It cannot but be extremely difficult to preserve private kindness in the midst of public oppofition, which will neceffarily involve a thousand incidents, extending their influence to conversation and privacy. Men engaged, by moral or religious motives, in contrary parties, will generally look with different eyes upon every man, and decide almost every question upon different principles. To comply, is to betray our caufe, and to continue friend > fhip by ceafing to deferve it; to be filent, is to lofe the happiness and dignity of independence, to live in perpetual constraint, and to defert, if not to betray and who shall determine which of two friends fhall yield, where neither believes himself mistaken, and both confefs the importance of the question? What then remains, but opposition and debate? and from them what can be expected, but acrimony and vehemence, the infolence of triumph, the vexation of defeat, and, in time, a weariness of conteft, and an extinction of benevolence? Exchange of endearments and intercourse of civility may continue indeed, as boughs may for a while be verdant when the root is wounded: but the poison of difcord is infused; and though the countenance may preferve its fmile, the heart is hardening and contracting. That man will not be long agreeable whom we fee only in times of seriousness and severity: and therefore, to maintain the softness and ferenity of benevolence, it is neceffary that friends partake each others pleasures as well as cares, and be led to the fame diverfions by fimilitude of taste. This is, however, not to be confidered as equally indifpenfable with conformity of principles; becaufe any man may honeftly, according to the precepts of Horace, Horace, refign his own gratifications to the humour of another; and friendship may well deserve the facrifice of pleasure, though not of conscience. It was once ingenuously confefled to me by a painter, that no profeffor of his art ever loved another. This declaration is fo far justified by the knowledge of life, as to damp the hopes of warm and conftant friendship, between men whom their ftudies have made competitors; and whom every favourer and every cenfurer are hourly inciting against each other. The utmost expectation that experience can warrant, is, that they fhould forbear open hoftilities and fecret machinations; and, when the whole fraternity is attacked, be able to unite against a common foe; unless there fhall be found fome, Quos æquus amavit Jupiter, atque ardens evexit ad æthera virtus; who are defirous of being diftinguifhed from lower beings, and can preferve the facred flame of friendfhip from the gusts of pride, and the rubbish of interest. Friendship is feldom lasting but between equals, or where the fuperiority on one fide is reduced by fome equivalent advantage on the other. Benefits which cannot be repaid, and obligations which cannot be discharged, are not always found to increase affection: they excite gratitude indeed, and heighten veneration; but commonly take away that easy freedom, and familiarity of intercourfe, without which, though there may be fidelity, and zeal, and admi ration, ration, there cannot be friendship. Thus imperfect are all earthly bleffings. The great effect of friendship is beneficence; yet by the first act of uncommon kindness it is endangered, like plants that bear their fruit and die. Yet this confideration ought not to restrain bounty, or reprefs compaffion for duty is to be preferred before convenience; and he that lofes part of the pleasures of friendship by his generofity, gains in its place the gratulation of his confcience, THE RAMBLER. NUMBER LXV. LONDON, Tuesday, October 30. 1750. Garrit aniles Ex re fabellas. HOR. Ο Bidah, the fon of Abenfina, left the caravanfera early in the morning, and purfued his journey through the plains of Indoftan. He was fresh and vigorous with reft; he was animated with hope; he was incited by defire; he walked fwiftly forward over the vallies, and faw the hills gradually rifing before him. As he paffed along, his VOL. III. N ears |