A TYPE OR FIgure of Friendship. Wherein is lively, and compendiously expressed, the right nature and property of a perfect and true friend.  
Also a conclusion at the end in the praise of Friendship.  
Written by. W. D.  
Non aurum, non adamas, fulget splendidius, quam bonorum mentes consentientes.  
●mprinted at London by Thomas Orwin, and Henry Kirkham. 1589.   

TO THE WORSHIPful and worthy favourers of learning, Master William Craune, and and Master William, Parker, Citizens and Merchants of London W. D. wisheth allearthly prosperity, and heavenly felicity.  
THE ancient Grecians (as Aristotle writeth) accustomed to erect the Temples of the Graces called Charites in the midst of their Cities, to the end that the Citizens might thereby be admonished of Amity, mutual Benevolence, & Charity: In regard whereof worshipful friends,) considering with myself the imbecility of our nature, the malignity of mortal minds, and the dangerous days of this our iron age, finding a lamentable defect of Friendship, and fearing a final fall & decay of the same; I, not wallowing in wealth, being far from the ability of building a Temple of the Grecian Graces, have according to my slender faculty framed a Figure fully fraught with the glorious gifts of a Goddess: more worthy to be portrayed with the cunning pencil of Protogenes, than so dimly adumbrated with the running pen of Agatharcus. Which if it deserve not to be situated in the midst of the City as the Grace Aglaia, nor to be placed on some high pinnacle as the Image of Minerva, yet it may be suffered in the corners and Suburbs of the same in the honour of Amicitia. Through whose benevolent aspect and goodness, some men may be perhaps the sooner moved to Amity, Friendship, and gratefulness. We read that Apelles by a picture caused the Egyptians to abhor & hate derraction, as a monstrous copesmate of vices, & I wish this present Figure may be analective to our Anglians to entertain & embrace Friendship as a mighty companion and aid to virtues. And forasmuch as Friendship doth chief consist inter duos, and can have no essence but inter bonos, I have been the more emboldened (although unknown) to presume of your Worship's favourable acceptance hereof: who, as popular fame pronounceth, as well for your accustomed courtesy towards all men, as also for your continual Amity and brotherly love one towards another in faithful society, do rightly resemble friendship's nature and property: to whom I humbly present and offer the same. Wherein, if my presumption shall breed prejudice, or cause me to be checked with dislike, I shall be choked with despair for ever practising my pen again in any such petite pamphlet, yea though it were to my familiar friends. Thus wishing your Worships all manner of temporal benefits, and spiritual blessings, I end and humbly take my leave.  
Your Worships to use: Walter Dorke. Inuitat ad magna qui gratanter suscipit modica.   

The Figure of Friendship.  
AS the life of man generally, lieth open to many miseries, so is it specially relieved by two remedies, according to that worthy saying: Tristia cuncta exsuperans aut animo, aut amico. That is to say all things are to be overcome, either with the fortesied power of a patiented mind, or with the fortunate presence of a faithful friend. What comfort can there be more propitiate or present to a pensive mind, than to power out the plaints thereof into the secret bosom of a sincere friend, by whose sweet communication is received a sudden delight, and sovereign consolation, as a most cordial medicine against any corrosive.  
Architas of Tarento teacheth us that life is no life being led without the loyal love and liking of some that are living: neither is his joy, any joy, that doth not enjoy some friend with whom he may be jointly joined in society: for if a man should climb up to the skies, & take a full view of the brightness of the heavens, and contemplate the beautifulness of the stars: and behold all the wonderful works of GOD upon the face of the earth: the admiration thereof would be but unpleasant without some friend to whom he might make relation of the same.  
Scipio Minor when he went forth of his house at any time would earnestly endeavour himself to find out some company among whom he would make one his familiar friend before he returned home again: saying there is no better possession than the fruition of a friend.  
Titus Vespasianus the Emperor on a certain time finding by feeling his own conscience that he had not pleasured any person the day passed, complained with this clause, Diem Amici perdidi. I have (saith he) lost a day, by neglecting the duty of a friend.  
Dionysius the Tyrant was so amazed at the friendship of Damon and Pythias that it translated his mind from being tyrannous towards them, to become almost amorous with them, as it may appear by his own petition. Rogo ut me quoque in vestram amicitiam recipiatis. I beseech you (saith he) receive me also into your sacred society.  
King Darius doubted not to say, he had rather enjoy his faithful friend Zopirus free from wounded face and deformity, than a hundred such cities as Babylon with all their wealth and superfluity.  
Achilles' being demanded of Ajax, which were the greatest labours that ever he sustained; answered, the labours that he endured for his friends. And being again demanded of the same, what travails and pains seemed to him most pleasant: said, the travails and pains he took for his friends. Signifying thereby, that a man endued with an heroical heart should always be inflamed with a desire of doing good to his friend. And to the like end and purpose, a certain Philosopher compared a perfect friend to a good proportioned horse in seven properties as followeth, having 

A little head by humble conversation.  
