Virtue index · Classical virtue
Friendship (loyalty)
Loyal love between equals who wish each other good for the other’s sake, sharing a life ordered to virtue.
Definitions from the tradition
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics VIII.3: Perfect friendship is that of good men alike in virtue, who wish well to each other as good; such friendships are rare and lasting, unlike those of utility or pleasure.
Cicero, De Amicitia (Laelius) 18-20: Friendship can exist only between good men; it is agreement in all things divine and human, with goodwill and affection.
Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 23, a. 1: Charity is a friendship of man with God; friendship requires mutual goodwill grounded on some fellowship.
Scripture, John 15:13 (KJV): “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”
Scripture, Proverbs 17:17 (KJV): “A friend loveth at all times”
Scripture, Ruth 1:16 (KJV): “whither thou goest, I will go”
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version as given in the library’s text. Other definitions are summarized, not quoted.
Opposing vices
- Disloyalty: Betraying or abandoning a friend.
- Flattery: Pleasing a friend by falsehood rather than helping him by truth.
Works that show friendship (165)
The Epic of GilgameshAnonymous (Babylonian; standard version attributed to Sin-leqi-unninni)Gilgamesh and Enkidu, after wrestling at the doorway, become companions who face Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven together, and Gilgamesh mourns his friend for seven days and nights.c. 2100-1200 BCThe BibleAnonymousRuth’s loyalty to Naomi and David’s friendship with Jonathan.composed c. 1000 BCE – c. 100 CE; KJV 1611The OdysseyHomerPenelope, Telemachus, Eumaeus, and the old dog Argos keep faith with an absent master for twenty years. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.c. 8th century BCEThe Homeric HymnsAnonymous (Homeric)Hermes and Apollo end their quarrel over the stolen cattle by exchanging the lyre and the herdsman's staff.7th–6th century BCAesop's FablesAesopThe Lion and the Mouse honors mercy repaid between unequal friends. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.c. 6th century BCE (Townsend trans. 1867)The Trojan Women and Other PlaysEuripidesPylades tends Orestes through his fit on the Taurian shore and then refuses to save himself by leaving his friend to die.415–c. 414 BCIphigenia in Aulis and Other PlaysEuripidesTheseus refuses to abandon Heracles after the killings, takes his hand, and leads him to Athens.c. 430–405 BCThe Last Days of SocratesPlatoCrito, Phaedo, and the companions stay with Socrates to the end, and the Phaedo closes by calling him the best and wisest of men.c. 399–347 BCEThe Nicomachean EthicsAristotleBooks VIII and IX are the classic treatise on friendship.c. 340 BCEThe RamayanaValmikiHanuman leaps the sea to Lanka and later carries a mountain of herbs from the Himalaya in loyal service to Rama and Sugriva. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.c. 5th century BC-3rd century AD (traditional)The ArgonauticaApollonius of RhodesHeracles refuses to abandon the search for Hylas, and Telamon rages at the crew for sailing on without Heracles. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.3rd century BCThe Method (Geometrical Solutions Derived from Mechanics)ArchimedesHe shares his private method with Eratosthenes because he trusts his friend's ability to value it.c. 250 BCELetters from a StoicSenecaSeneca writes as a friend to Lucilius and discusses what true friendship requires.c. 63–65 CEConfessionsAugustine of HippoAugustine reflects on the friend whose death darkened his heart, and on loving friends in God.c. 397–400 CEBeowulfAnonymousWiglaf alone stands by his lord against the dragon when the other retainers flee. