heart mollified by fair
speeches. "All adversity finds ease in complaining" (as [3421]Isidore
holds), "and 'tis a solace to relate it," [3422][Greek: Agathae de
paraiphasis estin etairou]. Friends' confabulations are comfortable at all
times, as fire in winter, shade in summer, _quale sopor fessis in gramine_,
meat and drink to him that is hungry or athirst; Democritus's collyrium is
not so sovereign to the eyes as this is to the heart; good words are
cheerful and powerful of themselves, but much more from friends, as so many
props, mutually sustaining each other like ivy and a wall, which Camerarius
hath well illustrated in an emblem. _Lenit animum simplex vel saepe
narratio_, the simple narration many times easeth our distressed mind, and
in the midst of greatest extremities; so diverse have been relieved, by
[3423]exonerating themselves to a faithful friend: he sees that which we
cannot see for passion and discontent, he pacifies our minds, he will ease
our pain, assuage our anger; _quanta inde voluptas, quanta securitas_,
Chrysostom adds, what pleasure, what security by that means! [3424]"Nothing
so available, or that so much refresheth the soul of man." Tully, as I
remember, in an epistle to his dear friend Atticus, much condoles the
defect of such a friend. [3425]"I live here" (saith he) "in a great city,
where I have a multitude of acquaintance, but not a man of all that company
with whom I dare familiarly breathe, or freely jest. Wherefore I expect
thee, I desire thee, I send for thee; for there be many things which
trouble and molest me, which had I but thee in presence, I could quickly
disburden myself of in a walking discourse." The like, peradventure, may he
and he say with that old man in the comedy,

[3426] "Nemo est meorum amicorum hodie,
Apud quem expromere occulta mea audeam."

and much inconvenience may both he and he suffer in the meantime by it. He
or he, or whosoever then labours of this malady, by all means let him get
some trusty friend, [3427]_Semper habens Pylademque aliquem qui curet
Orestem_, a Pylades, to whom freely and securely he may open himself. For
as in all other occurrences, so it is in this, _Si quis in coelum
ascendisset_, &c. as he said in [3428]Tully, if a man had gone to heaven,
"seen the beauty of the skies," stars errant, fixed, &c., _insuavis erit
admiratio_, it will do him no pleasure, except he have somebody to impart
what he hath seen. It is the best thing in the w