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Is virtue kindling at a rival fire,
And, emulously rapid in her race.
O the soft enmity! endearing strife!
This carries friendship to her noon-tide point,
And gives the rivet of eternity.

From friendship, which outlives my former themes,
Glorious surviver of old time, and death!
From friendship thus, that flower of heavenly seed,
The wise extract earth's most hyblean bliss,
Superior wisdom crown'd with smiling joy.

But for whom blossoms this elysian flower?
Abroad they find, who cherish it at home.
LORENZO! pardon what my love extorts,
An honest love, and not afraid to frown.
Though choice of follies fasten on the great,
None clings more obstinate than fancy fond
That sacred friendship is their easy prey;
Caught by the wafture of a golden lure,
Or fascination of a high-born smile.
Their smiles, the great, and the coquet throw out
For other hearts, tenacious of their own;
And we no less of ours, when such the bait.
Ye fortune's cofferers! ye powers of wealth!
You do your rent-rolls most felonious wrong,
By taking our attachment to yourselves:
Can gold gain friendship? impudence of hope!
As well mere man an angel might beget:
* Love, and love only, is the loan for love.
LORENZO! pride repress; nor hope to find
A friend, but what has found a friend in thee.

Wisdom, though richer than Peruvian mines,
And sweeter than the sweet ambrosial hive,
What is she but the means of happiness ?
That unobtain'd, than folly more a fool :
A melancholy fool, without her bells.
Friendship, the means of wisdom, richly gives
The precious end, which makes our wisdom wise.
Nature, in zeal for human amity,
Denies, or damps an undivided joy :
Joy is an import—joy is an exchange—
Joy flies monopolists; it calls for two :
Rich fruit! heaven-planted! never pluck'd by one.
Needful auxiliars are our friends, to give
To social man true relish of himself.
Full on ourselves descending in a line,
Pleasure's bright beam is feeble in delight :
Delight intense is taken by rebound :
Reverberated pleasures fire the breast.
Celestial happiness, whene'er she stoops
To visit earth, one shrine the goddess finds,
And one alone, to make her sweet amends
For absent heaven—the bosom of a friend ;
Where heart meets heart, reciprocally soft,
Each other's pillow to repose divine.
Beware the counterfeit: in passion's flame
Hearts melt; but melt like ice, soon harder froze :
True love strikes root in reason, passion's foe :
Virtue alone entenders us for life—
I wrong her much—entenders us for ever :
Of friendship's fairest fruits, the fruit most fair

Is virtue kindling at a rival fire,
And, emulously rapid in her race.
O the soft enmity! endearing strife !
This carries friendship to her noon-tide point,
And gives the rivet of eternity.

From friendship, which outlives my former themes,
Glorious survivor of old time, and death !
From friendship thus, that flower of heavenly seed,
The wise extract earth's most hyblean bliss,
Superior wisdom crown'd with smiling joy.

But for whom blossoms this elysian flower ?
Abroad they find, who cherish it at home.
LORENZO! pardon what my love extorts,
An honest love, and not afraid to frown.
Though choice of follies fasten on the great,
None clings more obstinate than fancy fond
That sacred friendship is their easy prey :
Caught by the wafture of a golden lure,
Or fascination of a high-born smile.
Their smiles, the great, and the coquet throw out
For other hearts, tenacious of their own ;
And we no less of ours, when such the bait.
Ye fortune's cofferers! ye powers of wealth !
You do your rent-rolls most felonious wrong,
By taking our attachment to yourselves :
Can gold gain friendship? impudence of hope !
As well mere man an angel might beget :
* Love, and love only, is the loan for love.
LORENZO! pride repress; nor hope to find
A friend, but what has found a friend in thee.

This Image has been Color Corrected:

Disregard any color charts in the Image area

Yale Center for British Art, 2010

B1978.43.1358 ba-obj-2281-0001