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.c. 8th-11th centuryThe Poetic EddaAnonymous (Old Norse)Hovamol 119 urges a man to visit a trusted friend often, for brambles and waving grass grow on the rarely trodden road.c. 800–1100 (MS c. 1270)The Song of RolandAnonymousRoland and Oliver remain companions to death despite their quarrel.c. 1100Memoirs of Usama ibn MunqidhUsama ibn MunqidhHe records the bonds of amity with a Frankish knight who called him brother and with the Templars who cleared a chapel for his prayer.c. 1183The Travels of Ibn BattutaIbn BattutaHospices, judges and rulers welcome him across the Islamic world, and he records their hospitality, such as the cells with food for travellers in the Persian mountains.1355Le Morte d'ArthurThomas MaloryArthur grieves more for the broken fellowship of his knights than for the loss of his queen in Book XX.1485 (Caxton; completed c. 1469-70)On the Revolutions of the Heavenly SpheresNicolaus CopernicusCopernicus credits Bishop Tiedemann Giese and Cardinal Schönberg with pressing him to publish, and Rheticus left his Wittenberg post to study with him and carry the book to press.1543Discourse on Voluntary ServitudeÉtienne de La BoétieLa Boétie teaches that friendship is a holy bond possible only among good men, which is why the tyrant and his favourites can never share it.c. 1548 (published 1576)Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors and Architects (Volume 1)Giorgio VasariVasari presents Giotto and Dante as close friends, Giotto painting Dante's portrait in the Podestà chapel.1550; 2nd ed. 1568The Life of St. Teresa of JesusTeresa of AvilaShe defines prayer itself as friendship with God and relies on friends such as Peter of Alcantara in the work of reform.1565On FriendshipMichel de MontaigneMontaigne’s essay on his friendship with La Boetie.1580 (Essays)Journey to the West (A Mission to Heaven)Wu Cheng'enAfter the Master dismisses Sun for killing the disguised demon, the horse and Pa Kiel fetch him back and Sun returns to rescue his master. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.c. 1592The Merchant of VeniceWilliam ShakespeareAntonio signs a bond for his own flesh so that Bassanio can go to Belmont to court Portia.c. 1596-97 (published 1600)EssaysFrancis BaconBacon’s essay Of Friendship treats its fruits for the heart and the understanding.1597-1625Much Ado About NothingWilliam ShakespeareBeatrice stands by her cousin Hero when the Prince, Claudio and even Leonato believe the slander.c. 1598-99 (published 1600)As You Like ItWilliam ShakespeareCelia leaves her father's court and her inheritance rather than be parted from the banished Rosalind.c. 1599 (First Folio 1623)Henry VWilliam ShakespeareHe calls the soldiers who fight with him his brothers.1599Julius CaesarWilliam ShakespeareBrutus and Cassius reconcile after their quarrel and stand together to the end at Philippi.1599Mark Antony's Funeral Oration ("Friends, Romans, countrymen")William ShakespeareAntony speaks for a murdered friend who was faithful and just to him, at personal risk before a crowd that had just cheered his killers.1599The St Crispin's Day SpeechWilliam ShakespeareHe promises that whoever sheds his blood with him shall be his brother, however humble his condition.1599HamletWilliam ShakespeareHoratio stays loyal to Hamlet to the end and is charged with telling his story truly.c. 1600Don QuixoteMiguel de CervantesSancho Panza stays with his master through every misadventure.1605–1615King LearWilliam ShakespeareKent serves Lear in disguise after being banished. Opposing vice: Flattery.c. 1606Sonnet 116William ShakespeareThe marriage of true minds is a union of wills, the bond of the closest friendship as well as of spouses.1609SonnetsWilliam ShakespeareThe speaker forgives the young man's wrong in Sonnets 33 to 35 and keeps faith with him through absence and rivalry.1609The Misanthrope and Other PlaysMolièreAlceste’s refusal of any flattery among friends raises the question of how candor and kindness fit together. Opposing vice: Flattery.1666 (The Misanthrope)Essays, Moral and Political (selection)David HumeOf Parties in General condemns factions for setting against each other fellow citizens who ought to protect one another.1741-1752The History of Tom Jones, a FoundlingHenry FieldingPartridge follows Tom through danger and poverty, and Tom provides for him in the end.1749The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, GentlemanLaurence SterneCorporal Trim serves Toby for years as companion and fellow engineer, and the brothers Walter and Toby stay affectionate through every quarrel over their hobby-horses.1759-1767Letters from a Farmer in PennsylvaniaJohn DickinsonLetter I asks Pennsylvania to stand by New York, since a wise man does not watch unconcerned while his neighbour's house burns.1767-1768The Articles of ConfederationContinental CongressArticle III joins the states in a firm league of friendship, binding each to