII 

 OF EXPENSE 



RICHES are for spending, and spending for honour and 

 good actions. Therefore extraordinary expense must be 

 limited by the worth of the occasion ; for voluntary un- 

 doing may be as well for a man's country as for the 

 kingdom of heaven. But ordinary expense ought to be 



