it had been hard for him that spake it to have put more truth and untruth together in few words, than in that speech. whatsoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god. for it is most true, that a natural and secret hatred, and aversation towards society, in any man, hath somewhat of the savage beast; but it is most untrue, that it should have any character at all, of the divine nature; ecept it proceed, not out of a pleasure in solitude, but out of a love and desire to sequester a man鈥檚 self, for a higher conversation: such as is found to have been falsely and feignedly in some of the heathen; as epimenides the candian, numa the roman, empedocles the sicilian, and apollonius of tyana; and truly and really, in divers of the ancient hermits and holy fathers of the church. but little do men perceive what solitude is, and how far it etendeth. for a crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love. the latin adage meeteth with it a little: magna civitas, magna solitudo; because in a great town friends are scattered; so that there is not that fellowship, for the most part, which is in less neighborhoods. but we may go further, and affirm most truly, that it is a mere and miserable solitude to want true friends; without which the world is but a wilderness; and even in this sense also of solitude, whosoever in the frame of his nature and affections, is unfit for friendship, he taketh it of the beast, and not from humanity.

a principal fruit of friendship, is the ease and discharge of the fulness and swellings of the heart, which passions of all kinds do cause and induce. we know diseases of stoppings, and suffocations, are the most dangerous in the body; and it is not much otherwise in the mind; you may take sarza to open the liver, steel to open the spleen, flowers of sulphur for the lungs, castoreum for the brain; but no receipt openeth the heart, but a true friend; to whom you may impart griefs, joys, fears, hopes, suspicions, counsels, and whatsoever lieth upon the heart to oppress it, in a kind of civil shrift or confession.

it is a strange thing to observe, how high a rate great kings and monarchs do set upon this fruit of friendship, whereof we speak: so great, as they purchase it, many times, at the hazard of their own safety and greatness. for princes, in regard of the distance of their fortune from that of their subjects and servants, cannot gather this fruit, ecept (to make themselves capable thereof) they raise some persons to be, as it were, companions and almost equals to themselves, which many times sorteth to inconvenience. the modern languages give unto such persons the name of favorites, or privadoes; as if it were matter of grace, or conversation. but the roman name attaineth the true use and cause thereof, naming them participes curarum; for it is that which tieth the knot. and we see plainly that this hath been done, not by weak and passionate princes only, but by the wisest and most politic that ever reigned; who have oftentimes joined to themselves some of their servants; whom both themselves have called friends, and allowed other likewise to call them in the same manner; using the word which is received between private men.

l. sylla, when he commanded rome, raised pompey (after surnamed the great) to that height, that pompey vaunted himself for sylla鈥檚 overmatch. for when he had carried the consulship for a friend of his, against the pursuit of sylla, and that sylla did a little resent thereat, and began to speak great, pompey turned upon him again, and in effect bade him be quiet; for that more men adored the sun rising, than the sun setting. with julius caesar, decimus brutus had obtained that interest, as he set him down, in his testament, for heir in remainder, after his nephew. and this was the man that had power with him, to draw him forth to his death. for when caesar would have discharged the senate, in regard of some ill presages, and specially a dream of calpurnia; this man lifted him gently by the arm out of his chair, telling him he hoped he would not dismiss the senate, till his wife had dreamt a better dream. and it seemeth his favor was so great, as antonius, in a letter which is recited verbatim in one of cicero鈥檚 philippics, calleth him venefica, witch; as if he had enchanted caesar. augustus raised agrippa (though of mean birth) to that height, as when he consulted with maecenas, about the marriage of his daughter julia, maecenas took the liberty to tell him, that he must either marry his daughter to agrippa, or take away his life; there was no third war, he had made him so great. with tiberius caesar, sejanus had ascended to that height, as they two were termed, and reckoned, as a pair of friends. tiberius in a letter to him saith, haec pro amicitia nostra non occultavi; and the whole senate dedicated an altar to friendship, as to a goddess, in respect of the great dearness of friendship, between them two. the like, or more, was between septimius severus and plautianus. for he forced his eldest son to marry the daughter of plautianus; and would often maintain plautianus, in doing affronts to his son; and did write also in a letter to the senate, by these words: i love the man so well, as i wish he may over鈥搇ive me. now if these princes had been as a trajan, or a marcus aurelius, a man might have thought that this had proceeded of an abundant goodness of nature; but being men so wise, of such strength and severity of mind, and so etreme lovers of themselves, as all these were, it proveth most plainly that they found their own felicity (though as great as ever happened to mortal men) but as an half piece, ecept they mought have a friend, to make it entire; and yet, which is more, they were princes that had wives, sons, nephews; and yet all these could not supply the comfort of friendship.