assist the others against any attack.1777 (ratified 1781)Elements of ChemistryAntoine LavoisierThe Preface acknowledges a community of opinions with Berthollet, Fourcroy, Laplace and Monge, in which he can hardly distinguish his ideas from theirs.1789The Life of Samuel JohnsonJames BoswellHe joins Reynolds in founding the Literary Club in 1764 and keeps faith with Boswell, Garrick and the Thrales for decades.1791Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern AbbeyWilliam WordsworthThe final paragraph turns from his own vision to a loving blessing on Dorothy, his dearest Friend.1798First Inaugural Address (Jefferson)Thomas JeffersonHe asks citizens to restore to social life the harmony and affection without which liberty itself is a dreary thing.1801The Swiss Family RobinsonJohann David WyssFour very different brothers learn to depend on each other's gifts, which the father names as the book's chief blessing.1812EmmaJane AustenMr. Knightley tells Emma unwelcome truths about Robert Martin and about Miss Bates because he cares for her good. Opposing vice: Flattery.1815PersuasionJane AustenAnne Elliot’s steady constancy to Wentworth endures eight years.1817IvanhoeWalter ScottWamba exchanges clothes with Cedric at Torquilstone, risking his life so his master can escape.1819 (dated 1820)The Last of the MohicansJames Fenimore CooperAt Uncas's grave Hawkeye takes Chingachgook's hand and tells him that he is not alone.1826UlyssesAlfred, Lord TennysonHe calls his old mariners to share the last voyage as they shared the thunder and the sunshine before.written 1833; published 1842Father Goriot (Le Père Goriot)Honoré de BalzacBianchon stays with Rastignac through the nights of Goriot's illness, studying his medical books at the bedside.1835Essays: First Series (Self-Reliance and Other Essays)Ralph Waldo EmersonThe essay Friendship defines a friend as one with whom we may be sincere and demands truth and tenderness between equals.1841The Three MusketeersAlexandre DumasThe four swear their oath in Chapter IX and keep it on the ride to London, each willing to be left behind so that d'Artagnan can reach Buckingham.1844The True Story of My LifeHans Christian AndersenHe records with gratitude the friendship of Collin, Thorvaldsen, Ingemann and Jenny Lind.1846David CopperfieldCharles DickensAgnes, Peggotty, and Traddles remain steadfast friends to David.1849–1850A Wonder-Book for Girls and BoysNathaniel HawthorneThe little boy at the fountain keeps faith with Bellerophon, and the hero says the child's faith won the victory.1851CranfordElizabeth GaskellMartha marries Jem sooner than planned so that the couple can give her ruined mistress a home.1851–53Moby-DickHerman MelvilleQueequeg and Ishmael become bosom friends, and Queequeg's coffin bears Ishmael up after the wreck.1851Tanglewood TalesNathaniel HawthorneThasus, though no relation, walks with Telephassa until he is lame and keeps a bed ready for Europa all his life.1853The Song of HiawathaHenry Wadsworth LongfellowHe mourns Chibiabos for seven weeks with a lament that names him the sweetest of all singers.1855A Tale of Two CitiesCharles DickensJarvis Lorry stays at the Manettes' side for eighteen years, from Dover to the escape from Paris.1859Paul Revere's RideHenry Wadsworth LongfellowThe unnamed friend climbs the dark belfry and risks discovery so that Revere can carry the warning.written 1860; published 1861The Huxley-Wilberforce DebateThomas Henry Huxley and Samuel WilberforceHuxley and Hooker spoke for the absent and ailing Darwin, and Hooker wrote to him within two days to tell him what had happened.1860The Woman in WhiteWilkie CollinsMarian finds Laura in the asylum, bribes the nurse to free her, and lives with her in hiding until her name is restored.1859–60Great ExpectationsCharles DickensHerbert Pocket stands by Pip through debt and danger and helps him shelter Magwitch.1860-61Legends of CharlemagneThomas BulfinchZerbino gives his life defending the abandoned sword of the mad Orlando, who had once rescued him and Isabella.1863Apologia Pro Vita SuaJohn Henry NewmanHe dedicates the book to the Oratory fathers and Ambrose St. John and speaks warmly of the Anglican friends he left.1864O Captain! My Captain!Walt WhitmanThe poem gives the crowd its joy and the captain his grief, honouring both the shared victory and the bond with the fallen leader.1865The Subjection of WomenJohn Stuart MillChapter II pictures the ideal marriage as a friendship of equals who share pursuits and improve one another.1869Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the SeaJules VerneTrapped under the Antarctic ice, Conseil and Ned give Aronnax the last good air in the diving tanks to keep him alive.1869-1870 (French); English 1872-73Around the World in Eighty DaysJules VernePassepartout’s loyalty becomes essential to the race. