Bel-vedére, or, The Garden of the muses

Of Friendship, &c.

The summe of friendship is, that of two soules One should be made, in will and firme affect.

TRue friends partake in either weale or woe. Faint-hearted friends, their succours long delay. A deare friends graue is a more heauie sight, Than all the feares wherewith death can affright. Of foes, the spoile is ill; farre more of friends. Who faileth one, is false, though true to other. That friendship can no length of time endure, Which doth ••••••se ill, or euill end procure. The truest friendship, is in equalitie. Likenesse in manners, makes best amitie. When equall might is vp vnto the chin, Weake friends become strong foes to thrust him in, Among kind friends, departing drinkes vp ioy. Better a new friend, than an auncient foe. Call him not friend, that sauours most of foe: Tea••me him thy deaths-man, looke he prooue not so.

Giue foes no oddes, nor friends vnequall power. Trust not to foes, if friends their credit loose. For friends if one should die, were rarely much: But die for foes, the world affoords none such. In base minds dwells friendship nor enmitie. No seruice will a gentle friend despise. Looke what abuse is offer'd to a friend, The shame and faule finds no excuse or end. To wrong a friend doth prooue too foule a deed, Foes often wake, when loyall friends doe sleepe. Faire louely concord, and most sacred peace, Doe nourish vertue, and make friendship fast. A stead fast friend is to be lou'd as life. Faint friends, when they fall out, prooue cruell foes. Those friends that loue the Sun shine of delights, Will flye the winter when affliction bites. True friendship at the first affront retires not. Most friends befriend themselues with friendships shew. Suspition is sedition mongst good friends, When eithers drift to others mischiefe tends. They kill, that feele not their friends liuing paine. Be enuied of thy foe, rather than pitied. More conquest is the gaining of a friend, Than the subduing of an enemie. He is too foolish that mistrusts his friend. In greatest need, a friend is best discern'd. We ought sometimes as well to reprehend, As praise the partie whome we count a friend. True friendship maketh light all heauie harmes. A friend in most distresse, will most assist. Who entertaineth many friends, doth loose The title of a true and stedfast friend. Men in their friendship, alwayes should be one. A hard attempt to tempt a foe for aid.

Make all men our well-willers if we can, But onely chuse good men to be our friends. Small is that friendship table-talke will cracke▪ Requests twixt friends are counted as commaunds. To straungers let great proffers still be made: But to true friends vse sound and perfect deedes. Performance is in friendship held a dutie. No man should loue himselfe more than his friend. Foure things we ought supply our friend withall: Our perso••, counsell, comfort, and ••ur goods. A friend is to a man another selfe. With euery one to shake hands, is not good. Who w••••••teth f••i••nds to ••a••••••e what he begins In lands faire off: gets not, although he winnes. A wise man takes not ech one as his friend. Prooue strangers to loue them, and not loue to prooue them. The man that makes a f••iend of euery ••ir••unger, Dis••ards him not a••aine without some danger. True friendship ought be free, like charitie. Opinion of vertue is the sount of friendship. In friendship this one difference is tryde: T••ue f••iends stand ••••••st, when as the ••••••gned slide. Who neuer had a foe, ne••re knew a friend. Friendship admitteth not an angry frowne. A ••••ue f••rme f••i•••••• will neuer sound retreat, Nor so op•••••••• sail•••• ••or ••ny storme of weather. Vn••••e, is A••••t••es chiefest ••••••••nc••. Hazard displeasure to relieue a friend. True frien••••••ips Sunne continual••y doth last, And shines the clearer in the bitterst blast. They are no friends, that hazard them they loue. True friendship scornes confederacie with shame. In earnest, ••east, in quiet, peace or warre. Neuer presume to try thy foe too farre.

Aduersi••i•• doth best disclose a friend. Amitie stre••••heth not beyond the Altar. An open ••oe a man may soone preuent, B••t a false friend, murders in blandishment. A feigned friend will quickly chaunge conceit. Ouer-much boldnesse makes men loose their friends. Whil'st things go well, friends alwaies will be neer thee, But sailing once, the dearest friends will feare thee. What death is life, when dearest friends are lost. It's good to haue a wise and discreete friend. No foe so fell, or cunning to escape, As is a friend, clad in a foe-mans shape. Often to trie our friends is profitable. Flatterie is friendships forme, but not the fruit. Many to those they should most friendship show, Doc lie in wait to worke their ouer throw. Suspition is the poison of firme friendship. Forgetfull fooles vnfriendly vse then friends. Of any foe, be ••••re no gift thou take, Least to thy ruine it some entrance make. Follie respecteth ••latterers more than friends. Good natures inly grieue to trie their friends. No mortall fee so full of venemous sp••ght, As man to man, when mischiefe he pretends, Begging at friends hands, is esteemed buying. Friends hide no coine, or secrets from their friends. Who sees their friends in want, and them despise: When they doe fall, neuer deserue to rise. True friends doe soone forget a friends offence. Scornfull and proud, are very perillous friends. He that intendeth giule, and thou findst so: No wrong thou doest, to vse him as thy foe. Where friends are knit in loue, there griefes are shar'd. Quicke promisers, slow doers, are slacke friends.

Where many hearts doe gently sympathize In sacred friendship, there all blisse abounds. No friend like him whome no distresse can daunt. Happie is he that finds and feeles a friend.

Similies on the same subiect.

AS no calamitie can thwart true loue, So no mishap can separate firme friends. As wan•• of friends is very perillous, So talking friends doe prooue too tedious. As fire from heat cannot be separate, So true friends hearts will no way be disjoyn'd. As Physicke cures the secret'st griefes we haue, So friendship heales the hearts extreamest woes. As instruments are tun'd e're musicke's heard, So friends are tride ere they be firmely found. As exiles haue no comforts but their cares, So home-abiders haue no ioy like friends.

Examples likewise on the same.

C••rus vpon his left side plac'd his friends, Because they should be neerest to his heart. •••••••• and Caesar rather wished death, Than they should grow distrustfull of their friends. Cato this poesie caried in his Ring: Be friend to one, and enemie to none. Lu••i••••ius seeing Brutus round engirt, Call'd himselfe B••utus, that his friend might scape. Ph••••o••, in despcrate furie sau'd his friend, Saying: For ••his cause was I made thy friend. Three thing•• (saith Tullie) men should wish their friends: Health, good account, and priuiledge from need.