ioned could not obtain true friends, so the riches of many
men of rank exclude all faithful friendship; for not only is Fortune
blind herself, but she commonly renders blind those whom she
embraces....

He who, therefore, shall have shown himself in both cases, as regards
friendship, worthy, consistent, and stedfast; such a one we ought to
esteem of a class of persons extremely rare--nay, almost godlike. Now,
the foundation of that stedfastness and constancy, which we seek in
friendship, is sincerity. For nothing is stedfast which is insincere.
Besides, it is right that one should be chosen who is frank and
good-natured, and congenial in his sentiments; one, in fact, who is
influenced by the same motives, all of which qualities have a tendency
to create sincerity. For it is impossible for a wily and tortuous
disposition to be sincere. Nor in truth can the man who has no
sympathy from nature, and who is not moved by the same considerations,
be either attached or steady. To the same requisites must be added
that he shall neither take delight in bringing forward charges nor
believe them when they arise, all of which causes belong to that
consistent principle of which now for some time I have been treating.
Thus the remark is true which I made at first that friendship can
exist only among the good; for it is the part of a good man (whom at
the same time we may call a wise man) to observe these two rules in
friendship: first, that there shall be nothing pretended or simulated
(for even to hate openly better becomes the ingenuous man than by his
looks to conceal his sentiments); in the next place, that not only
does he repel charges when brought (against his friends) by any one,
but is not himself suspicious, ever fancying that some infidelity has
been committed by his friend. To all this there should be added a
certain suavity of conversation and manners, affording, as it does, no
inconsiderable zest to friendship. Now solemnity and gravity on all
occasions, certainly, carry with them dignity; but friendship ought to
be easier and more free and more pleasant, and tending more to every
kind of politeness and good nature....

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 4: From the "Cato Major, an Essay on Old Age." Translated by
Cyrus R. Edmonds. This work is composed in the form of a dialog, in
which, in the person of Cato the Censor as speaker, the benefits of
old age are pointed out.]

[Footnote 5: A famous athlete who was many times crowne