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.1873The Prince and the PauperMark TwainMiles Hendon protects a boy he believes mad and takes his lashes in the stocks in Chapter XXVIII.1881The Merry Adventures of Robin HoodHoward PyleMerry men share danger and keep loyalty under pressure. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.1883Adventures of Huckleberry FinnMark TwainHuck tears up his letter to Miss Watson in Chapter XXXI and resolves to free Jim, choosing loyalty to his friend over everything he has been taught.1884 (UK) / 1885 (US)KidnappedRobert Louis StevensonDavid and Alan keep faith with each other through the round-house fight, the flight in the heather and a bitter quarrel.1886Little Lord FauntleroyFrances Hodgson BurnettCedric never forgets Mr. Hobbs and Dick, and Dick's loyalty in turn saves his inheritance.1886 (serialized 1885-86)Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeRobert Louis StevensonUtterson keeps faith with Jekyll for years, tracking Hyde and finally breaking down the cabinet door to help him. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.1886The Black ArrowRobert Louis StevensonDick refuses to leave Lawless to be hanged and begs Earl Risingham for his life as well as his own.1888 (serialized 1883)The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesArthur Conan DoyleWatson leaves his practice and his home at a word from Holmes in later cases, and in The Speckled Band brings his revolver to share the danger of the night watch.1892 (stories 1891-92)The Jungle BookRudyard KiplingBaloo, Bagheera and Kaa set aside their own fears and quarrels to rescue Mowgli from the Cold Lairs.1894The Red Badge of CourageStephen CraneWilson nurses the returning Henry with coffee, a wet handkerchief bandage and his own blankets without questioning his story.1895Captains CourageousRudyard KiplingHarvey and Dan, a millionaire's son and a skipper's son, become friends for life.1897Cyrano de BergeracEdmond RostandHe protects Christian, whom he could have killed for mocking his nose, and keeps his promise to Roxane to watch over him.1897 (French)The Wonderful Wizard of OzL. Frank BaumDorothy refuses to leave the Lion in the Wicked Witch's yard and secretly brings him food until they can escape together.1900Cuchulain of MuirthemneLady GregoryCuchulain and Ferdiad send each other healing herbs and food each night of their combat, and Cuchulain keens for his foster-brother when he has fallen. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.1902Just So StoriesRudyard KiplingStickly-Prickly and Slow-Solid help each other learn to swim and curl until they both become Armadillos.1902The Hound of the BaskervillesArthur Conan DoyleWatson stays at Sir Henry's side on the moor as Holmes asked, and Holmes later admits how much his friend's reports and loyalty mattered.1902 (serialized 1901-02)The Call of the WildJack LondonBuck leaps into the Forty-Mile rapids to save Thornton, and Thornton refuses a fortune rather than sell him.1903The Story of My LifeHelen KellerHelen fills her last chapter with thanks to the friends who read to her and believed in her.1903A Little PrincessFrances Hodgson BurnettShe treats the scullery maid Becky as a friend, sharing food and stories through the attic wall. Opposing vice: Pride.1905BotchanNatsume SōsekiOnce reconciled, Botchan stands with Porcupine through the newspaper scandal, the night watch at Masuya and their departure together.1906The Railway ChildrenE. NesbitBobbie stays alone in the dark tunnel with the injured Jim while the others go for help.1906White FangJack LondonHis devotion to Weedon Scott leads him to break through a window to follow him onto the Aurora.1906Anne of Green GablesL. M. MontgomeryAnne and Diana keep their vow of friendship through Mrs. Barry's ban and Anne's years at Queen's.1908The Wind in the WillowsKenneth GrahameRat, Mole, and Badger rescue and reform Toad together. