Pagina 566 de 734

But then, what do they mean whom we quoted first, and how are

they right? Is it not that the mass of mankind mean by Friends

those who are useful? and of course the Happy man will not need

such because he has all good things already; neither will he need

such as are Friends with a view to the pleasurable, or at least

only to a slight extent; because his life, being already

pleasurable, does not want pleasure imported from without; and

so, since the Happy man does not need Friends of these kinds, he

is thought not to need any at all.

But it may be, this is not true: for it was stated originally,

that Happiness is a kind of Working; now Working plainly is

something that must come into being, not be already there like a

mere piece of property.