Pagina 467 de 734

Where people do not interchange pleasure but profit in matters of

Love, the Friendship is both less intense in degree and also less

permanent: in fact, they who are friends because of advantage

commonly part when the advantage ceases; for, in reality, they

never were friends of one another but of the advantage.

So then it appears that from motives of pleasure or profit bad

men may be friends to one another, or good men to bad men or men

of neutral character to one of any character whatever: but

disinterestedly, for the sake of one another, plainly the good

alone can be friends; because bad men have no pleasure even in

themselves unless in so far as some advantage arises.