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.1908The Phantom of the OperaGaston LerouxThe Persian risks his life to guide Raoul through the cellars to rescue Christine.1910Early Poems: A Boy's Will, North of Boston, Mountain IntervalRobert FrostThe speaker of Mending Wall keeps meeting his neighbor each spring to mend the wall, even while doubting its purpose.1913–1916PollyannaEleanor H. PorterJimmy Bean faces Miss Polly's anger to tell her the truth because he would walk over hot coals for Pollyanna.1913Swann's WayMarcel ProustSwann remains a loyal and generous neighbour to the narrator's family even though they never guess his standing in the great world.1913KokoroNatsume SōsekiSensei’s testament recalls his betrayal of his friend K and his lifelong remorse. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.1914A Portrait of the Artist as a Young ManJames JoyceCranly listens patiently to Stephen's doubts in Chapter V and urges him to consider his mother's love before refusing her request.1916Autobiography of Andrew CarnegieAndrew CarnegieHis lifelong partnership with his cousin Dod began in their Dunfermline boyhood and continued in the firm.1920This Side of ParadiseF. Scott FitzgeraldAt Atlantic City Amory takes Alec's disgrace upon himself so that his friend's name is spared.1920The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before AchillesPadraic ColumThe heroes hold together through the Clashing Rocks and carry the Argo on their shoulders across the Libyan desert.1921Mrs. DallowayVirginia WoolfPeter and Sally, meeting again at the party after many years, talk of Clarissa with old affection and honesty.1925The Great GatsbyF. Scott FitzgeraldNick alone stays to arrange Gatsby's funeral and tries to bring his so-called friends to it.1925Winnie-the-PoohA. A. MilneAdventures are held together by loyal help across tempers. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.1926Death Comes for the ArchbishopWilla CatherLatour and Vaillant remain devoted friends through decades of shared labor.1927Orlando: A BiographyVirginia WoolfWalking London at night in the eighteenth century, Orlando finds in Nell and her companions a frank friendship she never found among the wits.1928The House at Pooh CornerA. A. MilneIn Galleons Lap Pooh promises Christopher Robin that he will not forget him, not even when he is a hundred. Opposing vice: Disloyalty.1928A Farewell to ArmsErnest HemingwayRinaldi brings Frederic cognac, news and mockery in hospital and greets him on his return as a brother.1929All Quiet on the Western FrontErich Maria RemarquePaul carries the wounded Kat on his back toward the dressing station, refusing to leave him.1929 (German, Im Westen nichts Neues, serialized 1928)Little House on the PrairieLaura Ingalls WilderPa and Mr. Edwards trade labor on each other's cabins and share music, food and danger as the nearest neighbors on the prairie.1935Of Mice and MenJohn SteinbeckGeorge and Lennie share their dream of a farm and care for each other.1937The HobbitJ. R. R. TolkienBilbo frees the dwarves from the spiders and the Elvenking's dungeons though they have often scorned him.1937Mr. Popper's PenguinsRichard and Florence AtwaterCaptain Cook and Greta, both failing alone, revive as soon as they are together.1938Farewell to Baseball ("The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth")Lou GehrigMost of the speech is thanks to teammates, managers, rivals, and workers whose company he counts as his good fortune.1939Mike Mulligan and His Steam ShovelVirginia Lee BurtonMike refuses to sell Mary Anne for junk when the new shovels take their work, and he looks for a job they can do together.1939A Mathematician's ApologyG. H. HardyHardy calls his collaborations with Littlewood and Ramanujan the decisive event of his life.1940Adam of the RoadElizabeth Janet GrayAdam works in Perkin's village so his friend can go to Oxford, and Perkin in turn has kept Nick safe.1942The StrangerAlbert CamusCéleste, the café owner, stands up in court and insists that the killing was a misfortune and that Meursault is a good man.1942Johnny TremainEsther ForbesRab takes in the injured and friendless Johnny and at his death leaves him his musket.1943The Little PrinceAntoine de Saint-ExupéryThe fox and the prince tame each other through patient daily visits, and though the fox says he will cry at their parting, he counts the taming