Page:Bacons Essays 1908 West.djvu/104

80 For there is no Man that imparteth his Ioyes to his Frend, but he Ioyeth the more; And no Man that imparteth his Griefes to his Frend, but hee grieveth the lesse. So that it is, in Truth of Operation upon a Man's Minde, of like vertue as the Alchymists use to attribute to their Stone for Man's Bodie, That it worketh all Contrary Effects, but still to the Good and Benefit of Nature. But yet, without praying in Aid of Alchymists, there is a manifest Image of this in the ordinarie course of Nature. For in Bodies, Union strengthneth and cherisheth any Naturall Action; And, on the other side, weakneth and dulleth any violent Impression: And even so is it of Minds.

The second Fruit of Frendship is Healthfull and Soveraigne for the Understanding, as the first is for the Affections. For Frendship maketh indeed a faire Day in the Affections, from Storme and Tempests: But it maketh Daylight in the Understanding, out of Darknesse and Confusion of Thoughts. Neither is this to be understood onely of Faithfull Counsell, which a Man receiveth from his Frend; But before you come to that, certaine it is that, whosoever hath his Minde fraught with many Thoughts, his Wits and Understanding doe clarifie and breake up, in the Communicating and discoursing with Another: He tosseth his Thoughts more easily; He marshalleth them more orderly; He seeth how they looke when they are turned into Words; Finally, He waxeth wiser then Himselfe ; And that more by an Houre's discourse then by a Daye's Meditation. It was well said by Themistocles to the King of Persia, That speech was like Cloth of Arras, opened and put abroad ; Whereby the Imagery doth appeare in Figure ; whereas in Thoughts, they lie but as in Packs. Neither is this Second Fruit of Frendship, in opening the Understanding, restrained onely to such Frends as are