The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [34]
3. ‘And before now have spoken so eloquently about their importance to us and to the possibility of good lives.’
4. Laelius replied: ‘I should certainly have no objection if I felt confidence in myself, Fannius,
5. ‘For the theme of friendship is a noble one, and we are indeed at leisure;
6. ‘But who am I to speak of this? What ability do I have? What you propose is a task for philosophers;
7. ‘For a set discourse on friendship, and an analysis of its meaning, you must go to them.’
8. To which Fannius said, ‘But you have much practical experience in friendship, and are accounted the best of friends by your friends;
9. ‘Surely this is the best qualification to speak of so important a relationship?
10. ‘Not least, Laelius, is the fact that your great friendship with Scipio is the subject almost of legend; and from its example we all wish to learn.’
11. ‘Well,’ replied Laelius, ‘all I can do is to urge you to regard friendship as indeed the greatest thing in the world,
12. ‘For there is nothing which so fits human nature, or is so exactly what we both desire and need, whether in prosperity or adversity.
13. ‘But I must at the very beginning lay down this principle: that true friendship can only exist between good people.
14. ‘I do not, however, press this too closely, like those who give their definitions a pedantic accuracy.
15. ‘There is no practical use in doing that: we must concern ourselves with the facts of everyday life as we find it, not imaginary and ideal perfections.
16. ‘Let us mean by “good people” those whose actions and lives leave no question as to their honour, sense of justice, and generosity both of hand and heart;
17. ‘Who have the courage to stand by their principles, and who are free from greed, intemperance and violence.
18. ‘Such people as these are generally accounted “good”, so let us agree to call them that,
19. ‘On the ground that to the best of their ability they take nature and human fellow-feeling as the true guides to an honourable and well-lived life.’
Chapter 2
1. ‘Now this truth seems clear to me, that nature has so formed us that a certain tie unites us all, but that this tie becomes stronger with proximity.
2. ‘So it is that we prefer our fellow-citizens to foreigners, relations to strangers;
3. ‘For in their case nature herself has caused a kind of friendship to exist, though it is one which lacks some of the elements of permanence.
4. ‘Friendship excels mere acquaintanceship in this, that whereas you may eliminate affection from acquaintanceship,
5. ‘You cannot do so from friendship. Without affection, acquaintanceship still exists in name; but friendship does not.
6. ‘You may best understand friendship by considering that, whereas merely social ties uniting people are indefinite,
7. ‘Friendship is a tie concentrated into affection, which is the bond one shares most deeply only with a few.
8. ‘And now we can try to define friendship, as: enjoyment of the other’s company, accord on many things, mutual goodwill and liking.
9. ‘With the exception of wisdom, I am inclined to think nothing better than this can be found in human experience.
10. ‘There are people who give the palm to riches or to good health, or to power and office;
11. ‘Many give the name of the best thing in life to sensual pleasures.
12. ‘But all these we may say are frail and uncertain, and depend less on our own prudence than on the caprice of fortune.
13. ‘Then there are those who find the “chief good” in virtue. And that is a noble doctrine.
14. ‘But the very virtue they talk of is the parent and preserver of friendship, and without it friendship cannot exist.’
Chapter 3
1. ‘I repeat: let us account as good the persons usually considered so; such as are good in the true sense of everyday life;
2. ‘And we need not trouble ourselves about ideal characters who are nowhere to be met.
3. ‘Between people like these, Fannius, the advantages of friendship are almost more than I can say.
4. ‘To begin with,