worth it for the colour of the wheat fields.1943Stuart LittleE. B. WhiteAfter Margalo carries him back from the garbage scow, Stuart leaves home and family to search for her when she flies away.1945That Hideous StrengthC. S. LewisThe household at St Anne's, from the sceptic MacPhee to Ivy Maggs, shares work and danger as equals under the Director.1945My Father's DragonRuth Stiles GannettElmer and the freed dragon laugh together at the crocodile train and set off on the long journey home side by side.1948ShaneJack SchaeferShane takes Joe's danger on himself, and Joe stands beside Shane against Morgan's crew in the saloon.1949The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeC. S. LewisSusan and Lucy refuse to leave Aslan alone on his last night and stay to weep over him and pull the muzzle from his face.1950Charlotte's WebE. B. WhiteCharlotte befriends the lonely Wilbur in the barn and spends her last summer saving his life.1952The BorrowersMary NortonThe Boy carries Arrietty's letter to the badger's set and later breaks open the grating so her family can escape Mrs Driver.1952The Trojan WarOlivia CoolidgeAchilles' grief and fury at Patroclus's death show how deeply the two companions were bound.1952The Voyage of the Dawn TreaderC. S. LewisEdmund comforts the newly changed Eustace by confessing that he himself had once been worse, a traitor in the first Narnian winter.1952The Silver ChairC. S. LewisJill, Eustace and Puddleglum quarrel on the way north but stand together in the dark castle and come home as fast friends.1953Waiting for GodotSamuel BeckettVladimir covers the sleeping Estragon with his own coat in Act II, and the two never abandon each other despite their quarrels.1953The Courage of Sarah NobleAlice DalglieshShe trades English words for the way to the berry bushes and makes friends with Small John and Mary.1954The Eagle of the NinthRosemary SutcliffFreed by Marcus, Esca chooses to stay and goes north with him into the country of tribes who would kill them both.1954The Lord of the RingsJ. R. R. TolkienLegolas and Gimli, of peoples long estranged, become inseparable through the war.1954-1955Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early LifeC. S. LewisHis friendship with Arthur Greeves begins when they discover a shared love of Northernness, and it lasts all his life.1955Old YellerFred GipsonOld Yeller fights the she-bear, the wild hogs and the rabid wolf to save the boys and Mama.1956The Last BattleC. S. LewisTirian and Jewel stand together from the first rash charge to the final battle and pass through the door side by side.1956Little BearElse Holmelund MinarikThinking there will be no party, Little Bear cooks Birthday Soup and welcomes Hen, Duck and Cat to share it.1957A Bear Called PaddingtonMichael BondMr. Gruber shares elevenses and conversation with Paddington in his Portobello Road shop and treats him as a valued friend.1958The Witch of Blackbird PondElizabeth George SpeareNat Eaton brings Prudence to Kit's examination and takes Hannah away on the Dolphin.1958My Side of the MountainJean Craighead GeorgeSam welcomes the lost teacher Bando into his camp, and Bando climbs back up the mountain at Christmas to see him.1959Island of the Blue DolphinsScott O'DellKarana overcomes her fear of the Aleuts and shares gifts and her secret name with Tutok.1960The Cricket in Times SquareGeorge SeldenHarry and Tucker take Chester to Grand Central and see him off, though they wanted him to stay.1960The Bronze BowElizabeth George SpeareJoel and Thacia keep faith with Daniel and their shared oath even when Daniel is harsh and when it endangers their family.1961The Phantom TollboothNorton JusterTock stays at Milo's side from the Doldrums to the Castle in the Air, and even the cowardly Humbug finally stands with them against the demons.1961Where the Red Fern GrowsWilson RawlsOld Dan and Little Ann attack the mountain lion to protect Billy, and Little Ann will not live after Old Dan dies.1961Sam the MinutemanNathaniel BenchleySam's grief and fear when his friend John is shot in the leg show how closely the boys of Lexington are bound together.1969Frog and Toad Are FriendsArnold LobelFrog writes Toad a letter when he learns Toad has never received mail, then waits on the porch with him until the snail arrives.1970The Trumpet of the SwanE. B. WhiteSam keeps the swans' secret, takes Louis to school, and travels