CHAP. XXXVII. Remarkable Friendship.
A Young Gentleman, with whose Father I had held an uninterrupted Correspondence for near thirty Years, but was lately Deceased, wrote yesterday a Letter to me, challenging as heir to his Father, the Inheritance of his Correspondence, tho' at a great distance; building upon that Text, Thy own Friend, and thy Father's Friend forsake not. And in Truth, a solid Friendship founded upon Vir∣tue and sincere Religion, is one of the greatest sweetnesses of this Life, and rarely to be found in the World. A David and Jonathan, a Gregory and Nazianzen, a Cranmer and Cromwel; a pair of true Friends, among Men, are seldomer to be found then a Club of Knaves, or a herd of Bruits agreeing together.
1. Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea for his great Love to Pamphilus, was Sirnamed Pamphilus.
2. Basil the Great, at Athens fell into acquaintance with Gregory Nazianzen, and joining Studies to∣gether, they continued in firm amity all their Life after. Clark's Marr. of Ecclesiastical Hist.
3. Theodoret and Cyril after a breach healed between them, were mighty loving each to other ever after. Ibid.
4. S. Bernard seeing a want of Ministers in his Country, and burning with a Zeal to Save Souls, resolved to set on the Work, and seeking one by whom he might be Ordained, he pitched upon the Bishop of Catalonia, to whom, when he came, and had Conversed a while with him, there grew a very strict Bond of Friendship between them. Ibid. p. 105.
5. Under the Seventh Persecution Theodora, a godly Virgin, for her Religion was condemned to the Stews, where her Chastity was to be a Prey to all Commers: which Sentence being executed, ma∣ny wanton young Men were ready to press into the House, but one of the Brethren called Didymus, putting on a Soldier's Habit, would have the first turn, and so going in perswaded her to change Gar∣ments with him; and so she in the Soldiers Habit escaped, and Didymus being found a Man, was carried before the President, to whom he confessed the whole matter, and so was condemned. Theodora hear∣ing of it, thinking to excuse him, came and presented her self as the guilty Party, desiring that she might Die and the other be Excused; but the Merciless Judge caused them both to be put to Death. Clark Gen. Martyr. p. 82.
6. In Queen Elizabeth's Reign, in a Fight between the Earl of Kildare, and the Earl of Tir-Owen, two of the Earl of Kildair's Foster Brethren were Slain, whose Death he took so heavily, that him∣self shortly after Died for Grief; For there is no Love in the World, comparable by many degrees to that of Foster-brethren in Ireland. Camb. Brit. Irel. p. 116.
7. Dr. Cranmer was a Faithful Friend to the Lord Cromwel, even in his Disgrace; insomuch that he ventured King Henry VIIIth's Displeasure to excuse for him; and absented from the Parliament when he was condemned. Church Hist. by Dr. Burnet.
8. Minutius Faelix saith, that he and his Friend Octavius did both will and will the same things.
9. Humphry Duke of Glocester, being Wounded and Overthrown by the Duke of Alenzon, at the Battel of Agincourt in France, was rescued by his Brother King Henry Vth, who bestriding him, delivered him from the Danger. Speed. Chron. Clark's Mirrour, c. 56. p. 231.
10. Pelopidas and Epaminondas were singularly noted, and commended for the perfect Love and Friendship that was ever inviolable kept between them even till their Deaths, having been joined to∣gether in so many Wars, Battels, Charges of Armies, and in Government of the Common-wealth: They were both alike born to all Vertue, only Pelopidas took most pleasure in the Exercise of his Body, and Strength; and Epaminondas in the Exercise of his Wit, and Learning: the Recreation of the one was to wrestle, hunt, and exercise his Strength: of the other to hear, study, and always to learn something in Philosophy. Their great Love each to other was shewed in a Journey they made together unto Mantinea to aid the Lacedemonians, who were now in League with the Thebans: wherein they being both set in the Battel near together amongst the Foot-men against the Arcadians, it fell out that that point of the Lacedemonian Army wherein they were, retreated, and many of them run away: But these two gallant young Men resolved rather to die than to fly, and standing close to∣gether they couragiously resisted the many Enemies that assaulted them, till such times as Pelopidas ha∣ving received seven dangerous Wounds, fell down upon a heap of dead Bodies, as well of their Friends as of their Foes; then Epaminondas thinking he had been slain, stept notwithstanding before him and defended his Body, and Armour, and he alone fought against many, desiring rather to die than to forsake Pelopidas lying amongst the Dead: but himself at last being thrust through the Breast with a Pike, and receiving a sore Cut on his Arm with a Sword, was even ready to sink, when Age∣sipolis