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Again, if it is more characteristic of a friend to confer than to

receive kindnesses, and if to be beneficent belongs to the good

man and to the character of virtue, and if it is more noble to

confer kindnesses on friends than strangers, the good man will

need objects for his benefactions. And out of this last

consideration springs a question whether the need of Friends be

greater in prosperity or adversity, since the unfortunate man

wants people to do him kindnesses and they who are fortunate want

objects for their kind acts.