Who feek a friend, fhould come difpofed To exhibit in full bloom disclosed The graces and the beauties, That form the character he feeks, For 'tis an union, that bespeaks Reciprocated duties. Mutual attention is implied, Our own as much diftorted. But will fincerity suffice? It is indeed above all price, And must be made the bafis ; But every virtue of the foul Muft conftitute the charming whole, All shining in their places. A fretful temper will divide The closest knot, that may be tied, A temper paffionate and fierce May fuddenly your joys disperse In vain the talkative unite In hopes of permanent delight- Forgetting its important weight, They drop through mere defire to prate, How bright foe'er the prospect feems, An envious man, if you fucceed, But not a friend worth keeping. As envy pines at good poffeffed, On good, that seems approaching, And hates him for encroaching. Hence authors of illuftrious name, Are fadly prone to quarrel, 4 A man renowned for repartee Whoever keeps an open ear A friendship, that in frequent fits The fparks of disputation, Like hand in hand infurance plates, Moft unavoidably creates The thought of conflagration. Some fickle creatures boaft a foul True as a needle to the pole, Their humour yet fo various They manifeft their whole life through The needle's deviations too, Their love is fo precarious. The great and small but rarely meet Plebeians muft furrender, And yield fo much to noble folk, Some are so placid and ferene Unmoved and without quaking. Courtier and patriot cannot mix Without an effervefcence, Like that of falts with lemon juice, Which does not yet like that produce A friendly coalefcence. Religion should extinguish ftrife, But friends that chance to differ On points, which God has left at large, How freely will they meet and charge, No combatants are ftiffer!. To prove at last my main intent No cutting and contriving- Sometimes the fault is all our own, Some blemish in due time made known Our friend's defect long hid from fight, Then judge yourself, and prove your man As circumfpectly as you can, And having made election, Beware no negligence of yours, Such as a friend but ill endures, Enfeeble his affection. That fecrets are a facred truft, That friends fhould be fincere and just, That conftancy befits them, Are obfervations on the cafe, That favour much of common place, And all the world admits them. |