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The second fruit of friendship, is healthful and sovereign for the understanding, as the first is for the affections. For friendship maketh indeed a fair day in the affections, from storm and tempests; but it maketh daylight in the understanding, out of darkness, and confusion of thoughts. Neither is this to be understood only of faithful counsel, which a man receiveth from his friend; but before you come to that, certain it is, that whosoever hath his mind fraught with many thoughts, his wits band understanding do clarify and break up, in the communicating and discoursing with another; he tosseth his thoughts more easily; he marshalleth them more orderly, he seeth how they look when they are turned into words: finally, he waxeth wiser than himself; and that more by an hour's iscourse, than by a day's meditation. It was well said by Themistocles, to the king of Persia, That speech was like cloth of Arras, opened and putabroad; whereby the imagery doth appear infigure; whereas in thoughts they lie but as in packs. Neither is this second fruit of friendship, in opening the understanding, restrained only to such friends as are able to give a man counsel; (they indeed are best;) but even without that, a man learneth of himself, and bringeth his own thoughts to light, and whetteth his wits as againsta stone, which itself cuts not. In a word, a man were better relate himself to a statua, or picture ,han to suffer his thoughts to pass in smother.
康明奈亞斯關于他底第一位主上，“勇敢的”查理公爵，所說的話是不可忘的，就是，他不肯把他底秘密與任何人共之，尤其不肯把那最使他為難的秘密告人。于是康明奈亞斯繼續又說道：“到公爵底末日將近的時候這種秘而不宣的性情不免稍損他底理智”。其實，如果康明奈亞斯樂意的話，他對于他底第二位主上，路易十一，也大可下同樣的斷語，因為路易十一底好隱秘確是他自己底災星。畢達哥拉斯底格言是難解而真確的；他說，“不要吃你底心”。確實地；說得厲害一點，沒有朋友可以向之傾訴心事的人們可說是吃自己底心的野人。有一件事卻是很值得驚奇的（我把它說了出來就此結束關于友誼底第一種功效的話語），那就是，一個人向朋友宣泄私情的這件事能產生兩種相反的結果，它既能使歡樂倍增，又能使憂愁減半。因為沒有人不因為把自己底樂事告訴了朋友而更為歡欣者，也沒有人因為把自己底憂愁告訴了朋友而不減憂愁者。所以就實際的作用而言，友誼之于人心其價值真有如煉金術士常常所說的他們底寶石之于人身一樣；這寶石，依術土們底話，是能產生種種互相反對的效力，然而總是有利于天稟的。然而，即令不借助于術士，在普通的自然現象中，也可以看到這種情形很明顯的肖象。因為物體相合則足以助長并滋養任何天然的作用，又可以削弱并挫折任何暴烈的外來打擊也：物體如此，人心亦是如此。
友誼底第二種功用就在它能衛養并支配理智，有如第一種功用之衛養并支配感情一樣。因為友誼在感情方面使人出于烈風暴雨而入于光天化日，而在理智方面又能使人從黑暗和亂想入于白晝也。這不僅指一個人從朋友處得來的忠諫而言；即在得到這個之前，任何心中思慮過多的人，若能與旁人通言并討論，則他底心智與理解力將變為清朗而有別；他底思想底動作將更為靈活；其排列將更有秩序；他可以看出來把這些思想變成言語的時候它們是什么模樣；他終于變得比以往的他聰明，而要達到這種情形，一小時底談話比一天底沉思為效更巨——這些都是沒有疑義的。塞密斯陶克立斯對波斯王的話說得極是。他說：“言語有如張掛展覽的花氈，其中的圖形都是顯明的；而思想則有如卷折起來的花氈”。友誼底這第二種功用（就是啟發理智），也不限于那些能進忠言的朋友（他們當然是最好的朋友了），即令沒有這樣的朋友，一個人也能借言談底力量自己增長知識，把自己底思想使之明白表現，并且把自己底機智磨厲得更為鋒利，如磨刃于石，刃銳而石固不能割也。簡言之，一個人，與其使他底思想窒息而滅，毋寧向雕像或圖畫傾訴一切之為愈也。
Add now, to make this second fruit of friendship complete, that other point, which lieth more open, and falleth within vulgar observation; which is faithful counsel from a friend. Heraclitus saith well in one of his enigmas, Dry light is ever the best. And certain it is, that the light that a man receiveth by counsel from another, is drier and purer, than that which cometh from his own understanding and judgment; which is ever infused, and drenched, in his affections and customs.So as there is as much difference between the counsel, that a friend giveth, and that a man giveth himself, as there is between the counsel of a friend, and of a flatterer. For there is no such flatterer as is a man's self; and there is no such remedy against flattery of a man's self, as the liberty of a friend. Counsel is of two sorts: the one concerning manners, the other concerning business. For the first,the best preservative to keep the mind in health, is the faithful admonition of a friend. The calling of a man's self to a strict account, is a medicine, sometime too piercing and corrosive. Reading good books of morality, is a little flat and dead. Observing our faults in others, is sometimes improper for our case. But the best receipt (best, I say, to work, and best to take) is the admonition of a friend. It is a strange thing to behold, what gross errors and extreme absurdities many (especially of the greater sort) do commit, for want of a friend to tell them of them; to the great damage both of their fame and fortune: for, as St. James saith, they are as men that look sometimes into a glass, and preently forget their own shape and favor. As for business, a man may think, if he win, that two eyes see no more than one; or that a gamester seeth always more than a looker-on; or that a man in anger, is as wise as he that hath said over the four and twenty letters; or that a musket may be shot off as well upon the arm, as upon a rest; and such other fond and high imaginations, to think him self all in all. But when all is done, the help of good counsel, is that which setteth business straight. And if any man think that he will take counsel, but it shall be by pieces; asking counsel in one business, of one man, and in another business, of another man; it is well (that is to say, better, perhaps, than if he asked none at all); but he runneth two dangers: one, that he shall not be faithfully counselled; for it is a rare thing, except it be from a perfect and entire friend, to have counsel given, but such as shall be bowed and crooked to some ends, which he hath, that giveth it. The other, that he shall have counsel given, hurtful and unsafe (though with good meaning), and mixed partly of mischief and partly of remedy; even as if you would call a physician, that is thought good for the cure of the disease you complain of, but is unacquainted with your body; and therefore may put you in way for a present cure, but overthroweth your health in some other kind; and so cure the disease, and kill the patient. But a friend that is wholly acquainted with a man's estate, will beware, by furthering any present business, how he dasheth upon other inconvenience. And therefore rest not upon scattered counsels; they will rather distract and mislead, than settle and direct.