A sharp ear to be quick of hearing & ready at every call.  
A soft mouth to the end his tongue be temperate.  
A hard hoof to endure travail.  
An open hand to do good deeds.  
A sure foot to continue in amity.  
A bay colour for his good renown.   Some also affirm that true friends ought to be like mulberry trees which bring forth their fruit at such times, that they neither fear the frosts of May, as the vines do; nor the mists of October, as the Peaches and Quinces do. Thus among the ancient Romans and Grecians friendship hath been had in great reverence, but throw the iniquity of our time it is now become, tam rara avis in terris, that a man may as soon see a black Swan, as find out a faithful friend.  
And here I imagine some man may ask me a double question. First, whether the late famous family of love, which begun to creep in among us, have any fellowship with Friendship. Secondly, whether the Holy league may be linked in the golden chain of charity, or contained in the silver band of amity. To them both I answer negatively: and first as for the family of love, I think them fit to be termed the familiars of lust, and of the family of Lucifer: they are a sect given to sensuality, stirred up by some infernal Fury, to make a confusion of all things generally, the which is so odious that as I loathe to think of it, so will I leave to speak of it.  
And as for the holy league, which some call the helly lake or hellish legion, how far they are from amity or honesty, France can best judge, of whose loyalty they have had experience but too lately. The first original and birth of them was like to an untimely monster ripped out of the bowels of rebellion, and fostered up with the poisoned teats of treason, and will be still maintained by their mistress abomination, until the breath of God's wrath work their destruction. Wherefore the Friendship that is spoken of in this place, is not the tyrannical friendship of the holy league, nor the filthy friendship, of the false named family of love, nor the froward friendship which a man may find at Billingsgate for a box on the ear, nor the profitable friendship which is among Merchants, nor the pleasant friendship which is among Courtiers, nor the common friendship which is among Clowns: but it is the true, perfect, and unfeigned friendship, which is neither for pleasure partly, nor for profit chiefly, but for virtues sake only.  
And because no man should be deceived, as the Painter who supposed light colours to be linen cloth, I have set down certain Articles, precepts, or statutes of the law of Amity appertaining to the foresaid Figure: the which, whosoever doth not observe and perform, cannot obtain the name of a sincere friend.  
First, That Friendship is to be esteemed more than all worldly things.  
2 Friendship is only among good men, and cannot be where virtue is not.  
3 A faithful Friend is as a man's own self.  
4 Friendship must not be desired for profit or gain.  
5 Friendship cannot be changed no more than Nature, but is of continuance.  
6 Covetousness is a great plague to Friendship.  
7 Flattery is an utterenemie to Friendship.  
8 A man must neither grant to his Friend, nor request any thing of him that is unlawful or unhonest.  
9 If our friends conspire against the commonwealth, we ought to forsake them, and also reveal them.  
10 Friends must not flatter, but boldly and freely advertise, admonish, and counsel one another.  
11 The chief trial of a Friend is in time of necessity.  
12 True friendship is hard to be found amongst great men.  
13 A faithful Friend in weal and woe is all one.  
14 A Friend must neither be a tale carrier, nor a tale creditor.  
15 Friends ought to remember good turns.  
16 A reverent and modest bashfulness ought to be in Friendship.  
17 Pleasant speeches and courteous manners be not the worst sauces in Friendship: but lumpish sadness, and sullen sourness ought to be in any wise shunned.  
18 A trusty Friend is a great treasure.  
19 We cannot do too much in Friendship.  
20 Among Friends all things should be common.  
Finally, they are all included in this definition.  
Friendship is a perfect consent and agreement with benevolence & charity in all things, appertaining as well towards God as men.  
These precepts duly considered, a true Friend may be easily discerned, & yet you may sooner by definition declare what he is, than by demonstration show where he is: for friendship described in this form and fashion hath been long since as one banished from every Nation, not having any certain place to make abode in: No not in Rome; for they are too covetous, superstitious, and vainglorious: Not in Turkey; for their Mahomet is too monstrous: in India, they are too rude and barbarous, in Italy proud and ambitious, in Spain disdainful, vile and vicious: in France crafty, fierce and furious: in Germany and Denmark they dedicate themselves to Bacchus. But I would I could justly report ourselves to be clear from all these vices, & more apt to embrace Friendship here in England: for that it hath the name and fame to be a most flourishing Island, where religion hath appeared, where peace and concord hath been placed, and the people accounted blessed many years; which God continue for ever. And here in this point, I cannot pass without some reverent and honourable mention of the queens most excellent Majesty: neither can any man sufficiently admire the most absolute and rare perfections of her highness heroical mind; by whose regal benevolence & bounty, full many are made happy, whose great mercy, abundant natural clemency, & unspeakable lenity (even towards her greatest enemies) do merit immortal memory. And if I should particularly speak of her majesties mighty Friendship to foreign Princes: if I should declare her gracious inclination and readiness in aiding the oppressed: if I should show her godly zeal in planting the Gospel: and to be short, if I could but in the least part express her princely care, pity, and piety towards her own people and country, it would seem such, and so great, that it might well make all other Princes and Potentates rather amazed to hear it, than apt to imitate it. What subject would not show himself as faithful as Zopirus? What Courtier would not contend to be as constant as Curtius? What Noble man would not offer both life and service, as far forth as King Codrus to the good of so gracious a Governess?  