it is not to be forgotten, what comineus observeth of his first master, duke charles the hardy, namely, that he would communicate his secrets with none; and least of all, those secrets which troubled him most. whereupon he goeth on, and saith that towards his latter time, that closeness did impair, and a little perish his understanding. surely comineus mought have made the same judgment also, if it had pleased him, of his second master, lewis the eleventh, whose closeness was indeed his tormentor. the parable of pythagoras is dark, but true; cor ne edito; eat not the heart. certainly if a man would give it a hard phrase, those that want friends, to open themselves unto are cannibals of their own hearts. but one thing is most admirable (wherewith i will conclude this first fruit of friendship), which is, that this communicating of a man鈥檚 self to his friend, works two contrary effects; for it redoubleth joys, and cutteth griefs in halves. for there is no man, that imparteth his joys to his friend, but he joyeth the more; and no man that imparteth his griefs to his friend, but he grieveth the less. so that it is in truth, of operation upon a man鈥檚 mind, of like virtue as the alchemists use to attribute to their stone, for man鈥檚 body; that it worketh all contrary effects, but still to the good and benefit of nature. but yet without praying in aid of alchemists, there is a manifest image of this, in the ordinary course of nature. for in bodies, union strengtheneth and cherisheth any natural action; and on the other side, weakeneth and dulleth any violent impression: and even so it is of minds.

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 and 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 waeth wiser than himself; and that more by an hour鈥檚 discourse, than by a day鈥檚 meditation. it was well said by themistocles, to the king of persia, that speech was like cloth of arras, opened and put abroad; whereby the imagery doth appear in figure; 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 against a stone, which itself cuts not. in a word, a man were better relate himself to a statua, or picture, than to suffer his thoughts to pass in smother.

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鈥檚 self; and there is no such remedy against flattery of a man鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 etreme 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 presently forget their own shape and favor. as for business, a man may think, if he will, that two eyes see no more than one; or that a gamester seeth always more than a looker鈥搊n; 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 himself 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, ecept 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 mied 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鈥檚 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.

after these two noble fruits of friendship (peace in the affections, and support of the judgment), followeth the last fruit; which is like the pomegranate, full of many kernels; i mean aid, and bearing a part, in all actions and occasions. here the best way to represent to life the manifold use of friendship, is to cast and see how many things there are, which a man cannot do himself; and then it will appear, that it was a sparing speech of the ancients, to say, that a friend is another himself; for that a friend is far more than himself. men have their time, and die many times, in desire of some things which they principally take to heart; the bestowing of a child, the finishing of a work, or the like. if a man have a true friend, he may rest almost secure that the care of those things will continue after him. so that a man hath, as it were, two lives in his desires. a man hath a body, and that body is confined to a place; but where friendship is, all offices of life are as it were granted to him, and his deputy. for he may eercise them by his friend. how many things are there which a man cannot, with any face or comeliness, say or do himself? a man can scarce allege his own merits with modesty, much less etol them; a man cannot sometimes brook to supplicate or beg; and a number of the like. but all these things are graceful, in a friend鈥檚 mouth, which are blushing in a man鈥檚 own. so again, a man鈥檚 person hath many proper relations, which he cannot put off. a man cannot speak to his son but as a father; to his wife but as a husband; to his enemy but upon terms: whereas a friend may speak as the case requires, and not as it sorteth with the person. but to enumerate these things were endless; i have given the rule, where a man cannot fitly play his own part; if he have not a friend, he may quit the stage.