to Philadelphia to win Louis and Serena their freedom from the zoo.1970Watership DownRichard AdamsFiver follows his dream to find his wounded brother in the drain after the Nuthanger raid.1972The Sign of the BeaverElizabeth George SpeareAt their parting Matt gives Attean his grandfather's watch and Attean leaves Matt his dog, calling him brother.1983Number the StarsLois LowryAnnemarie keeps Ellen's Star of David necklace safe through the war and resolves to wear it until the Rosens return.1989Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the IliadRosemary SutcliffPatroclus puts on Achilles's armour and leads the Myrmidons to save the Greek ships when his friend will not.1993The GiverLois LowryThe Giver and Jonas, alone with knowledge no one else shares, become true companions and comfort each other in the Annex.1993John AdamsDavid McCulloughAfter years of estrangement he resumes his correspondence with Jefferson in 1812 and keeps it up until both men die.2001Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, SpyEric MetaxasHis letters from Tegel prison to Eberhard Bethge sustain a deep friendship through two years of imprisonment.2010Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and RedemptionLaura HillenbrandLouie and Phil hold each other together through the raft and the camps at Kwajalein and Ofuna.2010
In Plutarch’s Lives
Marcus Furius Camillus, Pelopidas, Cimon, Eumenes of Cardia, Agesilaus, Mark Antony, Dion of Syracuse
Quotations
“But if thy faith had not helped me, I should never have waited for Pegasus, and never have gone up above the clouds, and never have conquered the terrible Chimæra.”
Frequently cited
“All right, then, I’ll _go_ to hell”
Frequently cited
“She is poor; she has sunk from the comforts she was born to; and, if she live to old age, must probably sink more. Her situation should secure your compassion. It was badly done, indeed!”
“If a man should importune me to give a reason why I loved him, I find it could no otherwise be expressed, than by making answer: because it was he, because it was I”
Frequently cited
“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud.”
“you have called me your friend. Take this strap--quick!”
Frequently cited
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers”
“when I speak of Mrs. Bruce as my friend, the word is sacred.”
“We’re neither one of us to mend the other--that’s the truth! We must just bear and forbear, man Alan”
“For just precisely what I thought I liked about ye, was that ye never quarrelled:--and now I like ye better”
“Between us were mutual bonds of amity and friendship.”
“Love, genuine passionate love, was his for the first time.”
Frequently cited
“We came into the world like brother and brother, And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.”
“You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.”
Frequently cited
“We be of one blood, ye and I”
“Such was the end, Echecrates, of our friend; concerning whom I may truly say, that of all the men of his time whom I have known, he was the wisest and justest and best”
Frequently cited
“The gifts of our colors may be different, but God has so placed us as to journey in the same path.”
Frequently cited
“A man, Sir, should keep his friendship in constant repair.”
Frequently cited
“mental prayer is nothing else, in my opinion, but being on terms of friendship with God, frequently conversing in secret with Him Who, we know, loves us.”
“And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!”
“Let him go--I will take his lashes.”
“how blessed are the results of patient continuance in well-doing, what benefits arise from the thoughtful application of knowledge and science, and how good and pleasant a thing it is when brethren dwell together in unity, under the eye of parental love”
“He was a true friend in need, that old roadman.”
“No, not in blood. In love we are brothers sworn.”
Frequently cited
“And love was the plummet dropped down into the deeps of him where like had never gone.”
Discussion questions
- What are Aristotle’s three kinds of friendship, and which lasts?
- Should a friend tell you hard truths?
- Which friendship in your reading is tested, and how does it hold?
- How does Christ change the meaning of friendship (John 15:15)?
Other virtues: Prudence · Justice · Fortitude · Temperance · Faith · Hope · Charity · Piety · Honor · Industry · Humility · Magnanimity