Again，thebelieversinthe\"interest\"theoryappeartometodestroythemostattractivelinkinthechainoffriendship。Foritisnotsomuchwhatonegetsbyafriendthatgivesonepleasure，asthewarmthofhisfeeling；andweonlycareforafriend’sserviceifithasbeenpromptedbyaffection。Andsofarfromitsbeingtruethatlackofmeansisamotiveforseekingfriendship，itisusuallythosewhobeingmostrichlyendowedwithwealthandmeans，andaboveallwithvirtue（which，afterall，isaman’sbestsupport），areleastinneedofanother，thataremostopenhandedandbeneficent。
IndeedIaminclinedtothinkthatfriendsoughtattimestobeinwantofsomething。Forinstance，whatscopewouldmyaffectionshavehadifScipiohadneverwantedmyadviceorco—operationathomeorabroad？Itisnotfriendship，then，thatfollowsmaterialadvantage，butmaterialadvantagefriendship。
15。Wemustnotthereforelistentothesesuperfinegentlemenwhentheytalkoffriendship，whichtheyknowneitherintheorynorinpractice。Forwho，inheaven’sname，wouldchoosealifeofthegreatestwealthandabundanceonconditionofneitherlovingorbeingbelovedbyanycreature？Thatisthesortoflifetyrantsendure。They，ofcourse，cancountonnofidelity，noaffection，nosecurityforthegoodwillofanyone。Forthemallissuspicionandanxiety；forthemthereisnopossibilityoffriendship。Whocanloveonewhomhefears，orbywhomheknowsthatheisfeared？
Yetsuchmenhaveashowoffriendshipofferedthem，butitisonlyafair—weathershow。Ifiteverhappenthattheyfall，asitgenerallydoes，theywillatonceunderstandhowfriendlesstheyare。SotheysayTarquinobservedinhisexilethatheneverknewwhichofhisfriendswererealandwhichsham，untilhehadceasedtobeabletorepayeither。Thoughwhatsurprisesmeisthatamanofhisproudandoverbearingcharactershouldhaveafriendatall。
Andasitwashischaracterthatpreventedhishavinggenuinefriends，soitoftenhappensinthecaseofmenofunusuallygreatmeans—theirverywealthforbidsfaithfulfriendships。FornotonlyisFortuneblindherself；butshegenerallymakesthoseblindalsowhoenjoyherfavours。Theyarecarried，sotospeak，beyondthemselveswithself—conceitandself—will；norcananythingbemoreperfectlyintolerablethanasuccessfulfool。Youmayoftenseeit。Menwhobeforehadpleasantmannersenoughundergoacompletechangeonattainingpowerofoffice。Theydespisetheiroldfriends：devotethemselvestonew。