英语背作文篇3

hello, everybody

my name is justin zhao. it's said that a person's name may reflect or determines his destiny or fate in a way.

my first name in chinese means surpass. life is a long and tough run to go. i must learn how to survive in this fast moving society and try to thrive.

i’m open minded, easy-going, warm hearted with a sunshine smile. i have superb and god features such as honesty and sweet temper. also, i much enjoy making friends from all walks of life. my favorite fun is travelling around the world.

i was borned on feb. 2, 1976. i had an elder sister two and half years older than i. frankly speaking, i should say i had a good and memorable childhood in my life. i was not a leading student in my elementary school but in junior middle school. i scored good marks and ranked high both in my class and in the grade. that's the honorable and shining time. things began to change from the date i stepped into the no.28 senior high school in shenyang. i always chose the wrong school to go to. therefore, i learned and cherished the most remarkable experiences in my schoolings. i made a very good and dependable friend and related to him till now. i cherished it deep in my heart so much.

this is me, a man who never stops going forward!

thank you!

英语背作文篇4

dear，

itakegreatpleasureinintroducingtoyouyjsjl，myclassmateandbestfriend.

heisgoingtopursuehisstudiesasapostgraduateinyouruniversityafterhisgraduationhere.we'velivedandstudiedtogetherforalmostfouryears.nofrienddeservessomuchloveandrespectashedoes.hisperformanceintheschoolyearswasoutstanding.inaddition，hehasaverypleasantpersonalityandstayingwithhimisalwayspleasant.

willyoupleasegivehimsomeguidanceregardingthepostgraduateentranceexamination?ifitisconvenient，couldyouintroducehimtothefuturetutor?itwouldbeappreciatedifyoucangivehimsomehelp.

英语背作文篇5

study abroad or in china?

there is no consensus of opinions among people as to whether students should study abroad or not. some people are of the view that the youths should go overseas for further study if possible, while others take an opposite stand, firmly believing that it is unnecessary for students to study in a foreign country.

those people who agree with studying abroad believe that diverse culture backgrounds can broaden students' horizon. they also claim that overseas study can shape students' personality because they are forced to deal with all kinds of difficulties by themselves. nevertheless, the other people who agree with domestic education argue that our educational programs have been greatly improved during the past decades. they also point out that domestic education is convenient and economical.

as far as i am concerned, the former opinion holds more weight. for one thing, it can strengthen the learners' abilities to understand and communicate with people from other cultures. for another, the developed countries still have a lot advanced knowledge we need to study. when all the factors are examined, we may reasonably come to the conclusion that studying abroad is advisable. (189 words)

英语背作文篇6

this year, i was born in dongying to stay at my grandmother's home for the new year. the two cities are far away, so the custom is different.

early in the morning, my mother gave me new clothes. at noon mom and grandma made dumplings. i put firecrackers and played games downstairs and my children. i had fun playing it. i went back to my grandma's home for dumplings. grandma said, "there are two dumplings with coins. i eat and eat, but i haven't eaten a single coin. my mother has eaten two yuan. my mother is really lucky.

at night we sat in front of the tv watching the gala, until 12:00 in the night, everyone staying-up late on new year's eve. but i fell asleep.

i didn't see the beautiful fireworks, but i was happy!

英语背作文篇7

computer games and our eyesight

write at least 60 words according to the given topic “computer games and our eyesight

how do students like playing computer games in your class?

is it good or bad for eyesight if they spend much time in the computer room ? why?

would you give your kind advice to them?

two-thirds of male students in our class like playing computer games very much .though our teachers and their parents told them not to play games any more again and again .i think it is bad for eyesight if they spend much time in the computer room . because i have some experience by myself. i used to play them. then i had to put on my glasses. so i advise you. give it up as soon as possible.

英语背作文篇8

新的`一学期又开学了，来了一位新老师上我们的英语课，她是英语陈老师。

以前我不是很喜欢上英语课，后来，陈老师在我的本上画了五角星和苹果，老师说：“你是我的好朋友。”我好开心。

老师批改作业时，常会写“小书法家，你真棒！”“宝贝，棒！”上英语课时还请我上去教同学，教完后老师亲了我，这些都让我慢慢喜欢上英语了。

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