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Are we then to break with him instantly? not in all cases; only

where our friends are incurably depraved; when there is a chance

of amendment we are bound to aid in repairing the moral character

of our friends even more than their substance, in proportion as

it is better and more closely related to Friendship. Still he who

should break off the connection is not to be judged to act

wrongly, for he never was a friend to such a character as the

other now is, and therefore, since the man is changed and he

cannot reduce him to his original state, he backs out of the

connection.

To put another case: suppose that one party remains what he was

when the Friendship was formed, while the other becomes morally

improved and widely different from his friend in goodness; is the

improved character to treat the other as a friend?