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The friendships of the world are oft
Confederacies in vice, or leagues of pleasure;
Ours has severest virtue for its basis,
And such a friendship ends not but with life.

— Joseph Addison Cato, A Tragedy (1713)

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Friendship

More quotes by Joseph Addison

Keep up the loud harmonious song,
And imitate the blest above,
In joy, and harmony, and love.

Song for St. Cecilia's Day (1692)

If we may believe our logicians, man is distinguished from all other creatures by the faculty of laughter.

The Spectator (1711)

'Tis not in mortals to command success,
But we'll do more, Sempronius; we'll deserve it.

Cato, A Tragedy (1713)

We are growing serious, and,
Let me tell you, that's the very next step to being dull.

The Drummer (1716)

Thus I live in the world rather as a spectator of mankind than as one of the species.

The Spectator (1711)

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Health is the greatest gift, contentment is the greatest wealth, a trusted friend is the best relative, Nibbana is the greatest bliss.

Gautama Buddha

Not for the body, but for the heart; companion and company are needed.

Sanu Sharma

Flowers are lovely; love is flower-like;
Friendship is a sheltering tree;
Oh the joys that came down shower-like,
Of friendship, love, and liberty,
Ere I was old!

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.

Anaïs Nin Diary entries (1914)

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Joseph Addison (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.