Wherefore, if Friendship were thus embraced in the Court, there should be no Gnatho so often with filled tongue flattering, nor Thraso so commonly with brazen face bragging: nor Davus so continually with double heart dissembling. Currifavourers and clawbacks, should be contemned as irksome and perilous: sycophants and Shifters, should be pronounced as execrable & odious: Parasites and platter-friends, should be proclaimed as pestilent and pernicious.  
In like manner in the City, if they would whip out the spaniels that will fawn when they are empty, and beat out the dogs that will bite when they are full, and fear away the crows that will eat up quick bodies, and flap out the flies that will sting Alexander, and rid themselves of the friars fleas that are bred in every corner; then should they not have so many wilful murders to molest them in the day, nor so many secret robberies to disquiet them in the night: then should not our hearts be so much heated with hatred & spitefulness, nor our tongues so tipped with taunts and bitterness, nor our deeds so distained with mischief and noughtiness: then should reason rule only in the head, & treason should be trod utterly underfoot: then should Cities be governed peaceably, and people in all places live prosperously: which God grant continually.  
SO necessary, great & infinite are the commodities of Friendship, that they seem to take the Sun out of the world, which would remove Friendship from amongst us: without the which, nothing is so well stayed, but it may be soon destroyed, nothing so strong but it may easily be beaten down, nothing so firmly settled but it may be utterly subverted: yea without Friendship no house can be well guided, no City well governed, no Country safe preserved, no State long continued, no nor any thing in the use of man rightly ordered. It is so convenient for the Court, and so fit for the Country; it is such a treasure abroad in the wars, and such an ornament to the City in time of peace; that as Tully testifieth, there is no gift given of God to man (Sapience only excepted) more agreeable to nature, more comfortable to the heart, more pleasant to the mind, or more profitable to a Public weal: although some rather regard riches, other more esteem health, many chiefly prefer honour, most of all vainly delight pleasure: but yet neither the use of riches, nor the worship of wealth, nor the praise of honour, nor the delight of pleasure, nor the happiness of health, may be compared with Friendship: for which way soever thou takest, it turneth with thee: if thou go forward, it followeth thee: if thou call, it is at hand: if thou look for it, it is linked unto thee: in no place is it excluded, at no time out of season, in no cause troublesome: wherefore it may be well said, that we use neither water, nor fire, nor earth, nor air, in more places than we do Friendship. It maketh prosperity to shine most glorious, and causeth adversity to seem nothing grievous. It suffereth neither the heart to be daunted, nor the courage in any case quailed: wherefore being absent, yet are they present: being needy, they have enough: being poor, they have plenty: being weak, are strong: yea and I had almost said that which is more strange, being dead are alive: insomuch, that the death of the one seemeth blessed, and the life of the other nothing blemished, so great is the honour, so gracious the remembrance, so godly the zeal that is bred in Friends one toward another. He that looketh upon his faithful Friend, doth behold a perfect pattern of his own person, being as it were an Altar ego, that is another himself. What was it that caused Photion to say, he never denied any thing to his faithful friend Nicocles, was it not Friendship? What was it that urged Damon to yield himself a pledge for the life of his companion Pythias, was it not Friendship? What was it that moved Titus to come down from the Bench of authority, and accuse himself to acquit Gisippus from misery, was it not Friendship? What was it that inflamed Pylades to present his own person to save the life of Orestes, was it not Friendship? To be short, what was the reason that the two honourable Romans, Scipio and Laeli●●s so greatly loved: insomuch that one house served them both, one face, one joint study, one delight, one consent in all things: not only in private affairs, but also in public, in travails, in voyages, in sojourning, at home and abroad all were alike common: was not this a laudable kind of Friendship? Yea, to make our full period, (though Friendships praise be infinite) such is the force thereof, that mighty Kings have desired it, it is so glorious: famous Philosophers have honoured it, it is so specious: cruel tyrants have been amazed at it, it is so victorious: all men in general have praised it, it is so precious: and yet few have effectually at any time attained unto it, it is so miraculous.  
FINIS.