“HAST thou a Friend, as heart may wish at will?
Then use him so, to have his friendship still.
Would'st have a Friend, would'st know what friend is best?
Have God thy friend who passeth all the rest.”

—  Thomas Tusser

Posies for a Parlour, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).

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Thomas Tusser12
English poet 1524–1580

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