He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, But he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.
_Oriental Proverb_
Nor scour the seas, nor sift mankind, A poet or a friend to find; Behold, he watches at the door, Behold his shadow on the floor.
_Emerson_
A friend who will not despise us for our weakness, nor disown us for our sinfulness, nor tire of us for being troublesome, nor scoff at us for our sensibility, but who will patiently hear our tale, fully understand our regret, tenderly recognise our stumbling-blocks, and be honest enough to tell us the truth, cost us what it may--oh, do you not see what a real help he might be to us.
_Bishop Thorold_
A friend Welded into our life is more to us Than twice five thousand kinsmen, one in blood.
_Euripides_
I used to think that friendship meant happiness: I have learnt that it means discipline.
_Anna R. Brown_
Dear is my friend--yet from my foe, as from my friend comes good: My friend shows what I can do, and my foe what I should.
_Schiller_
We can live without a brother, but not without a friend.
_German Proverb_
Love is flower-like; Friendship is like a sheltering tree.
_Coleridge_
You shall perceive how you mistake my fortunes; I am wealthy in my friends.
_Shakespeare_
A faithful friend is the medicine of life.
_Ecclesiasticus_
"I know and esteem you, and feel that your nature is n.o.ble, Lifting mine up to a higher, a more ethereal level, Therefore I value your friendship."
_Longfellow_
Disinterestedness of Friendship
In friendship, there is no commerce or business depending on the same, but itself.
_Montaigne_
You must therefore love me, myself, and not my circ.u.mstances, if we are to be real friends.
_Cicero_
I can never think of promoting my convenience at the expense of a friend"s interest and inclination.
_George Washington_
There is possible to-day, as ever, a generous friendship which forgets self.... The miracle of friendship has been too often enacted on this dull earth of ours to suffer us to doubt either its possibility or its wondrous beauty.
_Hugh Black_
Friendship is like a debt of honour; the moment it is talked of, it loses its real name and a.s.sumes the more ungrateful form of obligation.
_Goldsmith_
Have friends, not for the sake of receiving, but of giving.
_Joseph Roux_
Amongst true friends there is no fear of losing anything.
_Jeremy Taylor_
When men are friends, there is no need of justice; but when they are just, they still need friendship.
_Aristotle_
Better be a nettle in the side of your friend, than his echo. The condition which high friendship demands is ability to do without it.
To be capable of that high office requires great and sublime parts.
There must be very two before there can be very one.
_Emerson_
No friendship can excuse a sin.